ETTRICK, Virginia --- Willie Stubblefield hauled a six-yard TD pass from Justin Thorpe with 41 seconds remaining as Virginia State (3-1, 1-0) toppled Johnson C. Smith (3-1, 1-1), 19-17, in CIAA action before 4,172 fans at Rogers Stadium. Stubblefield's final-minute heroics came after Gene Holloman caught a 35-yard pass to the six-yard line with less than a minute remaining.
Jordan Anderson rushed for 96 yards and a score and Thorpe passed for 84 yards with two TD passes and rushed for 76 yards in the victory.
The Golden Bulls came into the game as the only undefeated team remaining in the CIAA.
Johnson C. Smith opened the scoring when Erik Amaya booted a 29-yard field goal with 2:08 left in the opening quarter. Virginia State answered with a touchdown with 12:23 left in the half. Anderson capped an 11-play drive with a nine-yard jaunt to lift the Trojans to a 7-3 lead. The Trojan defense limited the Golden Bulls to minus-19 yards rushing in the opening half but Johnson C. Smith quarterback Keahn Wallace completed 16-of 26 passes for 173 yards. Wallace would finish the game with 322 yards through the air with one TD. He also suffered a costly interception and was sacked four times.
Virginia State opened the second-half scoring. Virginia State's Darion Thomas intercepted a pass at midfield and returned it to the Johnson C. Smith 34-yard line. Three plays later, Thorpe connected with Jaivon Smallwood on a 14-yard scoring pass to put Trojans ahead, 13-3. The extra-point attempt failed.
The Golden Bulls responded when Wallace hooked up with Chris Patterson on a 42-yard pass to cut Virginia State's lead to 13-10 with 9:31 left in the third quarter.
Johnson C. Smith scored with 4:51 remaining in the contest. Wallace ran the ball in from 11 yards out to give the Golden Bulls a 17-13 lead setting up the game's dramatic ending. Johnson C. Smith had the ball one last time running four plays for 14 yards as time expired.
The Trojans will play in Raleigh, N.C. against CIAA foe Shaw on Oct. 5.
COURTESY VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
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