PEMBROKE, NC – This past Monday at the Two Rivers Classic Kickoff Show, the predicted outcome was speculated to mirror the history between UNC Pembroke's Head Coach Mark Hall and Fayetteville State's Richard Hayes. Coach Hayes stated that since the Broncos won their first game in the series last year, the rivalry can now begin. Fayetteville State's 15-13 victory last season ended an eight-game win streak by the Braves.
Today's game lived up to its billing.
UNC Pembroke (1-0 overall) helped Coach Hall avenge his previous losses to FSU with a last-second field goal to give the Braves a 19-17 victory over Fayetteville State (0-1).
Last season, FSU defeated Coach Hall, who was the Head Coach of Chowan's football program, 13-10 in the regular season and 31-28 in the CIAA Championship game. The Championship game was won by a field goal as time expired.
UNC Pembroke capitalized on a Bronco turnover in their possession of the game with a 31-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead with 10:35 left in the first quarter.
Derrick Alston, Jr. gave Fayetteville State a 7-3 lead before the end of the first quarter (1:01) with a ten-yard rush up the middle.
The Braves closed the gap to 7-6 as Ty Woods kicked his second field goal (43 yards) before intermission.
After the halftime break, UNCP regained the lead (13-7) following a 9-yard touchdown pass from Caleb Pierce to Josiah Hayes.
Jacob Meneses put the Broncos within three (10-13) with a four-yard field goal with 2:58 left in the third.
In the fourth quarter, UNCP's Woods nailed another field goal attempt for 38 yards and a 16-10 score. On the pursuing kickoff,
Barry Elliott returned the kick 95 yards for a 17-16 Bronco lead.
With a one-point lead, the Bronco Defense forced UNC Pembroke to punt on 4
th-and-15, but the FSU Offense stalled on the next drive giving the ball back to the Braves with 1:36 left in the game and the ball on UNCP's 32-yard line.
Four consecutive first downs later and a spiked ball on the Broncos' seven-yard line, Ty Wood returned to the field to boot a game-winning 24-yard field goal with nine seconds left in the game.
"It was a hard-fought game today," said Head Coach Richard Hayes. "It's a tough loss because we know we left 21 points on the field in the first half. We didn't execute and we had too many penalties."
Fayetteville State will host its home opener Saturday, September 9 at 6 p.m. against Lenoir-Rhyne.
