It’s no mystery why The University of North Carolina at Pembroke football team is ranked nationally this week.

They’re that good.

On top of being good is being targeted. UNCP is no longer a run-of-the-mill new school you schedule for homecoming ( Fairmont State scheduled the Braves for its festivities this Saturday).

That creampuff identification ended with the Braves’ 28-0 road victory at Brevard to open the 2008 season.

Since that shutout, UNCP has reeled off nine consecutive victories at home and won 14-of-16 contests overall, including game-winning finishes over quality opponents like Fayetteville State and Wingate.

Both sides of the ball have shown dominance under Pete Shinnick’s regime, a coaching staff hand-picked by the former Colorado Buffalo offensive lineman.

How has UNCP found so much success so fast? Using a comprehensive mixture of offense and defense laced with star individuals, the Braves are serious. Junior All-American Caylon Hann is the vocal leader of a defense that allows just 14.7 points per game this season, with 34 and 35 points scores by Fayetteville State and Carson-Newman skewing a Top-15 ranked Division II scheme.

On offense, UNCP owns the definition of a balanced attack, picking up first downs via the pass and run 62 times each this season. The shotgun element in short-yardage situations gives the Braves a good mix.

Running backs Travis Daniels and Rashon Kennedy have all but perfected the delayed handoff from the shotgun formation, with both averaging more than five yards per carry.

“Whether it’s five yards behind the line of scrimmage or under center, it don’t matter to me,” Kennedy said. “As long as the offensive line opens holes, I can get it done from any formation.”

Quarterbacks coach Geoff Buffum has helped Cory Smith transform from a formidable college quarterback to one of the best statistically in the region. Buffum, a longtime friend and colleague of Shinnick, joined the Braves before the 2008 season and has guided UNCP quarterbacks to 29 touchdowns through the air.

To stay in the polls and further cement their stamp of emergence into Division II’s upper echelon of football teams, winning the remaining four games on schedule is a necessity for the Braves.

The bulls-eye matchup and only game that will be decided by less than three touchdowns the rest of the way is an Oct. 24 date at Concord . The Mountain Lions are 4-2 and split their only two meetings previously with the Braves. Shinnick continues to say his team won’t look ahead and will take each individual contest on a week-by-week basis.

Book your hotel reservations mid-November, because UNCP will still be playing football.