VALDOSTA, Ga. – The No. 19 Valdosta State football team fought through a difficult offensive outing to give No. 16 UNC-Pembroke a run in the first round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs, but the Braves held off the Blazers and narrowly escaped Valdosta, Ga. with a 24-21 victory.
With the victory, UNC-Pembroke improved to 10-1 on the season and earned the right to compete against the Lions of North Alabama next weekend in Florence, Ala. The loss ended VSU's season at 8-3.
The highly touted VSU secondary came up with five interceptions in the contest against Patrick O'Brien, who entered the day with just 10 picks on the season. Valdosta State was able to accumulate just 257 total yards in the contest, however, and had a difficult time capitalizing on the opportunities.
The Black Swarm allowed the Braves to rack up 387 yards and 152 rushing yards, but the Blazer defense stood tall when necessary to keep the game within reach. Valdosta State came up with several key stops, including a series in UNCP's scoreless third quarter, during which the Braves were turned away after a first-and-goal opportunity at Valdosta State's 2-yard line.
Brandon Roe and senior Kenny Moore teamed up to account for four of VSU's five interceptions, but O'Brien was able to weather the storm, thanks in large part to wide receiver B.J. Bunn. Bunn recorded 153 receiving yards on eight catches in the game, several of which came during key moments to help keep drives alive for the Braves. The receiving-yard total for Bunn marked the highest total for an opposing receiver since West Florida's Ishmel Morrow eclipsed the 150-yard mark earlier this season.
Blazer quarterback Adam Robles flung 21 completions to nine different receivers on the day, but UNCP's defensive front dealt heavy pressure throughout the contest with an aggressive game plan that featured a consistent variety of blitz packages. As a result, the Braves recorded five tackles for loss in the game and negated 25 of Valdosta State's rushing yards.
Xay Howard and Dallas Baldner helped secure three touchdowns for Robles on the afternoon, and Howard led the contingent with a team-high 68 yards. The struggled to find rhythm on the attack, however, and those three scores were all that the UNCP defense would allow.
The Blazers regained possession one last time in the final minute of the game, but Matthew Thomas-Quick dashed the Blazers' hopes with one of his two interceptions near midfield.
