Archie Barrow eluded tacklers for 61 yards and a touchdown in the 24-20 JCSU win over St. Paul's
Charlotte, NC - The Johnson C. Smith University football team won a hard fought CIAA game over St. Paul's College 24-20 Saturday night inside the Irwin Belk Complex. JCSU improves to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the CIAA, while the Tigers drop to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in the conference.
Heavy rainfall played a factor throughout the contest. Both teams started out slow, which resulted in a scoreless first quarter. St. Paul's put the initial touchdown on the scoreboard at the 11:23 mark of the second quarter. Running back Todd Shelton capped off an eight play, 70-drive with a one yard touchdown dash to put SPC ahead 7-0.
J.C. Smith responded in the same quarter with a touchdown of their own. Junior quarterback
Ryan Carter (Charlotte, NC) faked a handoff to the right then scrambled left for a six yard touchdown run. The drive only took two plays, after junior receiver
Jeremy Franklin (Casselberry, FL) put the Golden Bulls in excellent field position with a 64 yard kickoff return.
On the ensuing possession, the Tigers drove 64 yards in 10 plays. Quarterback Alwan Lee connected with Emory Addison for an eight yard touchdown pass. SPC had a failed two-point conversion attempt, so JCSU trailed 13-7. Junior safety
Andre Saxon (Greenwood, SC) made a key play by intercepting a pass at the SPC 23 yard line and returning it 15 yards. Junior place kicker
Julius Wright (Fort Worth, TX) drilled a 21 yard field goal before the close of the half and JCSU went into the locker room down 13-10.
Coming into this game, Franklin only needed 22 yards to eclipse 2,000 receiving yards for his career. The only score of the third quarter came off a 25 yard pass from Carter to Franklin for a touchdown. The TD gave JCSU a 17-13 lead and concluded a six play, 96 yard drive.
The Tigers would score another rushing touchdown with 7:29 remaining in the game. DeShaw Edwards had a four yard rush for a TD that gave SPC a 20-17 lead midway through the fourth quarter. Franklin fumbled a kickoff return in St. Paul's territory, but the ball was recovered by junior fullback
Maurcus Woolford (Fayetteville, NC) at the SPC 36. Sophomore tailback
Archie Lee Barrow (Winston-Salem, NC) put JCSU up 24-20 with a four yard touchdown run with 3:08 left to play.
Junior safety
Lawyer Montgomery (Buffalo, NY) ended the Tigers chances and sealed the victory for the Golden Bulls with an interception at the JCSU 28. Montgomery ended the game with seven tackles (6 solo) and an interception. Saxon had a game-high nine tackles (8 solo), one tackle for a loss, and an interception.
Franklin is now the third all-time leading receiver at JCSU after catching three passes for 77 yards (2,055 total). He also scored his first receiving touchdown of the season; Franklin's other TD this season came off a fumble recovery against Virginia Union. Carter completed seven passes out of 17 attempts for 95 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 121 yards off 12 carries and a TD.
The Golden Bulls won their first game at home and in the conference against St. Paul's. First year head coach
Steven Aycock also marks those as first time achievements in his career. "It feels good to get one in front of our fans and supporters, we just got to keep it going," says Aycock. "Our guys played tough tonight in the rain, against a savory conference opponent and I look forward to seeing more progression."
JCSU will return to the gridiron on Saturday, October 3rd versus Livingstone College in the inaugural Commemorative Classic. The "Commemorative Classic" will acknowledge, promote and celebrate the contributions of these two institutions and recognize the historical and cultural significance of the first black college football game played in America in 1892. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 pm at the Alumni Memorial Stadium in Salisbury, NC.
