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LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa. – Tim Green (Fanwood, N.J./Scotch Plains-Fanwood HS)'s 77-yard interception with less than four minutes remaining made the difference as the Lincoln University held off a late charge by Johnson C. Smith University to win a shootout, 55-53, on Saturday afternoon at Lincoln University Stadium.
 
“I just patiently waited for the running back, and once I saw the ball in the air, I went after it,” Green, who finished with a game-high 11 tackles, said.
 
Lincoln (1-4 overall, 1-1 CIAA), which amassed 479 total yards of offense, fell behind 14-0 within the first three minutes as Michael Coates scored on a 61-yard interception return and after a fumble, the Golden Bulls got a 4-yard touchdown run by Dedrick Anderson.
 
However, Lincoln didn't back down as Doug Cook (Dania Beach, FL/University School of Nova SE University), who came into the game as the CIAA Quarterback of the Week after throwing for a career-high 463 yards and five touchdowns the previous week in a loss, connected with Kester Lewis (Bowie, Md./Grady HS) for a 75-yard touchdown strike to cut the deficit to 14-7 with 11:18 remaining in the opening quarter.
 
Johnson C. Smith (2-3, 1-1) got a 1-yard touchdown run by Anderson to push the lead to 21-7 with 8:32 left, but the Lions responded as Cook scored on a 1-yard keeper to complete a 10-play, 79-yard drive to cut the margin to 21-14 with 4:29 left in the quarter.
 
The Golden Bulls continued to move the football as Keahn Wallace connected with Fred Scott for a 29-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 28-14 with 1:59 remaining in the first.
 
Back came Lincoln as Cook, who was 27-of-43 passing for 343 yards and four touchdowns, found Jethro Spikes (Sarasota, Fla./) in the left corner of the end zone for his first collegiate touchdown to trim the margin to 28-21 with 13:49 left in the second.
 
Spikes' touchdown sparked the Lions to three straight Lincoln scores.
 
On the next Lions possession, Philip Jean-Juste (Miami, Fla. /North Miami Beach HS) hauled in a 5-yard touchdown pass from Cook with 11:03 left and Steven Morris (Palmyra, N.J./Palmyra HS) intercepted Wallace's pass and went 81-yards down the left sideline for the score, giving Lincoln a 34-28 advantage with 6:54 remaining in the first half.
 
Alfred Ntiamoah booted a 25-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 34-31, but the Lions, who scored the most points in one half since bringing back football, added to the lead when Ivan Mitchell (Baltimore, Md./Milford Mill Academy) tossed a 44-yard pass to Lewis, who finished the day with a career-high 147 yards on five receptions, to give Lincoln a 41-31 lead with 24 seconds remaining in the half.
 
Ntiamoah drilled a 31-yard field goal as time expired to trim the Lincoln advantage to 41-34 entering halftime.
 
Johnson C. Smith tied the game at 41 with 12:02 remaining in the third quarter when Derrick Johnson II scored on a 45-yard fumble return.
 
Lincoln put together an 11-play drive, capped by a Lewis 6-yard pass from Cook to give the Lions a 48-41 advantage with 12:06 remaining, but back came Johnson C. Smith as Scott caught a 5-yard pass from Wallace with 9:19 left, tying the game at 48.
 
With the Golden Bulls driving for the potential winning score, Green picked off Wallace and went 77 yards to give Lincoln the lead for good with 3:40 remaining.
 
The Golden Bulls, who had 542 total yards of offense, got the ball on its final possession and went 65 yards in eight plays as Matthew Jeffries hauled in an 11-yard pass from Wallace to cut the Lions lead to 55-53. The two-point conversion attempt was no good as Wallace's pass sailed out of the end zone, giving the Lions its first win of the season.
 
Gerald Swain (Burlington Township, N.J./Burlington Township HS) finished just two yards shy of his first 100-yard game of the season as he had 98 yards on 18 carries.
 
Besides the 11 tackles, Green had four quarterback hurries. Brion Robinson (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook HS) added 11 tackles, including nine solo stops and one forced fumble.
 
“We wanted to run the ball more, and pick up the offensive pace, getting them off balanced so we wouldn't be so one dimensional,” Lincoln head coach O.J. Abanishe said. “Our defense won us the game,” Abanishe said. “Our defense saved us.”
 
Wallace was 18-of-37 passing for 293 yards and added 23 yards on seven carries. Scott had 107 yards on eight catches and Anderson finished with 170 yards on 20 rushes.
 
Defensively, Darius Wallace and Brett Love each had nine tackles to pace Johnson C. Smith.
 
The Lions take to the road to open CIAA Northern Division play as Lincoln battles Virginia Union University on Saturday, Oct. 6 in Richmond, Va. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
NOTES: During halftime, the Lincoln University Department of Athletics honored the 2012 Inaugural Hall of Fame Class. Members of the 2012 Inaugural Hall of Fame Class included: Dr. Leonard L. Bethel, Dr. Frank “Tick” Coleman, Barrington “Barry” Fearon, Munford Merrill “Monte” Irvin, Rhondale Jones, Ashley Parker, Dr. Tarron Richardson, Manuel Rivero, Robert Eugene Smith, Dr. Tehma Hallie Stanton Smith and Clive Terrelonge… The 55 points was the most Lincoln has scored since bringing back football and the most since 1946 when Lincoln defeated Cheyney, 72-13.