PEMBROKE (NC) — The West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats traveled south to UNC-Pembroke Saturday and were easily handled by the Braves 79-20 in a lopsided game.
By the time 21 game-play minutes had passed, Wesleyan was down 42-0 on six touchdowns including two by the Pembroke defense.
Colin Johnson hit his receiver Jaquan Albright for the first two scores, one from 13 yards out at 8:27 in the first quarter and the second from seven yards out with 4:39 left on the first quarter clock.
Then, the Braves’ running back JaQuan Kelly scored the next two touchdowns. The first came at 2:03 in the first quarter on a rush from 23 yards out and the second was a 22-yard reception from Johnson 86 seconds into the second quarter.
The Braves’ defense logged the next two scores: at 11:19 in the second quarter, Marquis Raspberry scooped and scored a fumble recovery from 38 yards out, then Jaiden Nesbit, snatched a pick-six and ran 47 yards for the score at 9:25 on the first half clock.
Wesleyan finally got on the board with 6:23 before the half when Kyri Beamon caught a 5-yard pass from Nathan Payne to cap the Bobcats’ longest possession of the day that went six plays on a 63-yard drive.
But the Braves quickly responded when, three minutes later, Josh Jenkins caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Johnson and Jaquan Albright ran for a 7-yard score with 44 seconds on the clock to put Pembroke up 56-7 at halftime.
Wesleyan’s final two scores came at 5:55 in the third on a Joseph Triplett 23-yard touchdown completion from Payne, and a Wesley Sweeney 38-yard touchdown from Payne with 35 seconds left in the third.
The Bobcats were pummeled on the ground, giving up 377 rushing yards while gaining a meager four yards for the entire game.
The teams fared even through the air. Pembroke threw for 217 yards to Wesleyan’s 218 yards.
The Bobcats (0-9) entertain the Mountain East Conference leaders, the University of Charleston (9-0) at home Saturday, Nov. 9 at 1 p.m.
