CANTON, Ohio -- The maiden voyage for new head coach Chris Goode and the 2025 Golden Bears hit some rough seas early as Virginia Union dropped anchor in the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic.

The No. 19 Panthers (1-0) amassed more than 500 yards of total offense en route to a 45-3 win Sunday afternoon at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. While the Golden Bears (0-1) entered the game ranked 24th, the roster is filled with an extremely young crew that barely resembles the squad that brought home the SIAC championship last season. Only three players had started a single game for the Golden Bears prior to this tilt, and it was difficult to mask the growing pains.

Still, Miles had some building blocks that it was able to lay down in hopes of building the foundation towards a championship-level squad.

Senior quarterback Kamren Ivory completed 21-of-39 passes for 174 yards, making some tough throws under pressure while his offensive line - all making their first collegiate starts - tried to get their collective sea legs. Wide receivers Tifton Dobbs (four catches, 46 yards), James Gatewood (2-46), and Glen Williams (2-36) each had at least one catch for 29 yards. Williams also had a monster return for 56 yards which set up the only score of the game, a 39-yard field goal by freshman Reid Grek in the second quarter that cut the deficit to 10-3 with 7:34 remaining.

But the running game behind Edward Osley and Jonero Scott failed to gain much traction as the running lanes struggled to open. On the other side, the defense had trouble stopping the run as Virginia Union rushed for 375 yards behind some missed tackles and quarterback scrambles. Tre' Jones and Braylen Jones each recovered fumbles and Mitchell Moultrie had five tackles - two of them for loss - and a sack. But it was not enough to give Miles a spark to get back into the game.

The Golden Bears are back in action on Saturday when they open SIAC play at Edward Waters. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.