John Hernandez-Vargas has made a habit of delivering in the clutch for Fayetteville State. On Friday night, he might have delivered his biggest kick yet.
Hernandez-Vargas drilled a 30-yard field goal with 1:47 remaining and Virginia State missed a potential game-winning kick on the final play as Fayetteville State escaped with a wild 31-29 victory in the inaugural CIAA Friday Night Blitz at Durham County Memorial Stadium.
The Broncos (8-3, 6-2 CIAA) overcame a 21-0 deficit, scored 28 consecutive points and survived two late Virginia State threats to claim a victory that could prove critical to their NCAA Division II playoff hopes.
Fayetteville State entered the weekend on the bubble for a possible berth in Super Region One. The NCAA will announce its Division II playoff field Sunday.
And the Broncos certainly gave the selection committee something to think about.
A comeback to remember
The matchup featured a prolific Virginia State offense vs. a stout Fayetteville State defense. For awhile, it looked like Virginia State (7-4, 6-2) was headed for a comfortable victory after building a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter.
The Trojans opened the scoring in spectacular fashion when Kenny Faison returned a blocked 24-yard Hernandez-Vargas field goal attempt 73 yards for a touchdown.
Rahsaan Matthews Jr. connected with Jaylen Pretlow for an 18-yard touchdown late in the first quarter before Baron Davis broke loose for a 20-yard scoring run early in the second.
But Fayetteville State refused to fold.
Quarterback Jamir Dismukes started the comeback with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Fleming midway through the second quarter. He followed with a 36-yard scoring strike to Lorenzo Southern on fourth down, trimming the deficit to 21-14 at halftime.
The Broncos needed just one play to pull even midway through the third quarter. Noah Marshall burst through the Virginia State defense for a 37-yard touchdown run, tying the game at 21.
Fayetteville State completed its 28-point surge early in the fourth quarter when Dismukes scored from a yard out, capping a 15-play, 68-yard possession that consumed 6:34.
Suddenly, the Broncos led 28-21.
A frantic fourth-quarter finish
Virginia State answered with perhaps its most impressive possession of the night.
The Trojans marched 82 yards in 18 plays, consuming 7:46 before Davis scored on a 7-yard run with 4:06 remaining.
Rather than settle for a tie, Virginia State went for two. Davis converted the rushing attempt, putting the Trojans back in front, 29-28.
But Fayetteville State had one more answer.
The Broncos moved 57 yards in seven plays, highlighted by a 46-yard run from Isaiah Silver that put them in scoring position.
Hernandez-Vargas, whose blocked field goal had helped Virginia State build its early advantage, stepped up and connected from 30 yards to restore Fayetteville State’s lead, 31-29.
Even that wasn’t the end of the drama.
Virginia State drove 62 yards in the final 1:47 and appeared to have scored a touchdown on a pass to the right corner end zone, only for replay review to rule the receiver out of bounds.
The Trojans still managed to set up Ali Abdelkader for a potential game-winning 29-yard field goal as time expired.
His attempt sailed wide right.
Fayetteville State had survived.
Hernandez-Vargas delivers again
For Hernandez-Vargas, the late-game heroics were nothing new.
Earlier this season, he connected on a 34-yard fourth-quarter field goal to lift Fayetteville State past UNC Pembroke, 10-7, in the Two Rivers Classic on Sept. 5.
He also delivered a 22-yard walk-off field goal against Bowie State in October 2024, giving the Broncos a dramatic 27-24 victory.
Friday’s kick added another memorable chapter to his growing collection of clutch performances. He now has 23 made field goals in his FSU career.
By the numbers
Dismukes completed 15 of 29 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns while adding a rushing score. Silver led the Broncos with 92 rushing yards on 13 carries, including the decisive 46-yard burst on the winning drive.
Southern caught four passes for 77 yards and a touchdown, while Fleming added five receptions for 44 yards and a score.
Fayetteville State finished with 406 yards of total offense, including 209 on the ground.
For Virginia State, Javion Whitfied rushed for 102 yards on 13 carries. Matthews Jr. passed for 153 yards and a touchdown while adding 48 rushing yards. Davis scored twice on the ground and converted the late two-point attempt.
Defensively, Fayetteville State’s Zyking Patillo recorded a team-high 12 tackles. Virginia State’s Raja’ee Jones finished with 13.
What’s next?
Fayetteville State now waits for Sunday’s NCAA Division II playoff selection announcement to learn whether its dramatic comeback was enough to secure a postseason berth.
The CIAA’s inaugural Friday Night Blitz may have accomplished exactly what it was intended to do. The league instituted what amounts to a third-place game to give another league team a chance for a resume-building opportunity. Fayetteville State took full advantage and may return to the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
The CIAA championship weekend continues Saturday at 3 p.m. when Johnson C. Smith faces Virginia Union in the conference title game at Durham County Memorial Stadium.
Friday night’s undercard, however, will be awfully difficult to top.
