GREENSBORO, N.C. – Behind a career night from junior running back Kyree Edwards and a dominant second-half defensive performance, the Bluefield University football team defeated Greensboro College 28-7 Friday evening at Pride Field.
Bluefield's defense set the tone early, stopping the Pride on fourth down twice in the opening quarter. Sophomore linebacker Chase Harris helped end Greensboro's second possession with a sack on fourth-and-one, giving the Rams possession at their own 35-yard line.
After a scoreless opening quarter, Greensboro broke through to give the Pride a 7-0 advantage.
The Rams defense kept the deficit at seven later in the quarter. Greensboro drove inside the Bluefield five-yard line before the BU defense pushed the Pride backward, highlighted by a sack from sophomore linebacker Ethan Walker. The drive ended with a missed 30-yard field goal.
Bluefield responded with an 80-yard scoring drive to even the game. Edwards opened the possession with a 19-yard run before redshirt freshman quarterback Zack Paulk connected with senior wide receiver Jamonta Chavis for 12 yards. Paulk later converted a fourth down with a 10-yard completion to senior wide receiver Jordan Edwards before finding sophomore wide receiver Marlin Haywood for a 39-yard touchdown. Senior kicker Isaiah Bandy converted the extra point to tie the game at 7-7 with 3:16 remaining in the half.
The score remained tied into the second half as the Bluefield defense continued to keep Greensboro off the scoreboard. The Pride moved into BU territory on its first full possession of the third quarter, but the Rams forced another turnover on downs at the Bluefield 20-yard line.
Late in the third, the Rams took their first lead of the night behind an 85-yard scoring drive. Edwards provided the spark with a 38-yard run before senior running back Rayjuan Traynham added runs of four and 10 yards. Edwards capped the drive with a 15-yard touchdown run to put Bluefield ahead 14-7 with 1:23 remaining in the quarter.
Bluefield carried the momentum into the fourth quarter. After forcing a Greensboro punt, the Rams took over at the Pride 37-yard line. Edwards rushed for 27 yards on the possession, including a 17-yard run to set up his six-yard touchdown that extended the lead to 21-7 with 12:11 remaining.
The defense quickly handed the ball back to the offense, forcing another turnover on downs at the Greensboro 37. Edwards broke loose for 21 yards on third down before Traynham finished the five-play drive with a 12-yard touchdown run, giving the Rams a 28-7 advantage with 8:51 to play.
Greensboro made two trips inside the Bluefield 25-yard line over the final nine minutes, but the Rams turned the Pride away on fourth down both times to preserve the three-touchdown victory.
Bluefield outgained Greensboro 349 to 308, including a 271 to 175 advantage on the ground. The Rams' 271 rushing yards marked their highest team rushing total since the 2023 season. Edwards turned in a career performance, rushing for a career-high 199 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries while averaging 9.0 yards per attempt. His 199 rushing yards also marked the seventh-highest single-game total in Bluefield program history. Traynham added 41 yards and a touchdown on seven carries, while Paulk finished with 78 passing yards and a touchdown. Haywood's 39-yard touchdown reception led the receiving corps.
Defensively, Bluefield recorded nine tackles for loss and four sacks while holding Greensboro scoreless on all four of its red-zone opportunities. Junior defensive back Titus Holte led the Rams with eight tackles, while Harris finished with seven tackles, three tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Walker added four tackles, one tackle for loss and a sack.
Bluefield returns home Saturday to host Virginia-Lynchburg at Mitchell Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
