FAYETTEVILLE – UNC Pembroke used an 11-play, 84-yard touchdown drive to regain the lead with just over a minute to play, but Fayetteville State went 60 yards in five plays to score the game-winning touchdown with 17 seconds left in regulation, securing a 35-31 win over the Braves on Saturday night to reclaim the Two Rivers Classic Cup.

The Braves (0-2) were held to 287 yards of total offense by the Broncos (1-0), marking the first time since Oct. 7, 2023 that the Black & Gold didn’t eclipse the 300-yard mark.

On the Braves’ opening drive, Jaquan Albright and Sincere Baines each picked up 16-yard receptions from freshman quarterback Tre Robinson before Jo Hayes got the Braves in the redzone with a 30-yard catch. Hayes would put the Braves on the board first with a 5-yard touchdown grab. The Braves converted three third downs on the drive, the last of which went for the Hayes score.

A roughing the kicker penalty on an FSU punt extended a subsequent Broncos drive, and John Hernandez-Vargas connected for a 40-yard field goal to put the Broncos on the board at 7-3.

Early in the second quarter, FSU recovered a Braves fumble and on the first play Joe Owens, Jr. found David Baros for a 37-yard completion to put the Broncos inside the 10-yard line. The UNCP defense would stand tall, holding the Broncos to another Hernandez-Vargas field goal, this one from 25 yards, to cut into the UNCP lead and make the score 7-6.

FSU’s Theniias Moss blocked a Seth Bowen punt, and would scoop and score from 23 yards out to give the Broncos its first lead at 13-7.

UNCP’s D’Marcus Harrington picked off Joe Owens, Jr. and took it 40 yards to the house to put the Braves back out front, 14-13 with 3:17 left in the first half.

A Jo Hayes 26-yard punt return would set the Braves up in plus territory, before JaQuan Kelly went 17 yards on three carries to put UNCP in the redzone. Tre Robinson added his second passing TD of the night, this one a 17-yard strike to Josh Jenkins, and the Braves took a 21-13 lead to the locker room at halftime.

A third-quarter UNCP drive stalled in FSU territory, but Ty Woods made good on a 41-yard attempt to extend the Braves’ lead to 24-13.

The Broncos’ Braylon Vinson took a carry up the gut for 44 yards, while Demari Daniels would follow with a 15-yard TD pass to Emanuel Ortega-Garcia; Daniels would run in the 2-point conversion to trim UNCP’s advantage to 24-21, which remained the score at the end of the third quarter.

Early in the fourth quarter, Demari Daniels converted a 3rd down with a 20-yard run, before a UNCP pass interference put the Broncos on the UNCP 10-yard line. Daniels would put FSU back on top, 28-24, with a 10-yard TD keeper.

UNCP quarterback Colin Johnson did not play for over three quarters due to injury, but came off the bench during UNCP’s late go-ahead touchdown drive after an injury took Robinson out of the game. An FSU personal foul on fourth down extended UNCP’s drive, and Johnson found Jo Hayes for a 17-yard completion on his first pass attempt. Johnson then found JaQuan Kelly for 11 yards, before Jayden Smith found paydirt on a 4-yard reception from Johnson to put the Braves back in front.

FSU took over from their 40-yard line with 1:06 left in regulation and Demari Daniels picked up 16 yards on a quarterback scramble before finding Emanuel Ortega-Garcia for 14 yards to put the Broncos at the UNCP 30-yard line. Daniels found Kameron King for a 19-yard completion, and then added his second rushing touchdown of the night from 11 yards out to put the Broncos ahead for good at 35-31.

Robinson was 13-for-24 passing with 134 yards and two TDs in his collegiate debut. Hayes paced the Braves in the receiving department, hauling in four catches for 57 yards and a touchdown.

The Braves’ Mike Matthews and Evan Powell each had a team-high six tackles. Nathan Fowler and Jamae Blank recorded a sack apiece.

The Braves fell to 9-2 in the all-time series with the Broncos, but have now lost two of the last three matchups. Saturday’s game was the seventh time in the 11-game series that the margin was decided by one score.

The Braves now head into their bye week and will be back in action on Sept. 21 when they make the trip to West Virginia to take on Charleston. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at the University of Charleston Stadium.