N/A
Jada Byers and the Virginia Union Panthers put on a show in Canton, Ohio, on Sunday.
The fourth iteration of the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic saw Virginia Union take on Morehouse College and it was all Panthers.
Virginia Union put up a touchdown in each of the first three quarters and exploded for three more in the final quarter to take a 45-13 victory and start the season 1-0.
Byers was hyped up going into the matchup after an outstanding 2022 season and did not disappoint in the opener. He ran for 147 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries and took home offensive MVP honors.
Quarterback Christian Reed was solid as well, going 11-15 for 153 yards and a touchdown. He also had five tackles and a pass breakup on the defensive side of the ball.
Jabrill Norman was named the defensive MVP for Virginia Union as he made six tackles, recorded a sack and had an interception that he returned 68 yards for a touchdown.
Morehouse struggled on offense, not scoring a touchdown until the fourth quarter, but the special teams unit produced a highlight-reel moment when Delvin Olawumi Jr. blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown in the third quarter to break the scoreless skid.
Virginia Union will take the big victory into a new season where they hope to improve on a 9-2 record and a first-round exit in the Division II NCAA Tournament. Morehouse will look to rebound after playing a difficult team and improve on a 1-9 record in 2022.
Morehouse is back in action next week when they take on Division I FCS opponent Howard University in Washington D.C. Virginia Union is also back in action next week, traveling to Raleigh, NC to face Shaw University.
The Central State Marauders defeated the Winston-Salem State Rams 41-21 in the 2022 Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, on Sunday.
Sunday's game was the third iteration of the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic. In 2019, Alabama A&M defeated Morehouse 35-30. In 2021, Grambling beat Tennessee State 16-10. The 2020 version of the game was not played due to COVID-19.
The annual event features two teams from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. In addition to the game, the event features tailgating, music and other entertainment spread out across Labor Day weekend.
Sunday's game between the Marauders and Rams saw a turnover-filled first half, but it took Central State all of 31 seconds to grab an early 7-0 lead.
Following an 81-yard kickoff return from wide receiver Twon Hines, Central State got on the board first when quarterback Brandon Kyles found Hines for a seven-yard touchdown.
However, Central State followed up Hines' touchdown with back-to-back turnovers on their next two drives. The team's second touchdown of the day came when defensive back Anthony Mack picked off Winston-Salem State quarterback Richard Latimer for a 25-yard score, extending the Marauders' lead to 14-0.
Winston-Salem State finally got on the board when Kyles tossed an interception that defensive back Justin Fleming returned for a 25-yard score.
Latimer then connected with wide receiver R.J. Mobley for a 23-yard touchdown pass to get the game back to even at 14-14.
However, Central State regained the lead just before halftime when junior running back Kaz Dina scored on a three-yard run to put the Marauders back up by a touchdown.
Central State won the turnover battle in the first half with just one interception and one fumble compared to Winston-Salem State's three interceptions and three fumbles. It was a big reason why they entered halftime with a one-score lead.
The third quarter saw both teams trade possessions before Central State found the end zone on its second possession of the second half.
Linebacker Jalil Lenore set up a short field for the Marauders with a fumble recovery before Kyles found wide receiver Kenyadus Hollins for a 13-yard score to extend the Marauders' lead 27-14.
Winston-Salem State fought back when Latimer found Mobley again for a score, this time with a 43-yard touchdown pass to cut Central State's lead to 27-21.
However, Central State found paydirt again on their next drive when running back Aaron Kennebrew rushed in for a one-yard score to put the Marauders up 34-21 at the end of the third quarter.
The Marauders essentially put the game away when Kyles found receiver Micah Lowe for a 21-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to extend their lead to 41-21.
For Central State, Kyles finished the game having completed 26-of-41 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns against three interceptions.
Hines led all receivers with seven catches for 104 yards and one touchdown, while Kennebrew led running backs with nine carries for 39 yards and one score.
For Winston-Salem State, Latimer completed 14-of-21 passes for 133 yards and one touchdown against two interceptions. Mobley led the Rams with four catches for 73 yards and two scores, while Barnes led running backs with 19 carries for 107 yards.
Central State will look to keep its winning season alive with a win against Lincoln University on Saturday, while Winston-Salem State will look for its first win of the year against North Carolina Central University.
The Winston-Salem State University Rams have won the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association conference championship each of the last two seasons and advanced to the Division II National Championship game last year, where they fell to Valdosta State.
WSSU looked to repeat that feat this season after going 9-1 overall and 7-0 in conference play. Unfortunately, the Rams will not get the chance to defend their conference title.
The conference championship game was canceled Friday after WSSU starting QB Rudy Johnson was beaten up in a bathroom at a banquet the day before the game, with five players from the opposing Virginia State University Trojans being the assailants (h/t John Dell of the Winston-Salem Journal).
According to Dell, the attack occurred at the Albert H. Anderson Center on WSSU's campus. With the Rams hosting the championship game on Saturday, a banquet for both teams took place Friday afternoon on campus, during which Johnson was attacked in a restroom. Just two hours later, conference officials announced the cancellation of the game, with Johnson too injured to play due to the attack.
The Virginia State players who committed the attack have not been identified by name yet, but at least one has been taken into custody.
The cancellation of the game is actually much more detrimental to the Trojans than the Rams, as Virginia State sits right on the bubble to make the playoffs while WSSU is pretty much a lock to get in. The Trojans were also looking for their first CIAA title since 1996, but that hope is also gone.
Whether Johnson will be back in time for the playoffs is still up in the air.
