CHARLOTTE, NC (November 3, 2025) – Week Nine of CIAA Football delivered its most dramatic slate of the season, featuring two road upsets, a 70-point offensive explosion, and a tightening championship race with just one week remaining in the regular season.
Virginia Union, Johnson C. Smith, Fayetteville State, and Virginia State remain in contention for a berth in the 55th Annual CIAA Football Championship, returning to Durham County Memorial Stadium on Saturday, November 15. Ticketing and tailgate information can be found here.
Below is a full recap of Saturday’s results across the conference, along with the Week Nine Players of the Week.
Elizabeth City State 28, Bowie State 27
Elizabeth City State mounted one of the most impressive comebacks of the 2025 season, erasing a 20-point third-quarter deficit to defeat Bowie State 28–27 on the road. Trailing 27–7 after a pick-six, the Vikings scored 21 unanswered points, including the game-winning 19-yard touchdown strike from Navian Hilliard to Terrance Holland with 1:51 remaining.
The momentum turned late in the third quarter when defensive back Manuel Montout intercepted a pass inside the red zone, denying a potential Bowie State scoring drive. Hilliard finished with three touchdown passes, while running back Traquan Johnson added both a rushing and receiving score. ECSU’s defense closed the door with a final three-and-out and ran out the clock inside the Bulldog 20-yard line to complete the comeback.
No. 17 Johnson C. Smith 17, Fayetteville State 14
Johnson C. Smith remained in the championship race with a dramatic 17–14 road win over Fayetteville State, marking the Golden Bulls’ first victory in Fayetteville since 2012. JCSU controlled the first half and led 10–0 at the break behind a 32-yard Lukasz Smolen field goal and a 3-yard touchdown run from quarterback Kelvin Durham.
Fayetteville State rallied in the fourth quarter, taking a 14–10 lead after a 21-yard touchdown run by Bryce Council and a 52-yard scoring strike from Demari Daniels to Xayden Watson. But with the game on the line, Johnson C. Smith responded with a nine-play, 69-yard drive capped by a six-yard touchdown run from Bobby Smith with 13 seconds remaining.
Durham accounted for 182 total yards, while Smith added 113 rushing yards and the game-winning score. With the win, JCSU improves to 8–1 overall and 5–1 in CIAA play, one victory away from its first CIAA Football Championship appearance since 1972.
Livingstone 43, Shaw 13
Livingstone delivered its most dominant performance of the season, rolling past Shaw 43–13 in front of a Homecoming crowd that saw the Blue Bears score 37 unanswered points after the first quarter. The defense set the tone early with a forced safety and continued to apply pressure, producing two fumble-return touchdowns and four total turnovers.
Defensive lineman Kenyon Garner was unstoppable, finishing with four tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, a safety, and a 45-yard fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. Quarterback Elijah Alexander accounted for two touchdowns, one passing, one rushing, while kicker Jason Zapata added a pair of field goals to extend the margin.
Virginia State 35, Lincoln (PA) 14
Virginia State improved to 6–3 overall and 4–2 in CIAA play with a 35–14 victory over Lincoln (PA), securing the program’s fourth consecutive winning season under head coach Dr. Henry Frazier III, the first Trojan coach to achieve the feat since Hall of Famer Lou Anderson (1994–97).
Quarterback Rahsaan Matthews Jr. led the offense with 272 passing yards and four touchdowns while also rushing for a team-high 67 yards. Jaylen Pretlow caught three of those touchdowns and finished with 80 receiving yards, while Vincent Ordenes added eight receptions for 81 yards and a score. Defensively, Virginia State forced two turnovers and limited Lincoln to 199 passing yards.
Virginia Union 70, Bluefield State 14
Virginia Union delivered one of the most explosive offensive performances in CIAA history, posting a school-record 721 yards of total offense and 545 rushing yards in a 70–14 road win at Bluefield State. Running back Curtis Allen rushed for a program-record 369 yards and five touchdowns on 26 carries, breaking the previous mark set in 2022. Allen’s performance included scoring runs of 84 and 85 yards.
Quarterback RJ Rosales added 176 passing yards and three total touchdowns, while the VUU offensive line did not allow a sack and helped the Panthers average 14.4 yards per carry. The performance also drew national attention, highlighting Allen as the NCAA DII Offensive Player of the Week following the victory.
CIAA WEEK NINE TAKEAWAYS
-
Four teams remain alive in the CIAA Championship race entering the regular-season finale: Virginia Union, Johnson C. Smith, Fayetteville State, and Virginia State. Full Standings can be found here.
WEEK NINE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Quarterback of the Week – Rahsaan Matthews Jr., Virginia State
Rahsaan Matthews Jr. continued to prove why he is one of the most efficient and complete quarterbacks in the CIAA, delivering a near-flawless performance in Virginia State’s 35–14 win over Lincoln (PA). The junior completed 24 of 31 passes for 291 yards and four touchdowns while also leading the Trojans on the ground with 67 rushing yards on eight attempts. Matthews accounted for 358 of VSU’s 402 total yards and either passed or ran for all five offensive touchdowns. Saturday marked his fourth multi-touchdown passing performance of the season and pushed him past the 2,000-yard mark in total offense as the Trojans secured their fourth straight winning season under Head Coach Dr. Henry Frazier III, the program’s longest such streak since 1994–97.
Offensive Lineman of the Week – Trai’von Callis, Virginia Union
In the most dominant offensive outing in school history, senior left tackle Trai’von Callis anchored a Virginia Union offensive line that paved the way for 721 yards of total offense in a 70–14 road win at Bluefield State. Callis and the Panthers' front five allowed zero sacks, zero quarterback pressures, and opened running lanes that produced 545 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, both season highs and among the top single-game totals in Division II football this year. Virginia Union averaged 10.2 yards per carry behind Callis’ blocking, including touchdown runs of 84, 85, 67, and 45 yards. It was the most complete trench performance of the CIAA season and a defining statement from the Panthers’ offensive line heading into championship contention.
Offensive Receiver of the Week – Jaylen Pretlow, Virginia State
A week after being held without a touchdown, Jaylen Pretlow responded with one of the most efficient scoring performances of the year, catching five passes for 80 yards and three touchdowns in VSU’s win over Lincoln (PA). Pretlow found the end zone in the second, third, and fourth quarters, all on red-zone route execution, and became only the second CIAA receiver this season to record three receiving touchdowns in a game. He also added a 54-yard kickoff return that flipped field position and set up another Trojans scoring drive, finishing the day with 134 all-purpose yards.
Offensive Back of the Week – Curtis Allen, Virginia Union
In a season already filled with historic performances, Curtis Allen delivered the greatest rushing game in Virginia Union history and one of the most dominant in the nation with 369 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 26 carries. His total shattered the previous school record of 319 yards set in 2022 and ranked among the top five rushing performances in all NCAA divisions this season (FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III). Allen averaged 14.2 yards per carry, recorded touchdown runs of 84 and 85 yards, and has now rushed for over 180 yards in six straight games, including four 200-plus yard outings. He enters week ten with 1,947 yards and 25 rushing touchdowns, both the highest marks in Division II.
Defensive Lineman of the Week – Kenyon Garner, Livingstone
Livingstone’s Homecoming blowout over Shaw was fueled by the most disruptive defensive performance of the weekend, led by senior defensive lineman Kenyon Garner. He finished with four total tackles, including three solo stops, but his impact came in game-changing plays: three tackles for loss, one sack, a fumble recovery returned 45 yards for a touchdown, and a safety accounting for nine defensive points by himself. Garner scored more points than Shaw’s entire offense for the first three quarters and now leads the CIAA in tackles for loss (16.5) and defensive touchdowns (3).
Linebacker of the Week – Matthew Leach, Fayetteville State
Despite the heartbreak of a last-second loss, Fayetteville State senior linebacker Matthew Leach delivered one of the most complete defensive efforts of the year, recording a game-high 12 tackles (six solo) with 0.5 tackles for loss and multiple drive-ending stops that kept the Broncos within striking distance. Leach helped hold JCSU, the CIAA’s No. 2 scoring offense, to just 10 points through three quarters and was key in limiting Bobby Smith and Kelvin Durham to their lowest rushing totals in conference play this season. His 12 tackles marked his fifth double-digit outing of the year and moved him into the top five in the CIAA in total tackles.
Defensive Back of the Week – Brandon Moss, Livingstone
Livingstone’s defensive dominance against Shaw was reinforced by the play of senior safety Brandon Moss, who recorded eight tackles (four solo), one tackle for loss, and a forced fumble that set up one of the Blue Bears’ three defensive scoring plays. Moss was decisive in run support and disciplined in coverage, helping hold Shaw to just 118 passing yards, their lowest total in CIAA play. He now ranks top ten in the conference in total tackles among defensive backs.
Special Teams Player of the Week – Brady Myers, Virginia Union
Virginia Union’s record-setting afternoon included a perfect outing from senior kicker Brady Myers, who went 10-for-10 on PAT attempts, the most in a single game in school history. Myers is now 55-for-55 on extra points this season, the only kicker in Division II with 50-plus attempts and a 100 percent conversion rate. He also totaled 518 kickoff yards on nine attempts, including four touchbacks, consistently pinning Bluefield State inside their own 25.
Rookie of the Week – Savion Witherspoon, Bowie State
True freshman quarterback Savion Witherspoon accounted for three touchdowns, all on the ground, in Bowie State’s narrow 28–27 loss to Elizabeth City State. Witherspoon rushed for 72 yards on 14 carries and added 139 yards through the air, becoming the first Bowie State freshman since 2017 to record three rushing touchdowns in a CIAA game. He led the Bulldogs to 27 first downs and over 300 yards of total offense while controlling possession for more than 37 minutes.
With one week remaining in the regular season, four teams remain in contention for the 55th Annual CIAA Football Championship: Virginia Union, Johnson C. Smith, Fayetteville State, and Virginia State. The top two teams in the conference standings will advance to Durham on November 15, where the CIAA title and an automatic berth to the NCAA Division II Playoffs will be on the line.
Media Contact:
Anna M. Butzlaff
Associate Commissioner, Strategic Communications
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)
abutzlaff@theciaa.com
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, visit theciaa.com and follow the CIAA on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.