DAVIDSON, N.C. – UNCP freshman Rashon Kennedy racked up 162 total yards in a monster offensive showing for the Braves, but host Davidson made a 15-point halftime lead stand up with menacing fourth quarter ball control as the Wildcats spoiled UNCP football's welcome back party with a 31-21 victory Saturday evening at Richardson Stadium.

Kennedy rushed 15 times for 119 yards, while also hauling in five catches for 43 yards, in posting a major contribution to a 423-yard offensive effort for the Braves (0-1). Evans completed 21-of-44 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns, with receiver Darrin Watkins catching three passes for 75 yards and a first quarter touchdown.

Davidson running back Chad Barnes rushed 29 times for 170 yards for the Division I FCS member Wildcats (1-0), with starting quarterback Ryan Alexander completing 12 his 17 pass attempts for 124 yards before exiting the game with an injury to his throwing shoulder. The teams would combine for 851 offensive yards in the slugfest.

“I thought our guys fought and scratched very well and we really gave ourselves a chance in the second half,” said head coach Pete Shinnick. “We did some things that I think we can fix and correct. Give a lot of credit to Davidson, they came out and played hard which is the way we expected them to play. They got after us a bit with their offensive line and then got after us a little bit in the secondary.

“We got a group here that, if they are willing to work as hard as they have this next week, we'll have a chance in our next one.”

Davidson worked quickly to light up the scoreboard, using a nine-play, 91-yard drive to put the first points on the board on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Alexander to Myles Potter. The Black and Gold answered on its next possession, however, clawing at the Wildcats for 12 yards on its first three plays before Evans found a streaking Watkins down the far sideline on a 64-yard scoring strike. A blocked point after attempt by Jared Leblanc would keep the lead in Davidson's favor, however.

The Wildcats would score the game's next 17 points to push their lead out to 24-6, but UNCP gave itself some momentum right before the halftime whistle with a 14-play, 61-yard drive that culminated with a 26-yard field goal by Zach Gornto as time expired.

Having found their niche at the intermission, the Black and Gold came out firing on all cylinders and put Davidson on its heels with a three-yard touchdown by Josh Throckmorton, but the Wildcats added an insurance score five minutes into the final quarter when backup quarterback Matt McGreevy hit Kirk Benedict on a scoring strike with 10:32 left to play.

Evans and UNCP cut the lead back to 10 points on a touchdown pass to Wayne Blevins with 1:40 left to play, but the ensuing onside kick was gobbled up by the Wildcats front line to ice the game.

UNCP will open up the home portion of its 2007 campaign on Saturday when the Braves welcome Greensboro (0-0) to a raucous Lumbee Guaranty Bank Field. Kickoff has been set for 1 p.m.