Winston-Salem, N.C. (October 4, 2025) — No. 18 Virginia Union powered past Winston-Salem State in a physical road matchup on Saturday afternoon, earning a 44-34 victory at Bowman Gray Stadium to remain undefeated in CIAA play.

The Panthers leaned on a dominant ground game, racking up 408 rushing yards on 63 attempts, led by running back Curtis Allen, who erupted for 249 yards and four touchdowns on 34 carries.

Quarterback RJ Rosales added a rushing touchdown and a 19-yard scoring strike to fullback Jaehlan Joyner, while kicker Brady Myers was perfect on 6-for-6 PATs.

Virginia Union scored on its first three drives and built a 30-14 halftime lead before fending off a late surge by the Rams, who tallied 20 points in the fourth quarter behind standout receiver Jahari Mitchell's 151 yards and three touchdowns.

"I'm proud of the gritty win we pulled off in a tough environment," said VUU Head Football Coach Dr. Alvin Parker. "We beat a strong opponent today and stayed undefeated in league play. What's exciting as a coach is that this group still hasn't played a full, complete game and that means our best is still ahead of us."

With the win, Virginia Union improves to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in conference play, while Winston-Salem State drops to 3-3 (1-2 CIAA).

Virginia Union will now travel to Elizabeth City, N.C., to face Elizabeth City State University at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 11.