| THE BASICS |
SCORE: UNC Pembroke 27, West Liberty 17
RECORDS: UNC Pembroke 6-3, 6-2 MEC; West Liberty 4-5, 4-4 MEC
LOCATION: West Liberty, W.Va. (West Family Stadium) |
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| HOW IT HAPPENED |
| 1ST QUARTER |
The Braves needed just two plays on a possession midway through the first quarter to take a lead they would never relinquish, capping the scoring drive with a 57-yard touchdown pass from Josh Jones to Devin Jones. It was the second career touchdown for Devin Jones – an everyday defensive back and return specialist for the Black & Gold. UNCP 7, WLU 0
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| 2ND QUARTER |
West Liberty capitalized on a costly turnover by UNCP to put its first points on the board early in the second quarter. The Hilltoppers took over possession at the 33-yard line following the turnover, and settled for a 20-yard field goal by Owen Rozanc despite having a 1st-and-Goal opportunity inside the 5-yard line. UNCP 7, WLU 3
The Black & Gold answered the score immediately, stringing together a 3-play, 72-yard touchdown drive that spanned just 56 seconds. Joseph Early moved the visitors to midfield on a 7-yard run, and Josh Jones hit Trey Dixon on a 50-yard scoring strike seconds later. UNCP 14, WLU 3
The hosts took advantage of another UNCP turnover minutes before the intermission. The Braves were marching down the field quite methodically, but David Gilcreast sacked Josh Jones and jarred the ball loose, and Devon McNutt picked up the loose ball and raced 53-yards for a touchdown. UNCP 14, WLU 10
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| 3RD QUARTER |
| The story was the same for the Hilltoppers in the third quarter as West Liberty scored points off yet another turnover by the Braves. A fumble near midfield set the hosts up in good field position, and a 20-yard touchdown pass from Jamie Diven to Isaiah Robinson capped a 3-play, 41-yard scoring drive. WLU 17, UNCP 14 |
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| 4TH QUARTER |
The Black & Gold bridged the third and fourth quarters with an 8-play, 93-yard scoring drive that put it ahead for good. Josh Jones completed all three of his pass attempts for 86 yards, but it was a 1-yard touchdown dive by Joseph Early that polished off the possession. UNCP 21, WLU 17
An interception by Sean Hill at the 39-yard line set UNCP up in good field position, but the drive was ultimately capped by a 33-yard field from Alex Alvarado. The Braves set themselves up with a 1st-and-10 at the WLU 11-yard line, but a 7-yard sack on second down proved to be key for the Hilltoppers. UNCP 24, WLU 17
The Braves played clock management on their final possession of the afternoon, but were still able to come away with points on a 10-play, 34-yard possession that milked nearly four minutes off of the game clock. Alex Alvarado's 33-yard field goal capped the scoring on the day. UNCP 27, WLU 17 |
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| INSIDE THE BOX SCORE |
+ A 389-yard passing day by junior Josh Jones was highlighted by a stretch in the third and fourth quarters that saw him complete 13-straight passes for 161 yards.
+ Senior Joseph Early ran for a career-high 108 yards and one touchdown, while also equaling a career-best with 22 carries. He also caught three passes for 20 yards.
+ Redshirt freshman Jai'veon Smalls matched a career-high with five receptions, but eclipsed his career-best with 109 receiving yards. Trey Dixon (3 catches, 68 yards) and Devin Jones (1-57) both registered touchdown catches. |
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| NOTABLES |
+ UNCP stretched its win streak out to four games with Saturday's result – the longest win streak for the program since the 2016 club strung together five-straight victories late in the season.
+ The Braves forced a pair of turnovers in the win over the Hilltoppers, and have now registered two or more takeaways in seven of its eight on-field contests in 2021.
+ West Liberty managed 10 or less yards on nine of its 16 possession on the afternoon, including a quintet that mustered five yards or less. The Hilltoppers racked up just 87 yards (7 possessions) in the second half. |
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| UP NEXT |
| UNCP will close out the home portion of its 2021 regular season schedule on November 6 when it suits up to take on ninth-ranked Notre Dame, Ohio (8-1, 7-1 MEC) on American Indian Heritage Day at Grace P. Johnson Stadium. The Braves will also honor its senior class prior to kickoff. |
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| STAY CONNECTED |
| Follow UNCP Football on Twitter and Instagram and "Like" UNCP Football on Facebook. |
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| BACK THE BRAVES |
| Fans can help support the UNC Pembroke Football program by joining the Braves Club. To find out more information about the Braves Club, visit UNCPBraves.com/BravesClub or email braves.club@uncp.edu. |
