For the second week in a row and the third time in its past five games, Fayetteville State won a game on a last-second field goal.
Jacob Meneses hit a 27-yarder with six seconds left on Saturday night, and the Broncos handed Virginia Union its first loss, 10-7.
Meneses was responsible for a 40-yard game-winner at the buzzer last week in a victory over Lincoln. Fayetteville State won the CIAA championship game last November with a game-winning, 43-yard kick on the final play by Elton Andrew. The Broncos lost this year’s season opener to UNC Pembroke on, you guessed it, a last-second field goal.
Saturday’s victory, played in driving rain due from Tropical Storm Ophelia, helps Fayetteville State improve to 2-2 overall, 2-0 in the CIAA Southern. Virginia Union dropped to 3-1, 1-1 in the CIAA Northern.
“My coach prepares me every week,” Meneses said in a post-game interview in pouring rain, posted on FSU’s Twitter account. “He puts me in high-pressure situations, so when I get out there on the field … I just have to go out there and swing my leg.”
The Broncos won despite gaining only 92 yards of total offense, 41 on the ground and 51 through the air. Virginia Union managed just 184 yards.
Fayetteville State got its only touchdown with 4:15 left in the first quarter. Caden Davis hit Christian Powell on a four-yard passing play.
Virginia Union, which lost three fumbles on the day, got the equalizing score with 11:42 to go in the second quarter – a Christian Reid-to-Kalen Carver nine-yard TD pass. Defense ruled the rest of the day.
FSU’s Quran Blount set up the game-winning score by recovering a Virginia Union third fumble on the VUU 38 with 4:20 to play. Eight plays and three Bronco timeouts later, the stage was set for Meneses, who hails from Rancho Cucamonga, California, to convert his fifth field goal of the season – two that have directly put a “W” on Fayetteville State’s ledger.
Brian Grier had 10 tackles for Fayetteville State. Shawn Robinson had nine stops and assisted on two sacks. Isaiah Boyd and Anthony Binyard also had half-sacks.
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TEAM 1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q FINAL Fayetteville State 7 0 0 3 10 @ Virginia Union 0 7 0 0 7
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