Box Score
Pembroke, N.C.----The UNC Pembroke football team scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to take a 24-13 NCAA Division II victory over Wingate University Saturday afternoon at Grace P. Johnson Stadium and Lumbee Guaranty Bank Field.
The Braves (3-0 overall) have won 10 games in a row, dating to last season. The most recent team to beat UNC Pembroke was Wingate (2-1 overall in 2009); the Bulldogs defeated the visiting Braves 23-16 on Sept. 13, 2008.
UNC Pembroke (343 yards) and Wingate (307 yards) combined to post 650 yards total offense Saturday. The Braves compiled 196 rushing yards, compared to 57 yards on the ground for the Bulldogs.
Wingate redshirt sophomore quarterback Cody Haffly (Locust Grove, Ga.) had a career day, completing 21-of-30 passes for 242 yards. The Luella High School product posts career highs in completions and passing yards Saturday.
Bulldog redshirt junior wide receiver Philip Thomas (Saint Pauls, N.C.) was Haffly’s favorite target Saturday, recording six receptions for 77 yards. Sophomore running back Vince Jordan (Mt. Gilead, N.C.) topped the Wingate rushing charts, posting 78 yards on 20 carries. Jordan’s one-yard touchdown plunge in the third quarter gave the visitors a 6-3 advantage, erasing a 3-0 halftime deficit.
For UNC Pembroke, sophomore running back Travis Daniels (Washington, N.C.) rushed 14 times for 97 yards. Junior backfield mate Rashon Kennedy (Sanford, N.C.) posted 78 yards on 12 carries. Both Daniels and Kennedy found the end zone one time each in the pivotal fourth quarter.
Braves junior quarterback Cory Smith (Indian Trail, N.C.) completed 16-of-30 passes for 138 yards and one score. UNCP sophomore wide receiver Jamal Williams (Norlina, N.C.) caught six passes for 49 yards.
Bulldog redshirt freshman safety Robert Fletcher (Lancaster, S.C.) scored Wingate’s fourth defensive touchdown of the season in the third quarter. The Lancaster High School product returned a UNC Pembroke fumble 25 yards for a TD. In Wingate’s opening week victory over West Georgia, Fletcher set a school-record with a 98-yard interception return for a score.
Wingate senior place kicker RP Lopez (Lakeland, Fla.) booted the extra point after Fletcher’s TD, putting the visitors up 13-3 with 5:25 remaining in the third frame. The two teams traded punts before UNC Pembroke began its rally late in the third quarter.
Smith took his troops 70 yards on eight plays, sealing the deal himself with a 28-yard touchdown pass to redshirt junior wide receiver St. Anthony Lloyd (Wilmington, N.C.) at the 13:42 mark of the fourth quarter. The PAT by sophomore place kicker Taylor Baskett (Fayetteville, N.C.) pulled the hosts within three points. The drive evaporated 3:52 from the game clock.
UNC Pembroke held Wingate three-and-out on the next possession and promptly marched down the field for the go-ahead score. The Braves put together another eight-play scoring initiative, concluding the drive when Daniels scored on a 13-yard jaunt with 8:16 to play. Baskett contributed the extra point to give the hosts a 17-13 lead they would not relinquish.
Wingate moved the ball to midfield on its next possession, but the Braves held the Bulldogs on fourth-and-one at the UNCP 49-yard line. The hosts scored an insurance touchdown on the next drive, as Kennedy matched Daniels with a 13-yard scoring run at the 3:29 mark. Baskett’s PAT concluded the scoring.
Fletcher led the Wingate defense with eight tackles. Bulldog redshirt senior linebacker Aaron Plyler (Monroe, N.C.) had seven stops, one tackle for loss and one pass break-up. UNC Pembroke senior linebacker Matthew Fortson (Terry, Miss.) led all defenders with 11 tackles. The Braves sacked the Bulldog quarterbacks six times Saturday, totaling 47 yards.
After an open week, Wingate begins South Atlantic Conference play Thursday, Sept. 24 at Tusculum College. The WU-TC game is one of four Division II games to be shown on CBS College Sports this year. The contest will also be carried on FSN South. Kickoff is slated for 8:05 p.m. UNC Pembroke plays its second SAC opponent in as many weeks Saturday, traveling to Jefferson City, Tennessee to face Carson-Newman College on Sept. 19. Game time is 1 p.m.
