Each week we track the top statistical performers across North Carolina college football.
UNC Pembroke’s potent offense produced a number of top performances this week, including the most points scored and top three efforts in passing yards, rushing yards, receiving yards and total yards.
This week’s stat sheet also included a 200-yard rusher (North Carolina Wesleyan’s Anthony Byrd), a quarterback who threw five touchdown passes (East Carolina’s Katin Houser) and a defensive unit (Louisburg) that held its opponent to negative total yards.
Here is a complete list of individual and team statistical champions for week nine:
Most Points
- 62 – UNC Pembroke (62-17 win over West Virginia State)
- 60 – Louisburg (60-0 win at Brevard JV)
- 56 – East Carolina (56-34 win over Temple)
Longest Offensive Scoring Plays
- 75 – Xavier Pugh (Wingate): 75-yard rushing TD vs. Catawba
- 70 – Onuma Dieke (Elon): 70-yard TD reception from Matthew Downing at Hampton
- 64 – Sincere Brown (Campbell): 64-yard TD reception from Chad Mascoe
Longest Defensive Touchdowns
- 84 – Jahvaree Ritzie (North Carolina): 84-yard intercecption return at Virginia
- 74 – Tristian Bailey (Guilford): 74-yard interception return at Shenandoah
- 60 – James Woods (Brevard): 60-yard interception return at Huntingdon
- NOTE: There were eight pick-sixes this past Saturday in games involving North Carolina teams.
Longest Special Teams Touchdowns
- 93 – Kiami McKnight (North Carolina Wesleyan): 93-yard return of the opening kickoff at Southern Virginia
- NOTES: This was the only kick-return score this week … North Carolina A&T’s Aaron Harris has recorded the longest kick-return TD of the season — 100 yards — against the North Carolina Central in week four.
Individual Passing Yards
- 395 – Cole Gonzales (Western Carolina): 25-of-47, 2 TD, 0 INT at Mercer in a 44-34 loss
- 311 – JR Martin (Mars Hill): 22-of-26, 1 TD, 0 INT at UVA Wise in a 31-17 win
- 309 – Colin Johnson (UNC Pembroke): 15-of-23, 4 TD, 2 INT vs. West Virginia State in a 62-17 win
Individual Passing TDs: 4+
- 5 – Katin Houser (East Carolina): 5 TD, 1 INT, 269 yards vs. Temple in a 56-34 win
- 4 – Colin Johnson (UNC Pembroke): 4 TD, 2 INT, 309 yards vs. West Virginia State in a 62-17 win
Individual Rushing Yards
- 218 – Anthony Byrd (North Carolina Wesleyan): 32 carries, 1 TD, long rush of 46, 6.8 yards per carry at Southern Virginia in a 34-31 win
- 196 – J’Mari Taylor (North Carolina Central): 26 carries, 1 TD, long rush of 50, 7.5 yards per carry vs. Morgan State in a 16-7 win
- 156 – LJ Turner (Catawba): 25 carries, 1 TD, long rush of 36, 6.2 yards per carry at Wingate in a 24-15 loss
- NOTE: There were 13 backs who recorded at least 100 rushing yards in week nine.
Individual Receiving Yards
- 150 – Sincere Brown (Campbell): 5 catches, 150 yards, 2 TD, long reception of 64 yards, 30.0 yards per reception vs. North Carolina A&T in a 21-7 win
- 139 – Josiah Hayes (UNC Pembroke): 5 catches, 139 yards, 3 TD, long reception of 61 yards, 27.8 yards per reception vs. West Virginia State in a 62-17 win
- 138 – Eli Pancol (Duke): 11 catches, 138 yards, 1 TD, long reception of 25 yards, 12.5 yards per reception vs. SMU in a 28-27 OT loss
- NOTE: Nine players recorded at least 100 receiving yards this week
Individual Tackles: 15+
- 17 – Jamari Slade (Fayetteville State): 7 solo, 10 assists vs. Shaw in a 38-35 loss
Tackles For Loss:
- 3.5 – Thomas Jackson (North Carolina Central): 25 yards in losses vs. Morgan State in a 16-7 win
- 3.5 – Kaimon Rucker (North Carolina): 18 yards in losses at Virginia in a 41-14 win
- 3.5 – Jah’keevi Garnett (Louisburg): 12 yards in losses at Brevard JV in a 60-0 win
QB Sacks: 3+
- 3.0 – Thomas Jackson (North Carolina Central): 24 yards in losses vs. Morgan State in a 16-7 win
- 3.0 – Kaimon Rucker (North Carolina): 18 yards in losses at Virginia in a 41-14 win
Punting Yards/Kick
- 58.7 – Juan Velarde (North Carolina Central): 3 punts, 176 yards, long punt of 70, 0 inside the 20, 2 touchbacks, 2 punts of 50+ vs. Morgan State in a 16-7 win
- 51.6 – Jeff Yurk (Elon): 9 punts, 464 yards, long punt of 68, 5 inside the 20, 0 touchbacks, 5 punts of 50+ at Hampton in a 41-21 loss
- 50.2 – Devin Versteegen (Winston-Salem State): 10 punts, 502 yards, long punt of 72, 1 inside the 20, 0 touchbacks, 5 punts of 50+ vs. Johnson C. Smith in a 24-15 loss
Kicker Points: 10+
- 11 – Noah Burnette (North Carolina): 2-of-3 FG, long FG of 30 yards, 5-5 PAT at Virginia in a 41-14 win
- 10 – Braxtyn Green (North Carolina Wesleyan): 2-of-2 FG, long FG of 36 yards, 4-4 PAT at Southern Virginia in a 34-31 win
- 10 – Paxton Robertson (Western Carolina): 2-of-3 FG, long FG of 44 yards, 4-4 PAT at Mercer in a 44-34 loss
Team Rushing: 250+ Yards
- 280 – UNC Pembroke vs. West Virginia State in a 62-17 victory
- 253 – North Carolina Wesleyan at Southern Virginia in a 34-31 win
Team Passing: 300+ Yards
- 395 – Western Carolina at Mercer in a 44-34 loss
- 318 – Mars Hill at UVA Wise in a 31-17 win
- 309 – UNC Pembroke vs. West Virginia State in a 62-17 win
Total Offense: 500+ Yards
- 589 – UNC Pembroke vs. West Virginia State in a 62-17 win
- 582 – Western Carolina at Mercer in a 44-34 loss
- 500 – East Carolina vs. Temple in a 56-34 win
Rushing Defense
- Minus-69 – Louisburg in a 60-0 win at Brevard JV (31 carries, -2.2 yards per carry)
- 7 – North Carolina in a 41-14 win at Virginia (29 carries, 0.2 yards per carry)
- 39 – Johnson C. Smith in a 24-15 win at Winston-Salem State (23 carries, 1.7 yards per carry)
- NOTE: Louisburg was the third team from North Carolina this season to hold an opponent to negative rushing yards, joining North Carolina Central (-42 vs Virginia-Lynchburg) and Wingate (-1 at UVA Wise).
Passing Defense: Fewer than 100 Yards
- 12 – Louisburg in a 60-0 win at Brevard JV (6-of-14, 0 TD, 3 INT)
- 61 – Elizabeth City State vs. Lincoln in a 21-20 loss (7-of-13, 1 TD, 1 INT)
Total Defense
- Minus-57 – Louisburg in a 60-0 win at Brevard (-69 rush, 12 pass)
- 155 – Johnson C. Smith in a 24-15 win at Winston-Salem State (39 rush, 116 pass)
- 204 – North Carolina Central in a 16-7 win over Morgan State (102 rush, 102 pass)
- NOTE: Louisburg was the first team this season in our state to hold an opponent to negative total yards. The next closest was Wingate, which held UVA Wise to 70 total yards in week six
Other Notable
- Western Carolina’s offense netted 30 first downs at Mercer … UNC’s defense had six sacks in the first half and 10 total in its win over Virginia … The Louisburg defense earned 14 tackles for loss and six sacks in its triumph at Brevard JV. The Hurricanes recovered five fumbles and intercepted three passes…
- The Elon offense only managed six first downs and minus-28 yards rushing in a loss to Hampton … Duke kicker Todd Pelino had his streak of 81 consecutive made PATs snapped against SMU.
