Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) didn’t walk off the field defeated. They walked off proud. Their 21–7 loss to Frostburg State ended the program’s first NCAA Division II playoff appearance. Still, the Golden Bulls left knowing they had just closed a chapter on one of the most remarkable HBCU football turnarounds in history. And inside the postgame interview room, Coach Maurice Flowers repeated the message that shaped their rise:
“We don’t lose. We learn.” This was more than a postseason game. It was the final chapter of a run that delivered a CIAA championship, a 10–1 regular season, a top-two regional seed, and a new standard for JCSU’s football program.
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Errors Shift a Game That Was There to Take
The Division II playoff matchup didn’t slip away because of effort. It slipped because of mistakes. JCSU turned the ball over four times, including two interceptions and a fumble from quarterback Kelvin Durham. Frostburg took advantage, while JCSU struggled to find rhythm in key spots.
The Golden Bulls finished with 36 rushing yards, just one third-down conversion in ten attempts, and 255 total yards on the day. Frostburg, meanwhile, posted 367 yards and controlled the pace. Game Details – HBCU Gameday-jcs…
Durham still threw for 219 yards and a touchdown, and DeAndre Proctor delivered a huge performance with 14 catches for 139 yards. Linebacker Vincent Hill added 11 tackles and a sack, while Damarion Jackson led the defense with 14 stops.
Flowers kept the focus simple. “We had several third-and-shorts we normally convert. Today, we didn’t do our job,” he said.
Battling in the Trenches
Frostburg’s offensive line set the tone early, and it never faded. They ran for 188 yards and controlled the line of scrimmage in the Division II playoff game, which JCSU usually wins. Flowers credited them for doing exactly what the Golden Bulls saw on film and said the Bulls simply didn’t execute their gap control with their usual consistency.
Even so, JCSU kept swinging. The defense created moments where momentum could flip, including a third-quarter surge that cut the score to 14–7. Yet every time the Golden Bulls approached striking distance, small mistakes held them back.
Still, Flowers praised the consistency of his leaders and their ability to “self-police,” which has been a major factor in the team’s climb.
A Coach Reflects on the “Day Ones”
The presser stayed steady until Flowers was asked about the players who joined him when the program was still rebuilding. His voice shifted immediately.
“When those day one guys came to me… we lost it,” he said. “Those were the guys who believed when this program averaged two wins a year for 40 years.” He talked about the early seasons on the old grass field, the 18-man weight room, and the way HBCU Gameday’s Brick x Brick cameras captured the dust rising behind every snap. Those memories hit him harder than the scoreboard.
He didn’t mourn the loss. He honored the growth.
Brick x Brick Continues: Five New Episodes Coming
Flowers made it clear: the story isn’t done. “We were covered by HBCU Gameday for their documentary on us, Brick x Brick,” he said. “They said ‘Get it out the mud’ in 2022. Now this field is one of the best in D-II.”
And fans won’t have to wait long to see the next chapters.
Five more episodes of Brick x Brick Season Three are slated to be released soon, covering the CIAA championship push, the No. 2 seed celebration, and all the behind-the-scenes moments from JCSU’s historic 10-2 season.
Eyes Already on 2026
Flowers described the locker room as emotional, but not discouraged. The leadership core knows this loss will shape the offseason, and Vincent Hill echoed that feeling. “Time to get back to work,” the All-CIAA linebacker said.
Flowers agreed, adding that JCSU is finished with the days of taking steps backward. “I’m excited for the future. We’re not going backwards,” he said. “This is going to make us better.”
The Golden Bulls walked off proud of what they built — and already focused on what they’ll build next.