Fayetteville State claimed its second-ever victory in the Two Rivers Classic with a 35-31 win over regional rival UNC Pembroke on Saturday night.
In a back-and-forth contest, the Broncos scored the game-winning touchdown on an 11-yard run by Demari Daniels with just 17 seconds remaining, sealing the victory in front of the home fans at Luther “Nick” Jeralds Stadium.
The teams have played the Two Rivers Classic 11 times since 2009. Fayetteville State won for the first time in 2022 by two points, then dropped a two-point decision last season when the Braves hit a late field goal. Saturday marked Fayetteville State’s season opener, while UNC Pembroke dropped to 0-2.
Daniels was a key performer, rushing for 66 yards and two touchdowns, including the decisive score. He also threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Emanuel Ortega-Garcia in the third quarter. The Broncos took advantage of four UNC Pembroke turnovers, converting them into 10 points.
UNC Pembroke, which led 21-13 at halftime, regained the lead late in the fourth quarter on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Colin Johnson to Jayden Smith, putting the Braves ahead 31-28 with just over a minute remaining. However, Fayetteville State responded with a quick five-play, 60-yard drive, capped by Daniels’ touchdown run.
Fayetteville State’s defense limited UNC Pembroke to 287 total yards, highlighted by an interception and three fumble recoveries. Caleb Legrand led the Broncos’ defense with five tackles, an interception, and a fumble recovery.
The game extended the tradition of close battles between the two teams, as this was the seventh time in the 11-game series that the margin was decided by one score.
Fayetteville State showed some offensive punch that was missing at times last season. The Broncos reached 40 points against Winston-Salem State in the season finale a year ago but averaged 17.8 points for the whole season. FSU has a new offensive coordinator, Kevin Magourik, who served as OC at South Carolina State before joining the Broncos staff.
UNCP started the game with its second-string quarterback, Tre Robinson. Johnson, the starter last season and in week one against Wingate, came in after Robinson suffered an injury and led the final scoring drive for the Braves.
Fayetteville State Top Performers
- Demari Daniels: 66 rushing yards, 2 TDs; 15-yard passing TD
- David Baros: 6 receptions, 116 yards
- Caleb Legrand: 5 tackles, 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery
UNC Pembroke Top Performers
- Tre Robinson: 13-24 passing, 134 yards, 2 TDs
- Josiah Hayes: 4 receptions, 57 yards, 1 TD
- Mike Matthews and Evan Powell: 6 tackles each
Next Games:
Fayetteville State visits Valdosta State on Saturday at 7 p.m.
UNC Pembroke has a bye and will face Charleston on Sept. 21.
We used ChatGPT to help compile and organize information for this game recap. All stories at NC Football News are edited by real humans. Have feedback? Visit us on Twitter/X or send an email to eric@ncfootballnews.com.
