Wingate, N.C.----The 13th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs jumped out to a 35-3 lead early in the third quarter Saturday afternoon en route to a 48-38 victory over visiting UNC Pembroke in NCAA Division II football action at Irwin Belk Stadium. Wingate improves to 7-0 overall, while the Braves fall to 3-4 on the season.

THOUGHTS FROM SHAW CROCKER

"We haven't played very consistent on offense this year. We've had some good drives and kind of laid off some other drives. Coaches told us to keep pounding and stay consistent with everything. BJ and Jalen do everything in practice and more to come out here and perform, which really shows the younger guys that what you do in practice comes out and shows on the field."

THOUGHTS FROM JALEN BROOKS

"Our mentality was to attack. Coach Long had a good plan coming into the game and we were able to stick with the plan and execute. It starts with the offensive line, then the running backs. They stack the box against the run and we can spread the field with the passing attack. This team knows how to fight, we never quit."

NOTES

- Wingate starts a season 7-0 for the second time in three years
- The Bulldogs are outscoring teams 80-23 in the third quarter this year
- WU had five touchdowns of at least 20 yards Saturday
- The 'Dogs improve to 8-3 all-time against UNCP; 5-1 at Irwin Belk Stadium
- Wingate has won four straight in the series
- The Bulldogs have piled up 99 points against UNCP over the last two years
- WU has outscored UNCP by 75 points in the last four meetings
- Wingate is now 33-9 since 2016; most wins of any SAC team
- The 'Dogs have won 13 straight regular season games
- WU is outscoring opponents 469-238 in the streak
- Wingate has won 14 of its last 15 contests overall
- The Bulldogs have won 17 of their last 19 regular season home games
- The 'Dogs have won 24 straight games when scoring at least 30 points
- WU has scored at least 30 points 12 times since the start of the 2018 season

KEY STATS

- WU outgained UNCP 485-303 on the day
- The 'Dogs had 297 passing yards and 188 rushing yards
- The Braves collected 173 passing yards and 130 rushing yards
- Wingate averaged 8.7 yards per play; UNCP went for 3.7 yards per play
- WU had 297 passing yards on 13 completions (22.8 yards per completion)
- UNCP threw it 46 times for 173 yards (3.8 yards per attempt)
- The 'Dogs had three sacks and 12 QB hurries
- Each team blocked a punt and a PAT
- UNCP had a kickoff return for a TD and a punt block for a score
- Each team had an interception
- Wingate had nine penalties for 88 yards; UNCP had six for 45 yards
- The Braves won the time of possession battle 33:43-26:17
- UNCP scored on all four red zone trips with two TDs; WU scored touchdowns on both
- The 'Dogs had just nine third downs all day, converting four; Pembroke was 10-for-20

KEY BULLDOGS

- Shaw Crocker completed eight-of-11 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns
- Jalen Brooks had four catches for 116 yards and a touchdown
- BJ Muckelvene had four receptions for 104 yards and two scores
- Nijere Peoples ran for 109 yards and a TD
- Dom McNeill added 66 rushing yards on 13 carries with a touchdown
- Darquez Lee was five-for-10 for 115 yards and two touchdowns
- Mason Flynt added a 22-yard TD grab
- Robbie Wallace piled up 15 tackles on the day, adding a break-up
- Matthew Ellis-White had six tackles and three pass break-ups
- Elijah Gilmore collected eight tackles
- Jesiah Carlton registered five tackles with a sack
- DJ Horne had four tackles, 1.5 TFLs, half a sack and three QB hurries
- Juan Pagan-Gonzalez had an interception for the Bulldogs

FIRST QUARTER

- After forcing a punt, Wingate went 80 yards in five plays to get on the board
- Crocker hit Brooks for 52 yards, while Peoples followed with a 19-yard run to get it to the UNCP one
- Crocker ran it in from there to make it 7-0
- WU needed just one play on its next drive to take a 14-point lead
- Crocker hit Muckelvene for a 56-yard catch-and-run with eight minutes left in the frame
- UNCP got on the board when Hunter Braswell hit a 32-yard field goal at the 1:29 mark

SECOND QUARTER

- The Bulldogs took a 21-3 lead thanks to a six-play, 58-yard drive
- Lee connected with Brooks for a 38-yard score to put WU on top by 18 with 13 minutes left
- Wingate took a 28-3 lead five minutes before halftime with a four-play, 58-yard drive
- Crocker hit Brooks for 18 yards, then connected on a 21-yard TD to Muckelvene on the next play

THIRD QUARTER

- The Bulldogs struck again on their first drive of the second half, going 63 yards on six plays
- Peoples had runs of 26 and 12 yards to get it inside the UNCP 10
- Peoples scored from six yards out to make it 35-3 less than three minutes into the half
- UNCP answered with a 75-yard TD drive, capped by Josh Sheridan's four-yard TD score
- Wingate answered with a two-play, 66-yard scoring drive
- Lee hit Ryder Martin for 36 yards to start the drive
- McNeill followed with a 30-yard touchdown run to make it 42-10 at the 8:31 mark
- Devin Jones returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown to make it 42-17
- DeAngelo Blair-Young capped an 11-play, 80-yard drive with a one-yard TD to make it 42-23
- Cal Hanford blocked the extra point attempt to keep the lead at 19 heading to the fourth quarter

FOURTH QUARTER

- Pagan-Gonzalez's interception set the 'Dogs up just outside the red zone early in the fourth
- Lee hit Flynt for a 22-yard score on the first play of the drive to make it 48-23
- UNCP blocked a WU punt, with Eric Price returning it 17 yards for a score at the 6:48 mark
- Josh Jones hit Marcus McDonald for a 12-yard score with 1:46 left
- The two-point conversion made the final margin 48-38

UP NEXT

- Wingate wraps up a three-game home stand next Saturday, hosting UVA-Wise at 6 p.m.
- The Bulldogs will be celebrating Homecoming next Saturday
- The 'Dogs hit the road the following week, traveling to Lenoir-Rhyne for a 2 p.m. kickoff
- The contest at #8 LR is an NCAA Division II Showcase Game