JC Smith football reaches first conference championship in more than 50 years
Johnson C. Smith football is headed to the conference championship.
A fourth-quarter touchdown lifted the Golden Bulls to a thrilling 26-21 win against rival Livingstone in Saturday’s regular-season finale at Irwin Belk Complex.
JC Smith, the historically Black university near uptown Charlotte, advances to next weekend’s Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship, the school’s first conference title game since 1972.
JC Smith (9-1, 6-1 CIAA) redshirt freshman running back Bobby Smith rushed for a career-high 135 yards, and another strong performance from senior quarterback Kelvin Durham helped the Golden Bulls rally late.
“This is history, and I'm just so proud to be a JCSU alumnus on a day such as (Saturday),” Golden Bulls head coach Maurice Flowers said. “As a Charlottean, I am proud. As a young man who first moved to Charlotte with my mother, we lived right down the street by the Bojangles and went to Randolph Middle School, then East Meck and Johnson C. Smith right up the street. Never knew I would end up here, but what I did know is that we struggled in football and didn’t end up coming here. It’s just a great moment to represent the university and to represent the city of Charlotte.”
How JC Smith defeated Livingstone
JC Smith struck first.
Following a quick three-and-out by Livingstone (5-4, 3-3), Durham completed several passes as the Golden Bulls marched downfield. Smith was explosive and opened the scoring with an 8-yard touchdown rush.
But the Blue Bears, who led during the fourth quarter Saturday, provided a quick answer. Junior quarterback Elijah Alexander threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to Mooresville native Davyn Reid.
JC Smith kicker Lukasz Smolen made a 40-yard field goal early in the second quarter.
Graduate student defensive back Rontay Dunbar picked off a pass and hustled more than 40 yards for a touchdown that extended the Golden Bulls’ advantage, raising his arm as he dashed into the end zone in open space.
Livingstone moved late in the first half, and Alexander dropped a pass into Reid’s hands as he sprinted down the sideline for a 65-yard touchdown, making it 17-14.
Smolen added a field goal before halftime, giving JC Smith a 20-14 lead at the break. Livingstone senior E’Shawn Carter recorded a pick-six on Durham’s first pass attempt of the second half, and sophomore kicker Jason Zapata’s extra point put the Blue Bears in front with a 21-20 advantage.
“The record goes out the window,” Smith said. “We know they're going to play well, and we’ve just got to play our best. It means a lot to beat them.”
The Golden Bulls got another shot as they moved into plus territory during the fourth quarter and capitalized. Durham tossed a 24-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Deandre Proctor in the corner of the end zone, but JC Smith failed to convert the two-point attempt and it remained 26-21.
Smith ran down the sideline and broke away from Livingstone’s defense inside of four minutes left in regulation, helping the Golden Bulls run out the clock.
“I love to see everybody happy,” Smith said. “I know what everybody goes through on my team, and we’ve been through a lot. We go through a lot together, so it feels good to see my teammates smile.”
He said it
“When you’re a senior, and you transfer to a school, you’re putting all your eggs in that basket,” Flowers said of Durham. “It’s championship appearance or bust, and you look at what he’s done, he’s welcomed it. And not just him, some others that we had come in, but I’m so happy for him because of the history that he and I have. I’ve known Kelvin Durham since he was 17 years old and a senior at South Dade High School. I’ve known him that long. I’ve known his family that long, in recruiting him. I really coached him two years, because COVID came, and then we had a season, so I was around him a lot. To have him go three years being an outstanding quarterback, set a standard for quarterbacking at Fort Valley State, and then come here as a young man. “I haven’t given him the business since he’s been here, because, you know what, when he was a freshman at Fort Valley, he got enough from everybody. He’s just grown. And when I see it, when I see him, and I talk to him, I just hear his maturation.”
What’s next for Johnson C. Smith?
The 55th CIAA championship is set for next Saturday at Durham County Memorial Stadium.
This story was originally published November 8, 2025 at 6:10 PM with the headline "JC Smith football reaches first conference championship in more than 50 years."