Team Robinson struck first with an aggressive opening drive. After attacking downfield with three completions for 67 yards, they capped off the 75-yard march with a 26-yard touchdown strike from Bethune-Cookman quarterback Cam’Ron Ransom to Alabama A&M tight end Travunta Abner, taking an early 6–0 lead.
Team Gaither responded with a swift 75-yard drive, taking a 7–6 lead on Kelly’s 22-yard scoring run. The team tacked on a field goal in the second quarter to push their lead to 10–6. Team Robinson followed with a 28-yard scoring drive set up by a muffed punt to recapture a 13-10 lead on a one-yard touchdown run by Florida Memorial running back Jerodd Sims with 2:35 remaining in the half.
Team Gaither knocked in a field goal to head into the half tied 13-13 and got the ball to start the second half. A 37-yard run near mid-field on fourth and one by Kelly would set up Gaither for a seven-yard passing touchdown from Johnson C. Smith quarterback Kelvin Durham to his college teammate, wide receiver Deandre Procter.
A 67-yard interception return by North Carolina A&T’s Aaron Harris set Team Gaither up at the one-yard line, where Kelly dove in for his second touchdown and a comfortable 27–13 cushion.
As Team Robinson looked to get back into the game, Team Gaither came up with a massive goal-line stand. A 73-yard drive was snuffed out at the two-yard line when North Carolina Central cornerback Jelani Vassell hauled in a game-changing interception.
Grambling State cornerback Blake Davis would secure Team Robinson’s own interception on the ensuing drive and return the ball 44 yards for a touchdown to narrow the deficit to 27-20 heading into the fourth.
Team Gaither got the ball to begin the fourth quarter, and an interception by Alabama State safety Deontre Morris gave Team Robinson the chance to even the score. But a pair of sacks forced Team Robinson to settle for a 40-yard field goal as they trailed 27-23 with 6:42 remaining in the game.
Two strong defensive stands in the fourth gave Team Robinson chances to take the lead, but the comeback effort would fall short as Team Gaither secured a turnover on the first drive and recovered a sack fumble to end the game on the second.
“We’re tenacious,” Lunz said. “We don’t give up. We’re going to fight for 60 minutes. And that’s just it. We weren’t going to lose. We were going to fight the whole time and that’s what we did and we came out with a win.”