Is Johnson C. Smith legit? Outcome vs. HBCU foe Virginia Union provides resounding answer

The door handle kept jiggling, representing a sign of times and just how much things are changing.

Inside a classroom on the first floor of Irwin Belk Stadium, Johnson C. Smith football coach Maurice Flowers and three players are discussing their latest victory, keeping the euphoria to a minimum. And even though they were briefly interrupted frequently since people were attempting to get into the room to offer their congratulations, the quartet remained laser-focused, not once getting distracted by the postgame commotion.

Perhaps it’s symbolic, given the current state of the Golden Bulls. They certainly don’t look like a program that’s averaged less than four wins a season for a good bulk of the 2000s, as evidenced by Saturday night’s impressive 21-16 victory against Virginia Union at Eddie C. McGirt Field.

“We’ve been building for this since Day One and I‘m not going to even try to downplay it,” said Flowers, who’s guided the Golden Bulls to a 4-0 record. “It’s a big win because we’ve been working to change the program, and working to build and be considered one of the better teams. But you really can’t be considered one of the better teams until you beat one of the better teams.

“But as I old the team afterwards, they don’t give away rings and championships in September. So, we’ve got some more work to do. But it feels good to know that you can play with and beat top teams in the CIAA.”

J.C. Smith, which entered the week ranked No. 2 in a HBCU poll, did just that by knocking off the No. 1 team and upending the Panthers for the first time since 2011. This is a program that won one CIAA conference title in a 130-year span — back in 1969 — and has essentially been an afterthought.

That’s how things are when a team wins a combined 56 games from 2005-22.

But Flowers has the Golden Bulls headed in the right direction, picking up where they left off last season when he led them to a 7-4 mark. J.C. Smith is already halfway to tying the school-record of eight wins, which hasn’t been accomplished since 1975. To him, the Golden Bulls are right on schedule.

“This isn’t being said arrogantly or (being) egotistical — we are not surprised,” Flowers said. “We know the work that we’ve put in. We are a very good practice team. We go about the other business. The game is what everyone sees. But we handle business very well.”

In a variety of ways and formats, too. On and off the field, in and out of uniform.

“We handle meetings, we have good walk-throughs, our young men go to class,” Flowers said. “Our young men are doing well in the classroom. Our overall GPA is 3.07 and last semester we had 60 guys over a 3.0. So, when I say we take everything seriously, we do. And we just feel this is the natural progression of our program.

“And that’s really been it.”

Turning things around hasn’t been easy, though. It’s a credit to Flowers’ formula, which is multifaceted. He recruits the city hard, trying to bring homegrown talent on board. He also mines the transfer portal and has a penchant for athletes who are serious about their grades.

Quickly, he’s transformed the Golden Bulls into a winner.

“It’s a blessing,” junior running back Quavaris Crouch — who scored three touchdowns Saturday night — said. “I ain’t going to say it’s a Cinderella story because God is intentional with everything He does. I feel like he placed all of us on this team at the right time and right now it’s a super great time to be (here).

“This is our time and we’ve just got to take advantage of every opportunity, and keep on pushing and making each other better. Each and every day, don’t let your foot off the gas.”

They insist they aren’t buying into the hype.

“Really, we block out all the outside,” linebacker Benari Black said. “It’s within us. It starts with us. So everyone else can’t win the game for us — we can win the game. So, we just come in every day hungry, because that can change. So we just come in head down, ready to work and that’s how we get it done.”

Flowers won’t let complacency enter the picture at all.

“We have a lot more work to do,” the coach said. “You have to have consistent winning going on before you can say we’re here or we are back and all those things.”

Crouch even draws on personal experience, assuring he’s not about to get content. That happened to him at his previous stop before joining the Golden Bulls and the last thing the bruising 6-foot-2, 225-pounder wants is a repeat performance.

It’s why he’s already sounding his personal alarm.

“I played on a team that was undefeated (at) Michigan State,” Crouch said. “As soon as we think we arrived, that’s when we lost. So, never think you’ve arrived. It’s going to get you. So always stay on those horses no matter what. I feel like that will tell the tale in the end.

“Never arrive. We’ve never arrived.”

That mentality has also been driven into everyone’s head by Flowers. He didn’t play favorites as he began rebuilding the program leading into this season, his third since taking the reins at the helm of the historically black college where he starred at quarterback in the 90s.

Each individual had to prove their worth and it’s quickly paying huge dividends.

“We are competitive,” Flowers said. “You look at these guys. (Crouch) came in as a former No. 1 player in the country, this young man (quarterback Darius Ocean) came in from Western Kentucky and Division II power Valdosta State. They both were in competition for battles.

“Nothing was given around here. Everything has been earned. And it’s not just lip service, These guys come to work to earn playing time. And at the end of the day, we are going to let the chips fall where they may.”

Including that big one on the Golden Bulls’ shoulder, which they’ll carry with them to West Virginia for their date with Bluefield State on Saturday.

“They are going to go back and go to work,” Flowers said. “Because, as I did say earlier, someone has scheduled us for homecoming next week.”