PEMBROKE – Matthew Fortson returned a third quarter interception 62 yards for a touchdown and Jamal Williams added a 75-yard kickoff return nine minutes later to help UNCP put the caps on a perfect season at home with a 21-7 victory over North Greenville Saturday afternoon at Grace P. Johnson Stadium.
The win put the lid on a 9-1 campaign for UNCP as well as gave the Black and Gold a 6-1 record against teams it lost to in its inaugural season in 2007. North Greenville, who played what is considered to be one of the toughest schedules in the country, ended their season with a 2-9 record.
Williams racked up 100 or more all-purpose yards for the seventh time this season, catching six passes for 78 yards and a first quarter touchdown, while also returning two kicks (one punt) for 87 yards and another score. Cory Smith completed 14 of 24 passes for 172 yards for the offense as well.
The win put the lid on a 9-1 campaign for UNCP as well as gave the Black and Gold a 6-1 record against teams it lost to in its inaugural season in 2007. North Greenville, who played what is considered to be one of the toughest schedules in the country, ended their season with a 2-9 record.
Williams racked up 100 or more all-purpose yards for the seventh time this season, catching six passes for 78 yards and a first quarter touchdown, while also returning two kicks (one punt) for 87 yards and another score. Cory Smith completed 14 of 24 passes for 172 yards for the offense as well.
As it has all season, the UNCP defense shone once again, this time limiting a staunch running game to just 58 yards on 27 carries, while also forcing at least two turnovers for the 10th time this season. The Crusaders, who racked up 224 yards on the ground in last season’s 40-6 win over the Braves, managed just 72 total yards in the first half.
Laurinburg native Adam Deese registered a team-best eight tackles, while Caylon Hann tacked on six stops, as well as a career-best four pass break-ups. Fortson (six tackles) scored on an opponent turnover for the second time this season, but the first since returning a fumble 77 yards for a touchdown in a 48-29 win at Lane in late September. “Regardless of whether we make the playoffs or not, it can’t take away from what we have done this year,” said head coach Pete Shinnick when asked if his team deserves a spot in the NCAA Division II playoffs. “We have five seniors on this year’s team that can say they won their last seven college football games. Not many people can say that. “I am proud of the things that our guys accomplished this year. We got better every week and that was our goal before the season started.”
UNCP looked to have all the ingredients for a blow out in marching 43 yards in 10 plays on the opening possession of the game, but Taylor Baskett’s 32-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right to keep the score at a deadlock. With the UNCP defense doing its part to keep the Crusaders down however, the Braves would score the game’s first points with time waning down in the second period as Smith eluded a sack and found Williams racing down the near sideline for a 37-yard scoring strike.
North Greenville came out of the halftime break with a jolt of momentum and drove 41 yards in just four plays, but Fortson stepped in front of a Richard Harb pass in the flats and raced 62 yards to put the Braves up 14-0 early in the second half. North Greenville finally got on the board when Nick Rosamonda picked off a pass by Smith deep in UNCP territory and returned the pick 16 yards for a score, but the Braves answered on the ensuing kickoff when Williams corralled Michael Sears’ kickoff at the 25-yard line, eluded a pair of Crusader defenders and did all the rest himself to cap the day’s scoring.
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