PEMBROKE – The UNC Pembroke football team limited 20th-ranked Winston-Salem State to just 73 yards of total offense in the second half and the Braves rode an opportunistic offense to a 17-7 upset of the Rams on Thursday evening at Grace P. Johnson Stadium.
The Braves (1-0) improved to 6-3 in season openers with the result, while also capturing their second win in the last three meetings with the Rams. Winston-Salem State (0-1), who dropped just its fifth regular season contest in the last six seasons, has now lost two-straight games on the road in the series with the Black & Gold.
Patrick O'Brien threw for 200 yards and a second quarter touchdown on 21-of-32 passing in his UNCP debut to lead the home offense, while junior B.J. Bunn hauled in eight catches for 94 yards and a touchdown. The Braves sacked WSSU quarterback Rod Tinsley seven times, including a pair by Aarace Brooks.
The Rams drove 75 yards in 10 plays on the game's opening possession and took a 7-0 lead on Tinsley's 12-yard pass to Anthony Rook just less than five minutes in. UNCP knotted the score back up on a crafty catch-and-score by Bunn just nine seconds into the second period, and then took the lead for good on a 24-yard field goal by Matt Davis with 2-1/2 minutes left before halftime.
A 1-yard touchdown run by Cliff Jones just less than four minutes into the third quarter capped the scoring on the night.
The Braves will be back in action again on September 12 when they make the short trip up I-95 to battle Fayetteville State in the seventh annual Two Rivers Classic at Luther "Nick" Jeralds Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m.
