CHARLOTTE – Johnson C. Smith quarterback Kelvin Durham threw for 333 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Golden Bulls to a 52-27 victory over Winston-Salem State on Saturday at Irwin Belk Complex. The win improved Johnson C. Smith to 6-1 overall while Winston-Salem State dropped to 4-4.
Durham completed 21 of 26 passes with no interceptions, posting a quarterback rating of 226.4. His favorite target was Deandre Proctor, who caught 10 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns. The quarterback-receiver combination proved unstoppable throughout the game, connecting on passes of 60 yards, 20 yards, 18 yards, and 16 yards among others.
The Golden Bulls scored on their opening drive, marching 71 yards in eight plays over 5:20. Bobby Smith capped the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run at 7:19 of the first quarter. Winston-Salem State answered with a 65-yard run by Timothy TJ Ruff that set up a 22-yard field goal by Gilberto Lorenzana, cutting the deficit to 7-3.
Johnson C. Smith extended its lead late in the first half with three consecutive touchdown drives. Durham rushed for a 10-yard score with 20 seconds left in the second quarter, then hit Proctor for a 1-yard touchdown pass at 5:55 of the second quarter. Smith added another rushing touchdown from one yard out with 14 seconds remaining in the half, giving the Golden Bulls a 28-6 halftime advantage.
Winston-Salem State managed just two field goals in the first half despite some offensive success. Noah Marshall rushed for 128 yards on 14 carries, including a 63-yard gain in the second quarter that set up Lorenzana's second field goal. But the Rams converted only four of 10 third-down attempts and struggled to finish drives in the red zone.
The Golden Bulls continued their offensive efficiency in the third quarter. Durham connected with Brian Lane for a 25-yard touchdown pass on third-and-15, completing an eight-play, 77-yard drive. Lane finished with eight catches for 104 yards and a touchdown. The scoring play gave Johnson C. Smith a 35-6 lead with 3:09 left in the third quarter.
Winston-Salem State showed life in the fourth quarter, scoring three touchdowns in a span of eight minutes. Ja'Hari Mitchell caught a 44-yard touchdown pass from Daylin Lee at 10:22, then caught another scoring pass later in the quarter. Lee also rushed for a 1-yard touchdown at 5:20 to cut the deficit to 38-21.
Lee completed 16 of 22 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns for Winston-Salem State. Mitchell led the Rams with five receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown, including a 46-yard reception that set up one score. Sean Walker Jr. added three catches for 24 yards and a touchdown.
The Rams' comeback attempt ended when Durham hit Proctor for a 60-yard touchdown pass with 51 seconds remaining. The play came on second-and-11 from the Johnson C. Smith 40-yard line and sealed the victory. Proctor's final reception gave him 156 yards on the day, averaging 15.6 yards per catch.
Smith rushed 18 times for 61 yards and two touchdowns for Johnson C. Smith, complementing Durham's passing performance. The Golden Bulls accumulated 521 total yards of offense, converting five of seven third-down attempts. Their balanced attack featured 371 passing yards and 150 rushing yards.
Ruff provided a spark for Winston-Salem State with 87 rushing yards on seven carries, averaging 12.4 yards per attempt. His 65-yard run in the first quarter represented the longest play from scrimmage for either team until Proctor's final touchdown. Marshall added 122 yards on the ground despite being tackled for loss multiple times.
On defense, Latrae Bass led Johnson C. Smith with eight solo tackles. Steny Joseph recorded six total tackles, including two tackles for loss totaling five yards. The Golden Bulls defense held Winston-Salem State to 222 rushing yards but allowed the Rams to convert four of 10 third-down attempts.
Yetristan Brown paced the Winston-Salem State defense with six total tackles. Daniel Williams added six tackles and one tackle for loss. The Rams defense struggled to contain Durham and Proctor, allowing the duo to connect repeatedly on intermediate and deep routes.
Johnson C. Smith punted just once all game, a 38-yard kick in the third quarter. Lukasz Smolen handled all kicking duties for the Golden Bulls, making one field goal and six extra points while averaging 53.2 yards on nine kickoffs. The special teams unit forced Winston-Salem State to start drives deep in their own territory multiple times.
Winston-Salem State punter Angel Gomez-Corona averaged just 13.0 yards on four punts, including one that lost 23 yards. The poor field position contributed to the Rams' struggles, as they possessed the ball for only 28:49 compared to 31:11 for Johnson C. Smith.
The Golden Bulls scored in every quarter, putting up seven points in the first, 21 in the second, seven in the third, and 17 in the fourth. Their offensive consistency contrasted sharply with Winston-Salem State's uneven performance. The Rams managed three points in each of the first two quarters before being shut out in the third and scoring 21 in the fourth.
Durham also contributed on the ground with 44 yards on five carries, giving him 377 total yards of offense. His ability to extend plays with his legs opened up passing lanes throughout the game. The Golden Bulls quarterback was not sacked and faced minimal pressure from the Winston-Salem State defensive front.
The victory kept Johnson C. Smith in contention near the top of the CIAA standings. The Golden Bulls demonstrated their offensive firepower while limiting turnovers, a combination that proved too much for Winston-Salem State to overcome despite the Rams' fourth-quarter surge.
Top Performers
Johnson C. Smith:
- QB Kelvin Durham: 21-26, 333 yards, 3 TD passing; 44 yards rushing, 1 TD
- WR Deandre Proctor: 10 catches, 156 yards, 2 TD
- WR Brian Lane: 8 catches, 104 yards, 1 TD
- RB Bobby Smith: 18 carries, 61 yards, 2 TD
Winston-Salem State:
- RB Noah Marshall: 14 carries, 122 yards
- QB Daylin Lee: 16-22, 170 yards, 2 TD; 13 yards rushing, 1 TD
- WR Ja'Hari Mitchell: 5 catches, 101 yards, 1 TD
- RB Timothy TJ Ruff: 7 carries, 87 yards
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