By Devin McCullough
Behind a quality quarterback Tre Robinson and a high-powered offensive attack, No. 24 UNC Pembroke rolled past Erskine 44-7 on Saturday afternoon at Dixie High School, pushing their win streak to five games and remaining unbeaten in Conference Carolinas play.
Robinson, the sophomore, was nearly unstoppable, completing 25 of 33 passes for 354 yards and six touchdowns while also rushing for 56 yards on 14 carries. He distributed the ball with precision and poise, finding four different receivers in the end zone and turning nearly every opportunity into points.
Among his top targets was wideout Que Kennedy, who delivered a breakout performance with 110 receiving yards on just five catches, two of which went for touchdowns. Kennedy was a constant mismatch for the Erskine secondary, hauling in a 30-yard score in the first quarter and a 29-yarder just before halftime as the Braves began to pull away.
The game opened with a back-and-forth first quarter. After Erskine struck first on a 34-yard touchdown pass, the Braves responded swiftly. Robinson led a crisp drive capped by his first touchdown pass to Kennedy, though a blocked extra point left UNCP trailing 7-6 after one.
The second quarter saw the Braves’ offense hit full stride. Robinson connected with JaQuan Albright for a 25-yard score, then found Kennedy again for his second touchdown of the day. Just before the break, a key interception by Eric Ivory gave the Braves one more shot, and Robinson didn’t waste it hitting Albright for a 31-yard touchdown to make it 27-7 at halftime.
Albright was just as dangerous, finishing with 11 receptions for 129 yards and two touchdowns, consistently finding soft spots in the Erskine defense and helping move the chains with sure hands and sharp routes.
Robinson added a third-quarter strike to Malik Brown, followed by a field goal from Taylor Harris to push the lead to 37-7. In the final period, he hit Brown again for a 13-yard touchdown, his sixth of the game, putting the finishing touches on one of the best offensive performances in program history.
Defensively, the Braves held Erskine to just 166 yards of total offense and forced three turnovers, including interceptions by Donovan Woods and Ivory. Isi Etute led the defense with six tackles, while Britton Pascoe recovered a fumble in the red zone to halt a potential Erskine score.
The win moves UNCP to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in Conference Carolinas play. The Braves also improved to 2-1 on the road, with their offense now averaging over 40 points per game during their five-game winning streak.
UNC Pembroke returns home next Saturday for the 19th annual Homecoming game, hosting Shorter at Grace P. Johnson Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m., and with Robinson and the offense firing on all cylinders, the Braves will look to keep their momentum going in front of the home crowd.