Winston-Salem, NC — Virginia Union University left no doubt about its offensive identity on Saturday afternoon, overpowering Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) 44-34 at Bowman Gray Stadium behind a punishing ground attack that dictated the pace from the opening drive.
The Panthers rushed for a staggering 408 yards on 63 carries, chewing up more than 41 minutes of possession and wearing down a WSSU defense that simply couldn’t get off the field. Senior running back Curtis Allen was unstoppable, piling up 249 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 34 carries. From the first quarter on, he set a physical tone that mirrored Virginia Union’s dominance up front.
Virginia Union established control early
Virginia Union’s offensive line imposed its will immediately, opening up holes on the first two drives that ended with Allen touchdown runs of five and 24 yards. By the end of the first quarter, the Panthers led 16-0, having already forced a safety and outgained the Rams 153-13.
When Allen added a four-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter, the Panthers were ahead 23-0 and fully in control. Even when Winston-Salem State briefly found life through the air, Virginia Union responded by going right back to the run. The Panthers’ physicality consistently reset the line of scrimmage, creating second-and-short situations that allowed quarterback RJ Rosales to mix in timely play-action passes. Rosales finished with 143 yards and a touchdown while also adding 38 yards and a rushing score.
A brief WSSU rally
Winston-Salem State, to its credit, showed fight in front of its home crowd of roughly 6,000. Sophomore quarterback Daylin Lee connected with Jahari Mitchell three times for touchdowns, including a 36-yard strike that momentarily cut the deficit to 23-7 in the second quarter. Mitchell finished with 151 receiving yards and all three of WSSU’s passing scores, while running back JaQuan Kelly added a 62-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter to pull the Rams within 30-21.
But every time WSSU appeared to build momentum, Virginia Union’s run game answered with force. Allen ripped off a 42-yard touchdown less than two minutes after Kelly’s long score, and Rosales capped another bruising drive with a one-yard plunge to push the lead back to 44-21.
Virginia Union controlled every phase
The final box score told the story of Virginia Union’s control. The Panthers ran 25 more plays, held the ball for over 41 minutes, and converted four red-zone touchdowns. WSSU managed 400 total yards but was forced into short drives due to the Panthers’ clock-draining style.
Defensively, Virginia Union’s front seven limited the Rams to just 20 rushing attempts and registered several key stops on fourth down. Linebacker Ahmad Ross led the way with five tackles, including a tackle for loss, while the Panthers’ defense harassed Lee throughout despite not recording a sack.
Statement win for VUU, back to the drawing board for WSSU
For Virginia Union (4-1, 2-0 CIAA), the victory reaffirmed its standing as one of the CIAA’s most complete teams—capable of dominating the trenches and dictating tempo against quality opponents.
Winston-Salem State (3-3, 1-2 CIAA) showed flashes of explosiveness but couldn’t overcome its early deficit or the relentless pace set by VUU’s ground assault. WSSU is 0-4 against VUU dating back to 2018
As head coach Alvin Parker’s squad continues its championship pursuit, Saturday’s win underscored what the numbers made clear: when Virginia Union runs the football like this, few teams in HBCU football can slow them down