CHARLOTTE – Freshman kicker Joseph Price (Kissimmee, Fla./Celebration) earned a mark of redemption Saturday as he drilled a 19-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Lincoln University football team to the 29-28 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association win over Johnson C. Smith in the Eddie McGirt Classic.

The victory was just the second time Lincoln claimed a CIAA road win with the only other one coming against Livingstone in 2009.

It's the first career field goal conversation for Price after missing two field goals last week against FSU. Even multiple attempts to ice the kicker didn't faze the rookie kicker.

The game-winning boot was set up by another freshman as quarterback Isaiah Freeman (Chester, PA/STEM Academy) led an eight-play, 72-yard drive in 1:03 on the heels of JCSU reclaiming the lead. Freeman started the drive with a 23-yard third-down completion to Eli Riddick (Brooklyn, N.Y./Eramus Hall) and followed up with a 25-yard reception to Rashon Cooke (Sharon Hill, Pa./Lower Merion) down to the 11. Back-to-back scrambles by Freeman had the Lions on the 2-yard line for the game-winner.

It was the ultimate bounce-back moment for a Lincoln offense that netted three total yards on its previous three drives.


Johnson C. Smith appeared to have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat when they marched 48 yards on eight plays to take the 28-26 lead. It was their third lead for the Golden Bulls as they took their first drive of the game.
Lincoln answered as Freeman scored from 10-yards out, and the Lincoln defense kept the game tied as senior Mike Johnson (Edgewood, Md./Edgewood) blocked the 31-yard field goal. The two teams traded touchdowns, but JCSU had the one-point advantage thanks to a blocked extra point.

A career-long 72-yard pass from Freeman to senior Samuel Jordan (Shamong, N.J./Seneca) enabled Lincoln to take the 19-14 lead into halftime. The lead ballooned to 26-14 as Freeman connected with freshman Eli Riddick (Brooklyn, N.Y./Eramus Hall) from eight yards out.

Freeman finished 16-of-27 for 298 yards and three touchdowns. He added 20 yards rushing and another score.

Sophomore Drew Stephens (Newark, N.J./Abraham Clark) led the way with 84 yards on five catches, while Jordan had 77 yards and a touchdown. Junior Dah'mear Triplett (Elkton, Md./Elkton) added 68 yards on three receptions and a touchdown.

Defensively, senior Kai Gray (Neward, N.J./Saint Peters Prep) finished with 11 tackles, including one for loss, and redshirt freshman Rodney Stubbs (Pittsburgh, Pa./Woodland Hills) had seven tackles and two pass breakups.

Lincoln (2-2 overall, 1-1 CIAA) travels to Winston-Salem State 1:30 p.m. October 1.