WSSU is perfect this season by beating UNC Pembroke

Rams are 10-0 with CIAA title game coming up on Saturday

PEMBROKE, North Carolina – After seeing every one of WSSU’s games this season I saw something different earlier this afternoon in the 34-7 win over UNC Pembroke.

For the first time this season the Rams let the clock be their friend and kept chipping away at the Braves’ defense. The results were staggering especially when the Rams had a season-best 18-play drive that chewed up nearly eight minutes in the second quarter.

The Braves weren’t going to allow the Rams to win on big plays, so the Rams didn’t have any big plays. Just a lot of little plays that worked and with it the Rams completed a perfect regular season. At 10-0 the Rams have assured themselves a spot in the playoffs even if they lose to Elizabeth City State on Saturday in the CIAA championship game.

What was impressive in this game was how effective the Rams were in running the ball and mixing in short passes. Quarterback Kameron Smith and the rest of the offense never had a turnover and just a few penalties.

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Game Day: Winston Salem State Rams vs. UNCP Braves

GAME DAY INFORMATION
WHEN: Saturday, November 5 - 2 p.m. ET
WHERE: Pembroke, N.C.
FACILITY: Grace P. Johnson Stadium
TICKETS: Single game reserved bench tickets are $15. If available, reserved bench ticket will be sold on game day at the ticket tent. Standing-Room Only tickets ($10) will be available on game day at the ticket tent. Lawn chairs are permitted inside Grace P. Johnson Stadium.
BROADCAST COVERAGE:

LIVE STATISTICS: Follow the game action FREE live via a live stats link provided by the UNCP athletic department. CLICK HERE

LIVE AUDIO/VIDEO: Follow the game action via FREE live audio/video streaming through a link provided by the UNCP athletic department. CLICK HERE

THE TEAMS

UNCP (7-2): Roster l Schedule/Results l Statistics
WINSTON-SALEM STATE (9-0): Roster l Schedule/Results l Statistics
THE COACHES: Winston-Salem State head coach Connell Maynor is 17-2 (.895) in his second season at the helm of the Rams. UNCP head coach Pete Shinnick is 34-17 (.667) in his fifth season with the Braves.
THE SERIES: Winston-Salem State leads the all-time series, 1-0, after last season's 21-7 victory over the Braves in Winston-Salem.
LAST TIME OUT: Winston-Salem State used an interception midway through the fourth quarter to preserve a 21-14 home victory over Shaw. UNCP racked up more than 300 yards of offense in building a 20-7 halftime lead en route to posting a 23-20 win at Newberry.

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UNC Pembroke highly motivated to beat WSSU

Pembroke, North Carolina -- Coach Connell Maynor said he expects Winston-Salem State's game at UNC Pembroke today to have the atmosphere of the playoffs, because that's the goal for both teams. "They've won their last four games, and they are trying to get in the playoffs so if they can knock us off, a team that's ranked No. 2 in the region and seventh in the country, they can get into the playoffs," WSSU's Maynor said.

The Rams are 9-0. The Braves are 7-2. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at UNCP's Grace P. Johnson Stadium. With a win today, the Rams can complete just the third undefeated regular season in program history, but more important is that a victory would keep them in good shape for the Division II playoffs.

UNCP, a fifth-year program, has one of the top offenses in Division II under coach Pete Shinnick and is averaging 511 yards (fourth in Division II). Sophomore quarterback Luke Charles has passed for 2,653 yards and 22 touchdowns, and Travis Daniels has rushed for 1,342 yards and 14 TDs.

The Rams' defense has been stellar all season but has been overshadowed by an offense averaging 45 points a game. Against UNCP, the defense will have to rise to the challenge. WSSU's next game after today will be the CIAA championship Nov. 12 in Durham, but Maynor said he doesn't expect his players to be looking ahead.

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UNC-Pembroke tops Fayetteville State, 33-27, to claim 3rd straight Two Rivers Classic

Fayetteville, NC - UNC-Pembroke senior linebacker Fred Williams weaved through a maze of bodies and located the Two Rivers Classic trophy, which was hoisted above the heads of several teammates.

Williams, a Terry Sanford High School graduate, couldn't resist the urge. With a 33-27 victory against Fayetteville State in hand, he applied his lips to the coveted hardware.

"This rivalry means a lot to me," Williams said. "Just to win it three years in a row, it's something special, so I had to get that kiss in at the end."

UNC-Pembroke improved to 3-0 in the brief series, going ahead for good on a 15-yard touchdown run by Travis Daniels with ...

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Fayetteville State, UNC-Pembroke set for Saturday's Two Rivers Classic

Fayetteville, NC - Tonight at Nick Jeralds Stadium, Fayetteville State will host UNC-Pembroke in the third installment of the Two Rivers Classic. The Braves have won the first two meetings, capturing a 41-34 triumph in double overtime at FSU in 2009 and rolling to a 39-0 shutout last season in Pembroke. Yet heading into tonight's game, the Broncos may be position to turn the tides. Here are five storylines to keep an eye on.

Can the Fayetteville State defense contain Travis Daniels?



UNC-Pembroke coach Pete Shinnick is expecting a stellar senior season from Daniels, a lightning bolt of a tailback who will be the catalyst of the Braves offense. Daniels is looking to move past a disappointing 2010 campaign. Shinnick said earlier this week he has sensed renewed focus and greater dedication from Daniels, who hopes to recapture the form he had as a sophomore. Proof of Daniels' explosive potential came at Jeralds Stadium in the inaugural Two Rivers Classic in 2009, when he tore through the Broncos defense for 213 yards and two touchdowns.

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