Courtesy of the CIAA
Entering week 10 of the 2024 CIAA football regular season, Virginia State and Johnson C. Smith were both in contention for the second and final spot in the 2024 CIAA football championship. The Golden Bulls just needed a victory over Livingstone while Virginia State needed a win and a loss by JCSU. The Trojans’ prayers were ultimately answered, as they took down Virginia Union on their home turf and watched JCSU fall to the Blue Bears, securing a spot in the title match.
Virginia State were hot out the gate and claimed a 14-3 lead and would go on to take a 21-13 lead at the break. Their success carried over into the second quarter as they found the end zone twice more and led 35-21 with just a quarter remaining. The Panthers found the end zone once more but the Trojans’ defense buckled down and held them scoreless for the remainder of the game to claim the victory and earn a spot in the championship.
Johnson C. Smith had a road matchup against Livingstone college, HBCU’s oldest rivalry. The Blue Bears were no easy task for the Golden Bulls, as they’d eclipsed their highest win total in 6 seasons prior to week 10, and looked to play spoiler for JCSU. The game was a gritty, low-scoring affair but the Blue Bears were able to send the Golden Bulls home packing, as they claimed a 15-10 victory. JCSU’s loss was their second in a row after an 8-0 start and was the ultimate dagger with VSU’s win over VUU.
The two teams are meeting in the postseason for the first time in 92 years.
The championship game will take place on Saturday, November 16 at Salem Stadium in Salem, Virginia at 3:00 P.M.
