Box Score
FAYETTEVILLE, NC – The Fayetteville State Broncos scored 47 unanswered points Saturday to defeat the Livingstone Blue Bears 59-6 in CIAA football action.
Livingstone received the opening kickoff after Fayetteville won the toss and deferred to the second half. The opening drive for the Blue Bears stalled and Livingstone was forced to punt. The punt by freshman Logan Haynes was blocked and Fayetteville took over at the 26-yard line. After seven plays and moving 20 yards, the Broncos kicked a 23-yard field goal to go up 3-0.
The ensuing drive for the Blue Bears looked as though it was going to end after only three plays, but a well-executed fake punt by Livingstone gave the Blue Bears a first down. The momentum from the successful fake punt was short-lived as Livingstone was again forced to punt with 3:14 left in the first quarter. The Broncos were able to block their second punt of the game and started on the 34-yard line. Three plays after the blocked punt the Broncos connected on a 20-yard passing touchdown for a 10-0 lead.
Early in the second quarter the Broncos increased their lead to 17-0 on a 15-yard passing touchdown after the Bronco defense intercepted a Levon Stanley pass. Livingstone tried to turn the tides on the ensuing drive. On the fourth play from scrimmage Stanley connected with Omar McFadden on a crossing pattern in the middle of the field that went for 58 yards for a touchdown. It was the first touchdown for Livingstone since September 25th and the longest play from scrimmage this season. The Blue Bears faked the extra point and the passing attempt failed. Fayetteville State led 17-6.
The two teams traded punts on their next respective possessions. Fayetteville was again forced to punt with 2:53 left in the first half. The punt bounced around the 10-yard line and freshman Franklin Evans tried to field the ball on the hop and misplayed it. The Broncos recovered the muffed punt in the endzone for a touchdown and a 24-6 lead. With 58 seconds left in the half Fayetteville missed a 48-yard field goal, but still took a 24-6 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Fayetteville got the opening kick of the second half, but it was Livingstone that tried to pull back some momentum. With 11:18 left in the third quarter Fayetteville attempted a 36-yard field goal that was blocked by junior Devonta Harmon. The Blue Bears took over, but any momentum was scratched later in the drive when a Stanley pitched the ball behind running back Terrill Gourdine for a fumble that was recovered by the Broncos. Fayetteville scored on a 17-yard run off the turnover with 4:40 left in the third quarter to go up 31-6.
Less than a minute later on the ensuing drive for Livingstone the Broncos blocked their third punt of the game. This punt was returned 12 yards for a touchdown and a 38-6 Fayetteville lead. Fayetteville increased its lead to 45-6 with 2:01 left in the third quarter on a one-yard touchdown run that was set up off an interception of Stanley.
Livingstone punted on its first possession of the fourth quarter and Fayetteville capitalized with a 45-yard touchdown run with 12:11 left in the contest to go up 52-6. The ensuing kickoff was fumbled by the Blue Bears and recovered by the Broncos. Fayetteville capitalized on the fifth Blue Bear turnover of the contest with a touchdown run with 9:31 remaining in the contest to go up 59-6, which resulted in the final score of the game.
Livingstone amounted 146 yards of total offense with 118 coming through the air and 28 coming via the run. Terrill Gourdine was the leading rusher for Livingstone with 37 yards rushing while Levon Stanley completed eight passes for 93 yards and two interceptions. Curtis Edens completed one pass for 25 yards on the fake punt. Omar McFadden was the leading receiver for the Blue Bears catching five passes for 73 yards. Freshman Jammal Acree led the Blue Bears on defense with eight tackles while sophomore Dorian Edwards notched seven.
Fayetteville State improved to 3-5 overall and 2-3 in the conference with the victory while Livingstone fell to 0-9 overall and 0-5 in the CIAA.
The Blue Bears will return to Alumni Memorial Stadium next Saturday when they host the Falcons of St. Augustine's College at 1 p.m. Saturday will be senior day and Aaron Williams will be recognized prior to the game.
