Oct. 23, 2004
Charlotte, NC - The Winston-Salem State University Rams football team handed the Johnson C. Smith University Golden Bulls a 31-20 loss at the Irwin Belk Complex in Charlotte, NC on Saturday evening as the Rams used a powerful running game to increase their streak of consecutive wins over the host team to eight games.
The Rams not only handed the Golden Bulls the loss, but broke records in the process as WSSU had two running backs crack the 1,000-yard plateau in the game for the first time in team, and CIAA history, as Jed Bines (So./Winston-Salem, NC) and Martin Hicks (Jr./Oxford, NC) both tallied their 1,000th yard in the contest.
Although the Rams had shutout the Golden Bulls for three consecutive seasons, and many football insiders predicted a WSSU blowout victory, the game's outcome was not a sure bet as JCSU actually led the contest at halftime by the score of 20-17.
WSSU led the contest 14-0 midway through the second quarter of play as they used the Hicks/Bines combination to pull ahead in the early-going. The Rams got on the scoreboard at the 10;27 mark of the first quarter when Jed Bines stuffed the ball into the JCSU endzone from three-yards out to give the Rams a 7-0 lead.
Not to be outdone, Martin Hicks would give the Rams another touchdown run, this time of the 57-yard variety at the 14:31 of the second quarter as he capped a one-play, 57-yard drive that took only ten seconds of playing time.
JCSU would trail in the contest by 14 points, and could have easily folded, however, to their credit, the Golden Bulls responded with a fierce passing attack that would enable them to take their first, and only, lead of the day. JCSU would score three times in the process, using two pass plays of 30-yards or more en route to three touchdowns and the second half lead.
It would ultimately be the Ram running game that would spell doom for the Golden Bulls as both Bines and Hicks, and a very mobile quarterback in Monte Purvis (Fr./Winston-Salem, NC) that sealed the win for WSSU.
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Both Bines and Hicks would eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in the contest as Bines would finish the game with 21 carries and 171 yards to bring his season total to 1,066 yards and his counterpart Martin Hicks recorded 159 yards in the game bringing his season total to 1,045 yards. Both running backs earning 1,000 yards in the same season is a CIAA and WSSU record.
With the win, the Rams improve to 3-6 on the season and 3-2 in the CIAA. They will return to action next weekend as they close out the regular season at Saint Augustine's College. Game time is slated for 2:00 pm.
