FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - No. 19/19 Johnson C. Smith University (8-1, 5-1 CIAA) pulled out a thrilling 17–14 road victory over Fayetteville State (5-4, 5-1 CIAA) on Saturday afternoon, marking the Golden Bulls' first win in Fayetteville since 2012.
 
The game was a defensive battle for three quarters, with JCSU controlling the tempo early. The Golden Bulls took a 3–0 lead in the first quarter on a 32-yard field goal by Lukasz Smolen, capping a 10-play, 57-yard drive. In the second quarter, quarterback Kelvin Durham extended the lead with a three-yard touchdown run, finishing off a short 30-yard drive to make it 10–0 at halftime.
 
Fayetteville State stormed back in the fourth quarter. Bryce Council broke free for a 21-yard touchdown run early in the period, cutting the deficit to 10–7. Minutes later, Demari Daniels connected with Xayden Watson for a 52-yard touchdown strike, giving the Broncos a 14–10 lead with just over three minutes to play.
 
But Johnson C. Smith responded with a clutch drive in the final minutes. Durham led a nine-play, 69-yard march, capped by Bobby Smith's six yard touchdown run with only 13 seconds remaining. Smolen's extra point sealed the 17–14 win.
 
Durham paced the Golden Bulls' offense with 182 total yards, while Smith added 113 yards and a touchdown.
 
For Fayetteville State, Daniels threw for 149 yards, with Council (78 rushing yards) and Watson (62 receiving yards) leading the attack.
 
With the win, Johnson C. Smith improves to 8–1 overall and 5–1 in conference play, positioning themselves to clinch a berth in the CIAA Championship Game with a victory next Saturday.