Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) football pulled off one of its most emotional wins in the history of the HBCU, edging Fayetteville State 17–14 with a thrilling late-game drive that keeps its CIAA championship and playoff dreams alive as its ‘Brick x Brick’ redemption arc burns hot.
After surrendering a go-ahead touchdown in the final minutes, the Golden Bulls responded with a 75-yard drive capped by a bruising touchdown run from redshirt freshman Bobby T. Smith, sealing a statement win on the road in a hostile Luther “Nick” Geralds Stadium in Fayetteville, NC. The victory marked JCSU’s first over Fayetteville State since 2021 and snapped a three-game skid against one of the CIAA’s most battle-tested programs.
“It wasn’t about getting the monkey off our back,” head coach Maurice Flowers said after the game. “It was about being proud… proud of our young men, proud of how they refused to lay down.”
Grinding It Out
This was vintage CIAA football: physical, patient, and full of emotional swings.
JCSU controlled the pace with a 38:22 to 21:37 edge in time of possession and outgained Fayetteville State 324 to 236 in total yardage.
Smith anchored the ground game with 31 carries for 113 yards and a touchdown, punishing defenders on every snap. Quarterback Kelvin Durham completed 20 of 27 passes for 182 yards and added a rushing score in the first half.
“K.D. is a dude,” Flowers said postgame. “He competes like nobody I’ve ever seen before. When things got tight, he told me, ‘Coach, let’s go.’ And there was no panic.”
The JCSU defense set the tone early, pitching three scoreless quarters before Fayetteville State found the end zone late. Vincent Hill led all tacklers with 10 stops, while Jaxson Hickson recorded a sack and Tynan Tucker added a tackle for loss.
Kicker Lukasz Smolen delivered five crucial points, connecting on a 32-yard field goal and both PATs.
A Culture Built Brick x Brick
In his fourth season at the helm, Flowers has shaped JCSU football into a program defined by belief, depth, and internal growth.
“We didn’t play well at Virginia Union, but that loss taught us,” Flowers said. “This group listens, learns, and grows. What you saw tonight was them taking those lessons and applying them when it mattered.”
That mindset has been chronicled across HBCU Gameday’s docuseries Brick x Brick with JCSU Football. Season 3 has captured the evolution of the Bulls’ culture — a mix of accountability, faith, and the “Not Done Yet” mantra that runs through every locker room speech and practice scene.
It’s a phrase born from heartbreak: last year’s season-ending loss to Livingstone kept JCSU out of the CIAA championship game and Division II Playoffs. One year later, the Bulls find themselves in the same position — with the same opponent standing in their way.
Next Up: The Commemorative Classic and a Shot at Redemption
With the win, JCSU (7–1 overall) controls its postseason fate. Beat Livingstone next week in the historic Commemorative Classic — the oldest rivalry in Black college football — and the Bulls clinch a spot in the CIAA championship game. Lose, and history threatens to repeat itself.
“We’re going to enjoy this one,” Flowers said. “But we know what’s next. We look forward to the Commemorative Classic. We’re not done yet.”
The redemption storyline playing out on the field is the same one driving Brick x Brick, the ‘Hard Knocks’ of HBCU football — a season-long portrait of perseverance and purpose in Charlotte’s rising HBCU football program.