Weekly SAC Football Notes, October 6, 2007
Game notes and recaps from around the SAC for games of Saturday, October 6:
BREVARD - The Brevard College football team fell to the No. 23 ranked Wingate University Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon, 51-7 in Belk Stadium on the campus of Wingate University … A plethora of miscues and turnovers haunted the Tornados throughout the game on Saturday afternoon, as BC had four fumbles, losing three of them, one interception and a number of mental mishaps that led to a number of Bulldog scores … Things looked promising for the Tornados at the start of the game, as on the opening defensive drive BC safety Joshua Durm intercepted a J.D. Moore pass and returned it to the Wingate 7-yard line to put the BC offense and great position to start the game … Running back John Taylor punched the ball in from one-yard out, to give the Tornados an early lead. Place kicker Chase Henry added the extra point to give the Tornados a quick 7-0 lead over the Bulldogs … Yet the rest of the half would belong to the Bulldogs, as Wingate would capitalize on a number of Tornado miscues to score the next 30 points of the half … With the score knotted up at 7-7 another mental mistake by the Tornados on the resulting kick-off again led to a Bulldog score. A miscommunication by the BC receiving team ultimately led to a safety for Wingate, as the Tornados return man ran just stepped out of the end zone before downing the ball, resulting in a safety and giving the Bulldogs two more points to give them the lead 9-7 … The Tornados offense was only able to muster 107 total yards. Running back Tyrone Arrington had two rushes for 56-yards, while Taylor rushed for only 29 yards on 16 attempts and had the lone BC touchdown of the day … The BC defense, which was on the field most of the day, was led by junior safety Joshua Durm and sophomore linebacker Butch Bridges who recorded 10 tackles apiece. Junior linebacker Elliot Collins had a sack for a loss of seven yards to go along with his seven tackles, while sophomore defensive end Brandon Rawls had a fumble recovery … The Tornados will look to bounce back at home next Saturday, October 13, when they will play host to SAC member Tusculum College at Brevard Memorial Stadium. The game which is slated to begin at 7 p.m. will be part of the Homecoming Weekend for Brevard College … It is also "Youth Recreation Night" as all youth sports participants and coaches throughout Transylvania County and Hendersonville will receive free admission into the game with the wearing of their respective uniforms or team paraphernalia.
CARSON-NEWMAN - Ricky Harris rushed for three touchdowns as No. 7 Carson-Newman defeated Mars Hill, 49-28 to remain undefeated in the 2007 season … C-N (6-0, 2-0 SAC) trailed 7-0 after Mars Hill's Tyrea Allen scored on a three-yard run, but Alex Good and the Eagle offense took three plays to answer. Good raced 40 yards to the end zone for the Eagles' first score of the game and C-N never looked back, scoring twice more in the first quarter on Harris runs of four and one yards, respectively for a 21-7 lead … In the second quarter, Allen scored again to cut C-N's lead to 21-14, but Buck Wakefield scored on a six-yard run to cap a seven-play, 66-yard drive to put the Eagles ahead 28-14. Wakefield added a three-yard TD run for a 35-14 C-N lead at the half … James Banks made only one catch on the afternoon, but made it count after hauling in a 37-yard TD catch from Alex Rouse for a 42-14 advantage in the third quarter. Harris capped his 39 yards rushing on nine carries with a seven-yard TD run at the end of the third quarter for the Eagles' final points … Good completed two of five passes for 60 yards while Rouse was one-for-three for 37 yards and a touchdown. Good led C-N with 176 yards rushing on 18 carries. Mario Russell led the Eagles with eight tackles and had one sack along with Darius Wrentz, Anthony Toribio, and Andre Reese … The Eagles return to Burke-Tarr Stadium for Homecoming against Catawba on Saturday, October 13. Game time is set for 3:00 p.m.
CATAWBA - Catawba remained undefeated, knocking off its second straight ranked opponent with a 28-18 win over No. 19 Newberry on Saturday night … The victory improves the 13th-ranked Indians to 6-0, its best start since claiming wins in its first seven games of the 2001 season … Travis Landrum had the key play following a Newberry field goal that gave the visitors a 10-7 lead when he returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown … It was the first for the Tribe since 1997 when Darrell Erby did the trick against Presbyterian … Catawba held Newberry then marched 94 yards to grab a 21-10 lead … That drive was aided by a 12-men penalty on Newberry on a Catawba punt and also a key third-down conversion by Brad Roach … Roach did not throw an interception for the second straight game, completing 15-of-30 passes for 191 yards and two scores … He moved into third place on the Catawba passing chart with 5,631 yards and has thrown 39 touchdowns, good enough for fifth place all-time … The Catawba defense was led by Joe Brown, who had 10 tackles, and Ron Ellington, who had six tackles with a sack, two pass break-ups and three hurries … Jasmon Carpenter helped ice the issue with an interception in the end zone and a 93-yard return to set up a Kory Fisher run with 4:02 left … Newberry had just 262 total yards and threw two interceptions after not being picked off in its first five games … Thomas Presley had an first-quarter interception, the seventh of his career … Catawba remained unbeaten under the new Shuford Stadium lights at 7-0 and also won for the 32nd time in 33 tries since scoring the first points under Chip Hester … Catawba hits the road for the first time in five weeks, heading to Carson-Newman where the Indians haven't won since a 2-0 victory in 1987 … The Eagles lead the series 31-8-1.
LENOIR-RHYNE - The 2007 Lenoir-Rhyne College football team (2-4, 0-1) dropped its first South Atlantic Conference game of the season, 31-16 to Tusculum College (3-3, 2-0) Saturday afternoon at Pioneer Field in Greeneville, Tenn. … L-R saw its two-game winning streak snapped and have now lost all five contests at Tusculum in the series history … Tusculum's quarterback Corey Russell passed for four touchdowns as the Pioneers ran their winning streak to three games and remained atop the South Atlantic Conference standings … TC wideout Ryan Tallent caught two of those for scores and finished with 119 yards receiving while Tusculum's defense limited Lenoir-Rhyne to just 219 yards of total offense … Senior placekicker Andrew Coln (Simpsonville, S.C.) went three-for-three on first half field goal attempts, including a career-long 50-yarder, but each of Coln's field goals was matched by a Russell touchdown pass … L-R closed the margin to 24-16 midway through the third quarter with a 15-yard touchdown run by freshman quarterback Daniel Anderson (Douglas, Ga.) … The score ended a seven-play, 79-yard drive but the Bears could not get any closer … Tusculum put the contest away with a 66-yard touchdown pass from Russell to Tallent with 12:38 remaining in the final stanza … Freshman running back James Pone (Wilson, N.C.) led all rushers with 61 yards on the ground while sophomore linebacker Dewayne Jones (Reidsville, N.C.) led all tacklers with 14 … L-R's defense, despite the loss, picked off three passes and limited Tusculum to just 79 yards rushing … Coln is fifth all-time on the school career list for kickers in scoring with 152 points … Lenoir-Rhyne hosts No. 23 Wingate (5-1, 0-1) on Saturday at 2 p.m., as part of Homecoming Weekend … L-R leads the all-time series with Wingate, 15-6, and won the first 11 games between the two schools … The Bears are 8-2 against the Bulldogs at Moretz Stadium and haven't played Wingate at home since 2004 … The Bulldogs prevailed last year by a score of 27-21 on October 14, 2006, in Wingate, N.C. … Lenoir-Rhyne is 35-20 (.636) on Homecoming all-time.
MARS HILL - Mars Hill's football team lost to SAC rival Carson-Newman College Saturday in the Ammons Family Athletic Complex and Meares Stadium, 49-28 … MHC fell to 4-2 overall and 0-2 in the conference … At halftime, Mars Hill dedicated the new football, soccer and lacrosse facility. Mars Hill's completely renovated stadium was officially named the Jud and Jo Ellen Ammons Family Athletic Center. In attendance at the game was Jud and Jo Ellen Ammons along with several friends and family members. It is through Jud and Jo Ellen's generosity that we were able to renovate Meares Stadium with the addition of a new playing surface, refurbished home bleachers, installation of permanent visitors' seating and the new fencing along Athletic Street. These improvements, along with the completion of the W. Scott Merrill Press Box that was dedicated on September 15, have given both a new look to our facilities and a new sense of pride to our student-athletes … MHC got on the board first when Tyrea Allen (Murphy, NC) scored on a three-yard run with 12:53 left in the first quarter. After a successful PAT kick by Chase Harris (Chiefland, FL) the Lions led 7-0 … Alex Good tied contest on the Eagles ensuing possession on a 40-yard scamper. Aubrey Ingham's PAT kick made the score 7-all. Ricky Harris would then have touchdown rushes of four yards and one yard before the end of the first frame to enable the Eagles to lead 21-7 going into the second quarter … Allen brought the Lions within seven points (14-7) with 14:29 on the clock in the second quarter when he ran around the right end for a six-yard scoring run … Buck Wakefield then scored two rushing touchdowns of his own to end the fist half of play and give C-N a 35-14 lead at the intermission. Wakefield scored on a six-yard run with 6:51 on the clock and then dove in from a yard out with 1:32 left in the opening half … James Banks caught a 37-yard pass from Alex Rouse with 9:06 left in the third stanza to put the Eagles up 42-14 but George Washington (Warner Robbins, GA) answered for the Lions four minutes later (5:18) when he sprinted in the end zone from 27 yards out to trim the C-N advantage to 42-21 … With seven seconds left in the third quarter, Ricky Harris bounced in from seven yards out to end the Eagles scoring (49-21) … Chappell Rose (Orlando, FL) ended the scoring in the game with 10:19 left in regulation on a seven yard run to make the final tally, 49-28 … Washington led MHC with 102 yards on the ground and one score. Ricky Spradling (Roan Mountain, TN) threw for 144 yards completing 10-of-28 pass attempts. Nathaniel Smith (Georgetown, SC) and Stan Galbraith (Birmingham, AL) led the Lions' defense with 13 and 10 tackles in the game, respectively. Galbraith also picked off an Eagles pass and returned it 15 yards. MHC will play at Newberry College next Saturday at 7 p.m.
NEWBERRY - The 19th-ranked Newberry College Indians fell, 28-18, to the No. 13 Catawba College Indians in Salisbury, N.C., Saturday night... Newberry falls to 4-2 overall and 0-2 in the South Atlantic Conference... This marks Newberry's first 0-2 league start since 2004... Tharry Salley got the start at running back in place of the injured Alex Haynes, who is expected to return next week against Mars Hill... Salley carried the ball 21 times for 95 yards and a touchdown in his first collegiate start... Starting quarterback Brandon Gantt was 8-of-19 passing for 65 yards with two interceptions... The Indians went five hours, 14 minutes and one second into the season without throwing an interception... Michael Johnson was 5-of-6 passing for 60 yards and a touchdown on the Indians' last drive of the game... The redshirt freshman connected with David Smith for a touchdown and Corey Seawell for the two-point conversion in the latter stages of the fourth quarter... Special teams miscues provided Catawba with the 10-point advantage... Ryan Lukshis hit a 22-yard field goal attempt off the right goalpost in the second quarter, and following a 40-yard Lukshis field goal in the third period, Travis Landrum returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown, giving Catawba the lead for good... The hosts extended the lead in the fourth quarter, when Jasmon Carpenter returned a Gantt interception for 93 yards, setting up a Kory Fisher touchdown... Defensively, Will Newell and Derrell Mills tied for the team lead with seven tackles apiece. David Harris forced one fumble which was recovered by Temarcus Thompson, while Antonio Patton had two pass breakups... Punter Bryant Blanton had six punts with an average of 36.2 yards per punt, with four punts landing inside the 20 yard line... The Indians will search for their first win in the South Atlantic Conference this season on Saturday, October 13, when they host Mars Hill College... Kickoff for the Homecoming game is slated for 7 p.m. at Setzler Field.
TUSCULUM - The Tusculum College football team recorded its third straight victory as the Pioneers defeated Lenoir-Rhyne 31-16… Tusculum (3-3, 2-0 SAC) scored over 30 points for a third consecutive time, averaging 43.7 points per game during that stretch… Junior Corey Russell passed for 330 yards and four touchdowns, including two scoring completions to sophomore Ryan Tallent… Tallent made six catches for a career-high 119 yards… His two TD receptions gives him five on the season which leads the team… He is also averaging 6.3 receptions per game, which is tops in the South Atlantic Conference… Russell, who was named Football Gazette National Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts against nationally-ranked Wingate, passed for four touchdowns in consecutive weeks… He was also intercepted three times in back-to-back games… Russell has passed for 14 TDs this year, which are tied for fifth most already in a season and just three off the record 17 thrown by Caleb Slover in 2000 and 2001… Russell is also closing in on the career TD passes record… Russell has thrown for 35 touchdowns in his 25 career games, two shy of Tony Colston's record of 37… Russell broke a dubious record of Colston's against Lenoir-Rhyne… Russell's three picks gives him 30 for his career, surpassing Colston, who previously held the interceptions record with 28… Jeremy Thompson had another fine outing as he led the Pioneers with 11 tackles, including six solo hits… Thompson, the reigning SAC Defensive Player of the Week, matched his career-best with 11 stops, while also forcing a fumble and a sack… Jarvis Littlejohn accounted for nine tackles, while Justin Scott posted eight stops, including two behind the line of scrimmage… Scott also recovered a fumble in his fourth consecutive game… Scott leads the team with 53 tackles, including 11 for loss and four sacks… The Tusculum defense has forced 21 turnovers this year (10 interceptions, 11 fumbles), which are ranked in the top 10, nationally… Scott's four recovered fumbles ties a school single-season record, matching the four recoveries by Kenneth Smith in 1991… After opening with three straight road losses, the Pioneers answered with three consecutive home wins, marking the first time TC has won three straight at Pioneer Field since 2004-05 when TC defeated Catawba and L-R to close out the 2004 home slate, and opened 2005 with a home victory over Concord… Tusculum ran its record to 5-0 against Lenoir-Rhyne in Greeneville and ups its lead in the all-time series to 8-3… The eight wins are the third most against any Tusculum opponent… TC has posted 13 wins against Mars Hill and nine against Carson-Newman… Tusculum will step out of conference play this week when TC travels to Brevard… Tusculum leads the all-time series 3-1 against BC, including last year's 33-0 decision at Brevard.
WINGATE - The number 23 Wingate University football team spotted Brevard College a 7-0 lead, then scored 51 unanswered points as the Bulldogs defeated the Tornados 51-7 in NCAA Division II football action Saturday afternoon at Irwin Belk Stadium and John R. Martin Field on the Wingate campus. The contest was the first modern-day meeting between the two schools … The number 23 team in this week's American Football Coaches Association NCAA Division II Coaches' Poll, Wingate compiled 406 yards total offense in the victory. The Bulldogs are 5-1 overall. The Wingate defense held Brevard (1-5 overall) to 107 yards total offense … The Tornados struck first. On the afternoon's third play from scrimmage, Brevard junior inside linebacker Joshua Durm intercepted Wingate redshirt junior quarterback JD Moore. Durm returned the tipped pass 41 yards to the Wingate seven-yard line … Three plays later, Tornado junior running back John Taylor plunged one yard for the BC touchdown. Brevard freshman place kicker Chase Henry added the extra point to give the visitors a 7-0 lead with 12:41 remaining in the opening frame … Wingate answered with 16 first-quarter points to take a lead they would not relinquish. Moore redeemed himself, equaling his career-high with four touchdown passes. The East Gaston High School product threw two scoring tosses in the opening 15 minutes … Moore found senior tight end Chris Conklin with a 24-yard scoring strike at the 5:06 mark of the first quarter. Bulldog redshirt senior place kicker Jonathan Beford booted the first of his career-high seven extra points to tie the contest at 7-7 … On the ensuing kick-off, Wingate added a bizarre two points when the Brevard kick return specialist had second thoughts about bringing the ball out of the end zone. The inadvertent miscue gave the Bulldogs the lead for good at 9-7 … Wingate junior return specialist Kameron Kranz returned the Brevard free kick (punt) 22 yards to the Wingate 43-yard line, setting the stage for Moore's second TD of the first quarter. Moore hit redshirt junior Shawn Barrett with a 25-yard TD pass to make the score 16-7 with 2:08 to go in the first period … Moore was very efficient, completing 13-of-21 passes for 191 yards and four touchdowns. Conklin had a big day, catching three passes for 83 yards and two scores. The Southern Alamance High School graduate converted a catch-and-run play into a 57-yard touchdown late in the third quarter. A pre-season All-American, Conklin has six touchdown receptions this season … The Bulldogs spread the wealth, as the hosts gained 207 yards rushing and 199 yards passing. Wingate redshirt freshman tailback Nelson Woods recorded the third 100-yard game of his young Bulldog career. The Lawndale Burns High School speedster rushed 19 times for 120 yards and two touchdowns … Wingate redshirt freshman tailback Cameron Henegan carried the ball 17 times for a career-high 87 yards. Bulldog sophomore quarterback James Hall rushed for his first career TD in the fourth quarter. On the day, seven different Bulldogs had at least one rushing attempt. Seven Wingate players had at least one reception. The Bulldogs were four-for-five on Red-Zone opportunities … The Bulldogs entered the day number five in the NCAA Division II in both rushing defense (53.2 yards allowed per game) and team fumble recoveries (nine). Wingate did not hurt its cause in either category, as the Bulldogs held the Tornados to 81 rushing yards (on 42 attempts) Saturday. Brevard fumbled four times Saturday, with the Bulldogs recovering three … Pre-season All-American defensive end Kenwin Cummings led the Wingate defensive efforts with 10 tackles. A senior, Cummings added three tackles for losses, 1.5 quarterback sacks and one forced fumble. Bulldog senior linebackers Tyler Johnson and Bobby Floyd had nine tackles and eight tackles, respectively … The Bulldogs hit the road next week, visiting Lenoir-Rhyne College for a 2 p.m. kick-off Saturday, Oct. 13. L-R is one of two teams (Mars Hill is the other) Wingate has played every year since the institution revitalized football in 1986. The Bulldogs have won four of the last five games in the series … The Wingate University football team was ranked number 23 in last week's American Football Coaches Association NCAA Division II Coaches' Poll, released Tuesday from the AFCA headquarters. In addition, Wingate (5-1 overall) charted at number 35 in last week's Don Hansen's Football Gazette NCAA Division II Top 40 poll … The Wingate University home football game versus Newberry College on Saturday, October 20, has been selected by the NCAA Division II President's Council and the Media Advisory Group as one of four broadband streaming video NCAA Division II Football Games of the Week for the aforementioned weekend … The 1:30 p.m. game will be broadcast live from Irwin Belk Stadium and John R. Martin Field on the Internet at http://NCAAsports.com/dii. The Newberry at Wingate contest is one of only four Division II football games to be broadcast (via streaming video) by the NCAA on October 20 … The 2007-08 academic year is the second year that the NCAA has offered Division II regular season broadband packages. This fall, Division II football and volleyball games are being aired over the Internet. During the winter, the NCAA will broadcast men's and women's basketball contests on TV and over the Internet. The NCAA broadcasting involvement includes network television broadcasts, cable television, radio, satellite radio and Internet presentations of every NCAA championship.