PHOTO GALLERY | Virginia Union University scored 19 straight points in the fourth quarter as the Panthers defeated Johnson C. Smith University 33-19 in the Third Annual Willard Bailey Classic on Saturday, September 21, at Hovey Field in Richmond, Va.
 
VUU's Sterling Hammond, who had a game-high 13 tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown, was named the Outstandiing Defensive Player of the Game.
 
"We had a lot of guys to step up tonight," said VUU Head Football Coach Dr. Alvin Parker.  "We have played well in the second half throughout this season, tonight was no different. I am definitely proud of the guys for the win, but there are some things as a team we need to clean up moving forward. It was a great team win."
 
VUU scored first when Rodney McKay took the ball in from one yard out with 11:06 left in the first quarter.
 
After Johnson C. Smith tied the game at 7-7, Virginia Union's Khalid Morris connected with Charles Hall for a 74-yard scoring strike to give the Panthers a 14-7 lead with 11:21 left in the first half.
 
Johnson C. Smith took a 16-14 halftime lead on the strength of a three-yard rushing touchdown and a field goal.  The Golden Bulls then stretched the lead to 19-14 in the fourth quarter on another field goal.
 
Then VUU went to work, scoring 19 fourth-quarter points.  Hall hauled in an 11-yard touchdown pass from Morris with 10:33 left to make the score 20-19.
 
Virginia Union's Jefferson Souza remained perfect on the season in field goals, hitting two, one from 44 yards out and another from 26 yards, to lift the Panthers to a 26-19 lead.  Souza is now five-for-five on the year in field goals.
 
Hammond rounded out the VUU scoring when he picked off an errant Johnson C. Smith pass and returned it 40 yards with 1:11 left in the game to make the final score 33-19 in favor of Union.
 
The win lifts VUU's record to 2-1 on the season while Johnson C. Smith falls to 1-2.
 
Virginia Union will now meet Winston-Salem State University at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 28, at Hovey Field in Richmond, Va., in the Annual Dr. Lucille M. Brown Community Youth Bowl.  Over 500 elementary, middle school and high school students will be on hand with the winners of an essay contest being honored at halftime.