WINSTON-SALEM – Kameron Smith threw for 207 yards and two first half touchdowns, and then used his legs to add the final score of the game in the second half, to help lead the 21st-ranked Winston-Salem State Rams to a rousing 21-7 Homecoming victory over visiting UNCP on Saturday afternoon at Bowman-Gray Stadium.

The Rams (8-1) amassed more than 350 yards of total offense, including 248 in the first half alone, to take a 14-7 lead into the locker rooms, and then capitalized on a turnover on the opening drive of the second half to put the game away. Despite being limited to just 106 yards of total offense in the opening half, UNCP (5-3) had its chances to post a second half comeback, but fumbled away its opening possession of the third quarter and turned the ball over on downs on three of its final four possessions of the game.

Kameron Smith completed 14 of his 21 pass attempts with an interception to open up holes for the ground game which got 108 yards on 19 carries from Nicholas Cooper. Jahuann Butler contributed three catches for 84 yards and both first half touchdowns for the Rams as well.

Rashon Kennedy ran for a team-best 55 yards for the Braves, who also got 30 rushing yards and their lone touchdown from Keith Gore. St. Anthony Lloyd matched a school record with eight catches for the second-straight game and paced the air game with 62 receiving yards. Quarterbacks Cory Smith (13-of-24) and Garrett Sutphen (9-of-19) each tallied 92 passing yards, but both threw interceptions in the opening stanza as well.

"We had our opportunities in the second half to make this a good game, and we let them slip away," said UNCP head coach Pete Shinnick. "Winston-Salem State did a good job of executing what they wanted to do. We made a couple of mistakes and gave up a couple of long balls but, other than that, I thought our defense played very well. We got going late offensively, but didn't get any points. The name of the game is to score points and we didn't score enough."

Despite missing a field goal on its opening possession of the game, Winston-Salem State still managed to draw first blood, utilizing a 28-yard punt return by Alton Keaton midway through the first quarter to set the table for a 47-yard scoring strike from Kameron Smith to Butler at the 7:09 mark. The Rams would extend their lead out to a pair of scores early in the second quarter as Smith and Butler hooked up again, this time on a 30-yard pass that upped the score to 14-0.

The Braves would get off the mark less than six minutes later, utilizing a 42-yard punt return by Caylon Hann to kick start a short 4-play, 13-yard scoring drive that was capped on Gore's short plunge up the middle. The Black and Gold would have its chances to knot the score up on its opening possession of the second half but, after driving all the way down inside the WSSU 15-yard line, Akeem Ward stripped Gore of the football on a run off left guard. Nine plays later, Smith would put the nail in the coffin when he made a couple of nifty moves before diving into the end zone to cap the day's scoring.

UNCP twice drove inside the WSSU 30-yard line in the fourth quarter, but came away with nothing after an 18-play, 66-yard drive midway through the period, and then failed to score again in the game's final two minutes after registering a 7-play, 25-yard drive.

The Braves will be back in action again on Saturday when they open up a regular season-ending two-game home stand by welcoming Concord (6-2) to Grace P. Johnson Stadium for a 2 p.m. Homecoming contest.