DUE WEST, S.C. - A 21-point second quarter along with 550 total yards of offense helped fuel a 44-7 victory for the No. 24 UNC Pembroke football team over Erskine on Saturday afternoon inside Dixie High School Stadium.

The victory for the Braves (5-1, 2-0 CC) have now won their last five contests and are now 2-1 when playing away from Pembroke. The setback for the Flying Fleet (0-5, 0-1 CC) marked the fifth consecutive loss this season. 


 

THE BASICS

SCORE: No. 24 UNC Pembroke 44, Erskine 7 RECORDS: No. 24 UNC Pembroke 5-1, 2-0 CC. Erskine 0-5, 0-1 CC LOCATION: Due West, S.C. (Dixie High School)

HOW IT HAPPENED

1ST QUARTER

The first quarter began with Erskine receiving the kickoff and starting from their own 35-yard line. On Erskine's initial drive, Logan Coldren's 12-yard rush advanced them into UNC Pembroke territory, but Ryan Killmer's subsequent pass was intercepted by Donovan Woods at the UNCP 40-yard line. The Braves capitalized on the turnover with Tre Robinson leading a drive, completing key passes to JaQuan Albright and Que Kennedy, culminating in a 30-yard touchdown pass to Que Kennedy with 17 seconds left in the quarter, although the extra point was blocked by Bari Gamble. Earlier, Erskine had taken the lead through a 34-yard touchdown reception by Taylor Rhodes from Ryan Killmer, with Christian Bridwell's successful PAT giving Erskine a 7-6 lead by quarter's end.

2ND QUARTER

UNC Pembroke expanded their advantage in the second quarter with a series of strategic plays. Joel Felder initiated the drive with a 12-yard rush, setting the momentum for the Braves. Tre Robinson connected with JaQuan Albright on a 25-yard touchdown pass at the 3:00 mark, increasing their lead to 13–7. Shortly after, Tre Robinson found Que Kennedy for a 29-yard touchdown, bringing the score to 20–7 with 1:54 left. Eric Ivory's interception returned the possession to UNCP, and Tre Robinson capitalized with another deep pass to JaQuan Albright for a 31-yard touchdown, concluding the quarter 27–7. 3RD QUARTER In the third quarter, UNC Pembroke extended their lead with a decisive performance against the Flying Fleet. Tre Robinson connected with Malik Brown for a 16-yard touchdown pass at 11:18, followed by a successful extra point by Taylor Harris, increasing the score to 34-7. Later, Taylor Harris added a 27-yard field goal with 4:13 remaining, pushing the lead to 37-7. Erskine managed a few offensive advances, but the UNCP defense held firm, preventing further scoring.

4TH QUARTER

The fourth quarter saw the Braves capitalize on key turnovers to maintain their lead over Erskine. The Flying Fleet moved the ball effectively into the red zone, but Logan Coldren's fumble at the UNC Pembroke 3-yard line was recovered by Britton Pascoe. Shortly after, Tre Robinson connected with Malik Brown on a 46-yard pass, though Robinson's subsequent interception by Weston Bergman halted the drive. Later, Tre Robinson found Malik Brown again for a 13-yard touchdown pass with 4:52 left, followed by a successful extra point by Taylor Harris, extending the lead to 44-7. Erskine's final possession was marred by a false start penalty and a sack by Cameron Rutledge, leading to a punt and the end of their scoring chance.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

+ Tre Robinson completed 25 of his 33 passes for 354 yards of offense and six touchdown passes. The sophomore ran for 56 yards on 14 attempts.  + JaQuan Albright caught 11 passes for 129 yards highlighted by two touchdowns. Que Kennedy also had a pair of touchdowns for 110 receiving yards on five catches.  + Isi Etute finished the game with a team-best six tackles, three of which were solo tackles. He had a half tackle for a loss of three yards as well. + Eric Ivory had five tackles, including a half tackle for a loss of two yards. Ivory intercepted a pass for four yards as well. + Donovan Woods also logged an interception for eight yards and had four tackles.

NOTABLES

+ UNC Pembroke finished Saturday's contest with 550 total yards of offense and held Erskine to just 166 yards of offense.  + The Black & Gold were a perfect 2-for-2 on fourth down conversions and went 9-for-13 on third down attempts.  + UNCP has now won its last five games and improve to 2-1 when playing on the road.

UP NEXT

The Braves will welcome Shorter to town on Saturday for the 19th annual Homecoming game. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. at Grace P. Johnson Stadium. Tickets are available at UNCPBraves.com/Tickets.

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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.