FAYETTEVILLE, NC — HBCU Fayetteville State put together a five-play, 60-yard scoring drive, culminating in an 11-yard rushing touchdown from Demari Daniels with 17 seconds remaining in the ballgame to give the Broncos a 35-31 Two Rivers Classic win over UNC Pembroke on Saturday night at the Luther “Nick” Jeralds Stadium.
The victory improved Fayetteville State’s record to 1-0 on the season while the Braves fell to 0-2. This was the second win in the last three games for the HBCU squad.
Demari Daniels totaled 66 yards to lead the Broncos’ ground attack and added two touchdowns in the game, picking up 8.2 yards per carry along the way. also tacked on 45 yards on the ground, picking up 22.5 yards per carry.
David Baros hauled in six catches for 116 yards.
Caleb Legrand paced the Fayetteville State defensive effort, recording five tackles, one interception, and one recovered fumble. Theniias Moss added three tackles and one recovered fumble and Solomon Barnes had three tackles, one forced fumble, and one recovered fumble in the win.
The Broncos won the turnover battle in Saturday’s game, forcing four turnovers while coughing the ball up two times, with Fayetteville State turning those takeaways into 10 points.
Fayetteville State’s defense held up against UNC Pembroke’s offense, allowing 287 total yards.
How It Happened
In a thrilling game, Pembroke took an early lead with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Tre Robinson to Josiah Hayes. Fayetteville State responded with two field goals by John Hernandez-Vargas, narrowing the gap. A 23-yard punt return by Theniias Moss gave FSU the lead, but Pembroke’s D’Marcus Harrington intercepted a pass for a 40-yard touchdown, reclaiming the advantage. Just before halftime, Josh Jenkins caught a 17-yard pass from Robinson, extending Pembroke’s lead to 21-13.
In the third quarter, Ty Woods added a 41-yard field goal for the Braves, but the Bronco’s Emanuel Ortega-Garcia caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Demari Daniels, bringing the score to 24-21. Daniels then ran for a 10-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, putting FSU ahead 28-24. Pembroke’s Jayden Smith caught a 4-yard pass from Colin Johnson, giving Pembroke a 31-28 lead with just over a minute left. However, Daniels’ 11-yard touchdown run in the final seconds secured a dramatic 35-31 victory for FSU.
Game Notes
» Fayetteville State outgained North Carolina-Pembroke 363-287, including a 206-166 advantage through the air.
» Fayetteville State won the turnover battle 4-2 after intercepting one pass and recovering three fumbles.
» Fayetteville State had their highest scoring quarter in the fourth period when they put up 14 points.
» Fayetteville State converted 5 of 14 third downs while North Carolina-Pembroke was successful on 5 of 15.
» Shi Gaskin led the Broncos with nine tackles.
» The Broncos totaled eight tackles for loss and added three sacks.
» Tre Robinson led the Braves passing attack, completing 13 of his 24 attempts for 134 yards and two touchdowns.
» Josiah Hayes was North Carolina-Pembroke’s leading receiver with 57 yards and one touchdown.
» Head Coach Richard Hayes is now 2-2 in the 11-game series of the Two Rivers Classic