Thomas sparks JCSU's 37-20 win vs. Fayettevile State

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Carlo Thomas never had a day like Saturday.

The Johnson C. Smith free safety intercepted a school-record four passes and returned two for touchdowns in the Golden Bulls’ 37-20 CIAA Southern Division win against Fayetteville State at McGirt Field. The victory broke a four-game losing skid for JCSU, which won for the first time at home under first-year coach Kermit Blount.

“The most I ever had in a game was two,” said Thomas, who leads the conference with seven picks. “The defense played well. The line got pressure, we did our assignments and the quarterback made some bad throws.”

Thomas turned the momentum for JCSU (2-5, 1-3 CIAA), which had a 24-6 lead shaved to four points in the third quarter. His interception of Derek Bryant’s pass and return through a maze of would-be tacklers for a 43-yard score gave the Golden Bulls breathing room at 31-20 with 1 minute, 5 seconds in the third. The game-clincher was a 24-yarder in which he scored untouched and for good measure picked off Bryant in the end zone to kill a Fayetteville State (3-4, 3-1) drive late in the fourth.

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