CHARLOTTE, N.C. (September 15, 2025) – Week Two of CIAA football brought grit, comebacks, and signature performances as teams took the field for the first conference matchups of the season. Here’s how it all went down across the conference: 

Johnson C. Smith 21, Elizabeth City State 17
The Golden Bulls stayed unbeaten and continued their climb in the national conversation with a 21-17 road win at ECSU, a victory that moved JCSU to No. 21 in the D2Football.com Top 25 rankings. Kelvin Durham led the JCSU offense with 189 passing yards and two rushing touchdowns, including the game-winner late in the fourth quarter. The Golden Bulls’ defense came up with a crucial red-zone stop to secure the victory and move to 3-0 for the season. 

Elizabeth City State showed resilience, keeping the game within one score until the final drive and flashing a big-play passing attack that will make them dangerous as CIAA play continues. 

Edward Waters 41, Virginia Union 38
Virginia Union went toe-to-toe in a thriller but came up just short in a 41-38 loss decided by a last-second field goal. The defending CIAA champions put up nearly 500 yards of total offense and erased a two-score deficit in the second half to tie the game late. 

Running back Curtis Allen powered the Panthers with 140 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while the VUU defense forced a pair of takeaways to spark the rally. Despite the narrow loss, Virginia Union showed why it has been ranked in the D2 Top 25 since the preseason and will be battle-tested heading into CIAA play. 

Winston-Salem State 51, Lincoln (PA) 14
The Rams bounced back in dominant fashion, overwhelming Lincoln with a 51-14 win at Bowman Gray Stadium. WSSU’s offense rolled up more than 450 total yards, while the defense held the Lions to just 14 points and forced three turnovers. 

Lincoln showed fight early, scoring in the first quarter to make it a one-score game, but WSSU’s rushing attack wore down the Lions as the game went on. 

Delaware State 36, Bowie State 14 
Bowie State battled tough on the road but came up short, falling 36-14 to FCS opponent Delaware State. The Bulldogs produced 382 yards of total offense, including 206 yards on the ground behind a strong performance from Micah Robinson, who rushed for 92 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. Quarterback Malakai Anthony connected with Antwain Banks for BSU’s first score of the night. 

Defensively, Samuel Graham anchored the unit with a game-high 11 tackles (8 solo), keeping Bowie State in the contest through three quarters before DSU pulled away late. The Bulldogs’ physical rushing attack and defensive front provided plenty of positives as they turn their focus toward CIAA play. 

Ferrum 14, Shaw 6
Shaw’s defense kept the Bears in the game, but Ferrum capitalized on two turnovers to come away with the 14-6 win. Shaw held Ferrum scoreless through the first half and racked up four sacks, giving the Bears momentum heading into conference play. 

Wingate 72, Bluefield State 7
Bluefield State faced a tough road test but showed sparks in the passing game, highlighted by a 70-yard touchdown strike in the third quarter. The Big Blue will look to reset and regroup with CIAA play on the horizon. 

CIAA WEEK TWO TAKEAWAYS 

• Johnson C. Smith’s 3-0 start keeps the Golden Bulls in the national spotlight and sends firm message to the rest of the conference.  

• Virginia Union’s performance, despite the narrow defeat, proved the Panthers can go toe-to-toe with top opponents and will remain one of the CIAA’s most dangerous teams. 

• WSSU’s offensive explosion reminded the conference that the Rams are always a contender, while Lincoln showed it has the ability to compete early before fading late. 

• Bowie State’s run game and defensive leaders showed they are ready for conference play despite the final score. 

• Shaw and Bluefield State gained valuable reps that should set the tone as conference matchups ramp up. 

Below are the Week Two Food Lion Players of the Week:

QUARTERBACK OF THE WEEK
NAME: Daylin Lee
POSITION: Quarterback
INSTITUTION: Winston-Salem State
HOMETOWN: Shelby, N.C.

Lee completed 15 of 17 passes for 251 yards and  four total touchdowns (three passing, one rushing touchdown), including throws of 83 and other big plays. On the ground, Lee also added 7 carries for 44 yards and a rushing touchdown, in a 51-14 victory.

OFFENSIVE BACK OF THE WEEK
NAME: Curtis Allen
POSITION: Running Back
INSTITUTION: Virginia Union
HOMETOWN: Petersburg, VA.
 

Curtis Allen rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries as VUU faced Edward Waters University in the 2025 Unity Classic in Jacksonville, Fla.

WIDE RECEIVER OF THE WEEK
NAME: Jeremiah Frances
POSITION: Wide Receiver
INSTITUTION: Virginia Union
HOMETOWN: Raleigh, N.C.

Jeremiah Frances caught four passes for 74 yards and two touchdowns for Virginia Union in the 2025 Unity Classic on Saturday in Jacksonville, FL.

OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE WEEK
NAME: Zaire Falls
POSITION: Offensive Tackle
INSTITUTION: Winston-Salem State
HOMETOWN: Charlotte, N.C.

Falls helped anchor the offense with 499 total yards, 252 passing yards and 248 rushing yards in a 51-14 victory.
 

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE WEEK
NAME: CJ Brown
POSITION: Defensive Tackle
INSTITUTION: Winston-Salem State
HOMETOWN: Charlotte, N.C.

Brown had four tackles (all solo), two tackles for loss for six yards, a sack for fours yards and a force fumble in a 51-14 victory.

LINEBACKER OF THE WEEK
NAME: Chris Calhoun
POSITION: Linebacker
INSTITUTION: Elizabeth City State
HOMETOWN: San Diego, CA.
 

Chris Calhoun was flying all around the field for the ECSU defense. Against the No. 23 Golden Bulls of JCSU, Calhoun tallied six solo tackles and eight assisted tackles for a total of 14 tackles. That marks a season-high for Calhoun.

DEFENSIVE BACK OF THE WEEK
NAME: Samuel Graham
POSITION: Cornerback
INSTITUTION: Bowie State
HOMETOWN: Baltimore, MD.

Graham led the Bulldogs with 11 tackles (8 solo) and recorded 1.0 tackle for loss (4 yards). He was the team’s most active defender in the secondary and consistently made tackles near the line of scrimmage.
 

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
NAME: Lukasz Smolen
POSITION: Kicker/Punter
INSTITUTION: Johnson C. Smith
HOMETOWN: London, UK.

Smolen Punted three times for 149 yards, his longest was a 63 yarder, Avg 49.7, two inside the 20. He also added two PAT's.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
NAME: Keyshawn Richardson
POSITION: Linebacker
INSTITUTION: Shaw
HOMETOWN: Wilson, N.C.

Richardson made an immediate impact for Shaw, leading the Bears with a game-high nine total tackles (five solo, four assisted) in his first collegiate start. The freshman from Wilson, NC helped anchor a Shaw defense that held Ferrum to just 181 total yards for the game. 
 

About the CIAA 

Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first, and longest running, African American athletic conference in the U.S. and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150,000 fans from around the country. The Basketball Tournament has been honored as a 2019 Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management, the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, for both 2018 and 2019. 
 
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member institutions: Bowie State University, Bluefield State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston-Salem State University. For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.