CHARLOTTE - It was all smiles for the Johnson C. Smith University football program as the Golden Bulls topped the Bears of Shaw University 22-18 in a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association contest (CIAA) Saturday afternoon at Irwin Belk Complex.

JCSU now stands 2-3 overall and 2-2 in the CIAA while Shaw drops to 2-4 overall and 2-2 in the league.

The Golden Bulls put together 325 yards of total offense, including 66 on the ground and 259 through the air. Tyrell Jackson connected on 20-of-41 passes for 259 yards and a touchdown.
 
Tyreik Leach was a workhorse in the Golden Bulls attack, gaining a game high 44 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns.
 
Shaw struck in the first quarter when Sidney Gibbs ran in for a four-yard touchdown run, but the PAT was no good. On the Golden Bulls ensuing possession turned into a Shaw 35-yard interception as the Bears led 13-0 in the first quarter.
 
Leach got the Golden Bulls on the board with a one yard run late in the first and then scampered in for a nine-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Jay Haggins connected  for a 27-yard field goal to give JCSU a 16-13 lead.
 
Before halftime the Bears kicked a 36-yard field goal to tie the score at 16 all as both teams went in the locker-room
 
Neither teams scored on the offensive side of the ball in the second stanza but the Bears went up two on a team safety from JCSU, leading 18-16.
 
With 6:36 remaining in the fourth quarter, Jackson's pass was tipped in the endzone and landed in the hands of Jaron Hull as the Golden Bulls won 22-18.

The Golden Bulls will travel to Raleigh, N.C.  to face the Falcons of Saint Augustine's University. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.