Venue: Hovey Field, Richmond, Virginia (home of the Panthers)
Kickoff Time: 10:00 AM ET
Weather Forecast (Richmond, VA)
Conditions: Partly sunny, warm early fall morning into afternoon
Temperature: ~77°F (25°C) at kickoff, rising to 81°F (27°C) by the fourth quarter
Winds: 5–8 mph from the southwest
Precipitation:
Impact: Excellent football weather; no disruptions expected
Injury Report
Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls:
QB Kelvin Durham (ankle soreness) – Probable
RB Antonio Crim (hamstring) – Questionable
LB1 (shoulder) – Out
Virginia Union Panthers:
WR2 (groin) – Game-time decision
DB1 (concussion protocol) – Out
OL starter (knee) – Probable
Key Player Matchups
QB Kelvin Durham (JCSU) vs. VUU Secondary – Durham is completing nearly 70% of his passes with 5 TDs already. He’ll test a Panthers’ secondary missing a starter.
RB Curtis Allen (VUU) vs. JCSU Front Seven – Allen leads the CIAA at 176 rushing yards per game. If he gets rolling, Union controls the tempo.
WR1 (JCSU) vs. VUU Corners – With RB Crim questionable, JCSU may lean more on its passing attack.
QB RJ Rosales (VUU) vs. JCSU Pass Rush – Rosales has shown big-play ability with 3 early TD passes. Pressure could force mistakes.
Series History
All-Time Meetings: Virginia Union leads the series.
Most Recent: Johnson C. Smith upset Virginia Union in Charlotte in 2024, one of the biggest wins in JCSU’s recent history.
Trend: VUU has historically dominated, but JCSU is trending upward and enters unbeaten.
Betting Trends
Johnson C. Smith is 5-2 ATS in last 7 games.
Virginia Union is 6-2 ATS in last 8 home games.
The Under has hit in 4 of JCSU’s last 6 games.
JCSU is 1-3 SU in last 4 vs. VUU, but won the most recent meeting.
Historical Betting Results
2024: JCSU +10.5, won 24-21 → Cover, Under
2023: VUU -7.5, won 35-14 → Cover, Over
2022: VUU -6.5, won 28-17 → Cover, Under
Game Odds
Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls 50.5
Virginia Union Panthers – 6.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, September 19, 2025
