A few years back, Virginia Union put up 90 points on CIAA North rival Lincoln University.
Thursday’s season opener against Virginia-Lynchburg wasn’t quite as high-scoring as that game but it was just as lopsided as VUU toyed with VUL for a 77-0 win at Historic Hovey Field in Richmond, VA.
Virginia Union, ranked fourth in the HBCU Gameday preseason D2 poll, scored in just about every way possible to get those 77 points. Already up 28-0 late in the second quarter, Christian Reid took a blocked field goal return 70 yards for a score to make the lead 35-0 at halftime.
Running back Jada Byers, who ran for 98 yards on the ground, started the second half with a 70-yard kickoff return to up the lead to 42-0 with 14:48 left in the first half. Later in the third quarter RJ Roundtree recovered a blocked punt in the end zone, stretching the lead to 56-0 with 9:21 remaining in the third quarter. VUU scored 49 of its points in the second and third quarters.
Jahkari Grant, who was playing wide receiver at Rhode Island a few years back, started at quarterback and he made the most of it. He threw for just under 300 yards and had four touchdown passes. Curtis Allen added two short touchdown runs out of the backfield and John Jiles caught five passes for 100 yards and two scores.
VUL was held to 203 yards of total offense and limited to just two yards per rush.
The competition will most certainly get tougher next week for Virginia Union as it takes on defending NCAA Division II runner-up Valdosta State.