Chris Patterson had a record-setting day with nine catches for 203 yards and two touchdowns in the 35-22 win over Davidson
Box Score
Charlotte, NC – The Johnson C. Smith University football team remains unbeaten after a 35-22 victory against nearby Davidson College on September 21
st at the Irwin Belk Complex. JCSU improves to 3-0 overall, while the Wildcats drop to 0-3 on the season.
The Golden Bulls fell behind early after an 11 yard run by Wildcats' running back A.J. Pignone. Pignone capped a seven play, 90 yard drive and Davidson converted a two point attempt for an 8-0 lead. Before the close of the first quarter, junior quarterback
Keahn Wallace (Miami, FL) connected with senior receiver
Chris Patterson (Pendleton, SC) for a 36 yard touchdown.
The initial offensive series for the Wildcats ended with a sack by junior defensive end
Jovontay Williams (Stone Mountain, GA). JCSU immediately responded with a 12 play, 86 yard touchdown drive. Junior running back
LeAnder Barney (Erie, PA) gained 33 yards on the drive, but Wallace scored the TD by crossing the goal line from one yard away.
JCSU managed to score again before Davidson in the second. Wallace completed a 35 yard touchdown pass to junior receiver
Avius Capers (Charlotte, NC) with 6:57 left in the first half. The Golden Bulls outscored Davidson 14-0 in the second quarter for a 21-8 advantage at halftime.
The Wildcats fell into a deeper hole after allowing a 98 yard scoring drive in the third quarter. Junior running back
Denzel Hartley (Lithonia, GA) got to the left corner of the end zone off a four yard run. JCSU held a 28-8 lead going into the fourth quarter of the contest.
Davidson produced two touchdowns in the final period. First, a 33 yard pass from Jonathan Carkhuff to William Morris and then a 61 yard TD strike from Carkhuff to Pignone. Wallace linked up with Patterson again for a 31 yard touchdown in-between the two Wildcat scores.
Johnson C. Smith held onto their lead and synched a victory over a Division I FCS opponent for the first time since 1996. JCSU defeated South Carolina State University 38-21 during the 1996 season. Davidson competes in the Pioneer Football League as a NCAA Division I FCS member.
Wallace completed 22-of-42 passes for 368 yards and three touchdowns. He also had one TD on the ground and nine rushing yards. Patterson had a game and career high 203 yard receiving off nine catches and two touchdowns. Barney rushed for a season high 135 yards off 22 carries along with three catches for 20 yards.
Junior linebacker
Anthony Allen (Lithonia, GA) recorded a game and career high 17 tackles (13 solo) with two and half tackles for a loss, including a sack and half. The Golden Bulls defense set a new single game school record with 13 sacks for a loss of 93 yards. JCSU only allowed one touchdown on four red zone trips for the Davidson offense.
Patterson set a new single game school yard with his 203 receiving yards. He passes the 170-yard mark set by Matthew Jeffries during the 2012 Homecoming game. The Golden Bulls start the season 3-0 for the first time since 1982. The team has also won seventh consecutive games dating back to the 2012 season. JCSU has not produced a seven game winning streak since the 1972-73 seasons.
"I'm excited for our young men, the coaching staff, our alumni, and the student body," said JCSU head coach Steven Coach. "We're a long way from being great, even if we set some records. There is plenty of room for improvement and we'll continue to take this season one game at a time. Hopefully, any greatness can be measured over the course of time."
The Golden Bulls hope to remain the only undefeated team in the CIAA as they head into conference play next week. JCSU travels to Petersburg, VA to challenge Virginia State University on Saturday, September 28th. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. at Rogers Stadium.
