SAC Football Notes, October 2, 2010

Game notes and recaps from around the SAC for games through Saturday, October 2:

BREVARD - The Tornados hit the 300 yard mark rushing, led by Kelvin Jeter's 147 yards and one touchdown, but Doug Belk had three rushing scores and Brandon Baker added two more as Brevard fell to the visiting Carson-Newman Eagles on Saturday afternoon, 35-17 ... This was the fourth time on the season that the Tornados had eclipsed the 300 yard mark on the ground and first time both teams had over 300 yards rushing in SAC play this season ... Jeter eclipsed 100 yards rushing for the fourth time this season in carrying the ball 13 times for a game high 147 yards, including a 59-yard dash for a score to lead Brevard on the afternoon ... Michael Crumbaker added 92 yards on 20 carries, while Thadus Benton III had 68 yards on 18 carries as Brevard's NCAA-leading rushing attack racked up 332 yards on the ground ... Crumbaker struggled to get the BC passing game in motion on the afternoon, going zero for four, with one interception and getting sacked once ... Defensively, Trey Jenkins led Brevard, as the freshman recorded 11 total tackles on the afternoon and led all players with 1.5 tackles for loss ... Michael Gist added seven stops and a pass breakup on the defensive side, while Christian Lumbu and Stephan Hicks both recorded quarterback hurries ... Brevard scored first on a 22-yard Chase Henry field goal and went into the half down 21-10 ... Derek Church cut the lead to within 21-17 with a one-yard score late in the third quarter, but the Eagles' Belk scored twice in the fourth quarter to put the game away ... Brevard opens the 2010 SAC road schedule next week in Salisbury, N.C. as the Tornados travel to take on Catawba ... The Tornados defeated the Indians last season, 7-6, in the "Mud Bowl" on a blocked punt returned for a touchdown ... Kickoff for the game is set for 1:30 at Shuford Stadium..

CARSON-NEWMAN - The Carson-Newman College football team needed to bounce back after a tough loss last week to No. 24-ranked UNC-Pembroke. Using a balanced offensive attack, the Eagles cruised to a 35-17 victory over Brevard College in their South Atlantic Conference opening game at Asheville High School Memorial Stadium ... The Eagles move to 3-2 on the season and 1-0 in the SAC. Brevard is also 3-2, but 0-1 in conference play ... After going three-and-out on their first possession, Carson-Newman got untracked thanks to a spark from a 33-yard Tyron Douglas (Clover, S.C.) kick return ... Quarterback Doug Belk (Valdosta, Ga.) reeled off a 23-yard rush early in the drive, with Brandon Baker (Miami, Fla.) pushing the ball inside the Breveard 10 yard-line with a 22-yard gain...Baker finished off the drive with a 7-yard touchdown run ... A 50-yard pass from Belk to wide receiver Marcus Huie (Knoxville, Tenn.) set up Carson-Newman's next score ... Belk found Huie again for 11 yards, then ended the drive with his legs, rushing in from five yards out...It didn't take long for Brevard to strike back. Kelvin Jeter took a pitch 59 yards to the endzone on fourth down ... With momentum turning the Tornadoes way, Carson-Newman answered the call. Belk laid down a 49-yard run on an option keeper down to the Brevard two. Baker punched it in for a 21-10 lead at the half ... The Eagles stalled for most of the third quarter, allowing Brevard back into the game. The Tornadoes called 10 straight rushing plays beginning at their own 35 yard-line and ending with a 1-yard plunge from Derek Church to pull within four points ... Carson-Newman again responded, with Belk and Nate Inman (Fitzgerald, Ga.) doing most of the work down the field. Belk kept the ball and ran towards the right pylon for a 10-yard touchdown ... The Eagles slammed the door shut later in the fourth quarter. Belk, Inman and Baker traded rushes in an eight-play, 70-yard drive culminating in a 1-yard QB sneak from Belk ... Baker rushed 18 times for 142 yards and two touchdowns ... Belk carried the ball 13 times for 121 yards and three scores while adding 76 yards through the air ... Freshman linebacker Jarell Emanuel (Kissimmee, Fla.) and defensive end Zeke Andrews (Eastman, Ga.) led the team in tackles with each recording 10. Freshman strong safety Nathan Jones (Gainesville, Ga.) had seven tackles and a forced fumble ... Next up for the Eagles is Homecoming as they host Wingate on Saturday at Burke-Tarr Stadium. Kick off is set for 3 p.m. ... The Eagles defeated Wingate 45-7 last season as they amassed 657 yards of offense, including 496 on the ground...Wingate enters the contest at 2-2 overall and 0-1 in SAC play ... The Bulldogs are coming off a 35-28 loss against Catawba in their conference opener.

CATAWBA - Catawba won its league opener 35-28 at Wingate behind a record-breaking day from receiver Brandon Bunn ... The senior set new school marks for touchdown catches in a game (4) and a career (27) as well as breaking a 42-year-old record for receiving yards in a game (247) ... Bunn started his huge day on the very first play as he took a pass from Patrick Dennis and raced 74 yards for a quick 7-0 lead ... He broke the career touchdown mark as he caught a tipped pass on the final play of the first half for a 52-yard score to give Catawba a 28-7 lead at the break ... His fourth TD of the afternoon put the Indians up 35-14 early in the third quarter ... His last catch iced the game as he went 46 yards on a 3rd-and-11 play with two minutes left ... The Catawba defense posted nine sacks against Wingate with Julian Hartsell, Brandon Sutton and Corey Steward each recording two ... Harsell stopped one red zone drive when he stripped Wingate quarterback Cody Haffly on a sack ... Kewone Harris denied another deep drive with an interception in the end zone … Catawba hopes for much drier conditions in its match-up this season with Brevard ... Brevard took a 7-6 decision last year on a field of mud when the Tornados returned a blocked punt for a score in the final minutes ... Catawba held Brevard without a first down in the second half ... Catawba is looking to win its first two league game for only the second time since 2004 ... Bunn needs six catches to become the 13th Catawba player with 100 career receptions ... The Indians are a +5 in turnover margin this season and have recorded 16 sacks and 38 stops for losses in four games.

LENOIR-RHYNE - The Lenoir-Rhyne University football team (3-2, 0-1) suffered a heartbreaking, 40-36 loss to Newberry College (2-2, 1-0) last Saturday at Setzler Field in Newberry, S.C., in the South Atlantic Conference opener for both teams … Newberry's Bryan Ehrlich passed for 244 yards and four touchdowns as the Wolves defeated the Bears for the fifth straight year … The Wolves' David Pressley caught 14 balls for 155 yards and scored twice as well … Newberry also reclaimed the Bishops Trophy, given annually to the winner between the two Lutheran schools of North and South Carolina … The trophy series is now tied at 12 … Ehrlich's 15-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Bostick with 29 seconds left proved to be the game-winner … Newberry was able to take advantage of three Lenoir-Rhyne turnovers and scored three touchdowns in the final quarter to overcome a 12-point Bear lead (33-21) early in the fourth stanza … L-R scored touchdowns on its first four possession, including three on the ground by junior quarterback Major Herron (Kingsland, Ga.), as the Bears built a 27-14 lead entering halftime … Lenoir-Rhyne, ranked second in NCAA Division II in rushing entering the contest, ran for 376 yards and held a 468-299 advantage in total yards despite the setback … The Bears were led by Herron and senior halfback James Pone (Wilson, N.C.) with 127 and 117 yards rushing, respectively … Herron also threw for a score, a 14-yarder to junior wide receiver Nick Stutts (Statesville, N.C.) … Stutts finished with 67 yards receiving on just three catches … On defense, L-R senior defensive back Marcus Shuford (Newton, N.C.) led all tacklers with 12 … Herron has rushed for three touchdowns in a game three times this year … Junior placekicker Colin Corpe (Ocala, Fla.) is now tied for sixth on Lenoir-Rhyne's all-time scoring list for kickers with 169 … Lenoir-Rhyne returns home to face Mars Hill (3-2, 1-0) on Homecoming Saturday at 2 p.m., at Moretz Stadium … Mars Hill leads the all-time series with Lenoir-Rhyne, 20-15-1, and has won three in a row over the Bears including last year's 24-7 win on October 24, 2009, in Mars Hill, N.C. … L-R is looking for its first South Atlantic Conference Regular Season home victory since a 31-7 win over Mars Hill on October 28, 2006..

MARS HILL - The Lions' football team upset No. 13 Tusculum College Saturday at the Ammons Family Athletic Center and Meares Stadium, 45-39. It was Mars Hill's annual Homecoming game … MHC improved to 3-2 overall and 1-0 in the SAC … The teams combined for 1,014 yards of total offense in the contest … Jonas Randolph (Daleville, Ala.) rushed for 177 yards and two touchdowns while P.J. Gore (North Myrtle Beach, S.C.) caught five passes for 178 yards and also two scores to lead the Lions' offense. Jon Richt (Watkinsville, Ga.) threw for 250 yards completing 10-24 passes. He recorded three touchdown strikes … Maurice Harris (Hendersonville, N.C.) led the Lions' defense with nine tackles (7 solo), five tackles-for-loss and his career high four sacks. He added a quarterback hurry. Josh Baker (Skyland, N.C.) also had an impressive game for the Lions recording seven tackles, an interception return for a 44-yard touchdown reception and a recovered fumble … Randolph scored the first touchdown in the game in the Lions first possession on a 22-yard run with 11:24 on the clock. Gore then caught a 31-yard touchdown pass at the 10:58 mark of the first quarter. The score was set up by a interception by Stan Galbraith (Birmingham, Ala.) … Britt cut the Lions' lead to 14-6 with 8:56 left in the opening period on a 44-yard scoring reception. The PAT rush attempt failed and the Lions maintained a 14-6 advantage. Gore then hauled in a 44-yard scoring pass from Richt with 6:07 left in the first quarter. Gareth Rowlands (Benllech, Wales) split the uprights on a 41-yard field goal attempt to end the scoring in the opening quarter as the teams entered the second quarter with MHC ahead 21-9 … TC won the second quarter outscoring the Lions, 10-7. After a one-yard diving score by Randolph at the 9:59 mark, Rowlands hit a 27-yard field goal with 5:07 left in the first half. Cordell then found Michael Rodriguez (Columbia, S.C.) on a six-yard scoring pass (1:11) to make the score 28-19 as the teams headed into the locker room at the intermission … Britt caught a 22-yard scoring pass from Cordell just one minute into the second half of play to bring the score to 28-26 in favor of the Lions … Three minutes later Michael Pinkerton (Bogart, Ga.) extended the Lions' lead to five points (31-26) after he nailed a 28-yard field goal. Pinkerton was perfect on the day for MHC hitting six PAT kicks and one field goal. MHC scored twice to begin the final period and seal the win … Richt found Chad Fekany (Orlando, Fla.) on a 15 yard touchdown strike eight seconds into the quarter and then Baker picked off Cordell at the 10:04 mark and scampered 44 yards for a defensive touchdown to make the score 45-26 in favor of the home team … TC added two scores in the final minutes of play. Rashaad Carter (Stone Mountain, Ga.) caught a 12-yard pass with 7:30 remaining in the contest and then Rodriguez had a 10-yard scoring reception with 2:28 left in regulation but the Pioneers could not recover the ball on the ensuing onside kick and the Lions ran out the clock for their first conference win of the 2010 campaign … Mars Hill will play at SAC rival Lenoir-Rhyne University next Saturday at 2 p.m. Mars Hill leads the series against the Bears, 20-15-1. MHC has won the last four meetings.

NEWBERRY - The Newberry Wolves moved to 2-2 overall and 1-0 in South Atlantic Conference play with a 40-36 win over Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday at Setzler Field ... Newberry came back from a 12-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter to win the game ... The win ties the Bishops Trophy series at 12 wins for each institution, with Newberry winning five straight ... Senior wide receiver David Pressley set a school record with 14 receptions for a career-high 155 yards with one receiving touchdown and one rushing touchdown ... Junior wide receiver Brandon Bostick had five catches for 35 yards and two touchdowns, including the game winner with 30 seconds remaining in the game ... Freshman Max Elliott returned the opening kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown ... Sophomore quarterback Bryan Ehrlich completed 30-of-37 passes for 244 yard with four touchdowns and no interceptions ... He has thrown four touchdown passes in three of his first four collegiate starts ... Ron Parker led the Wolves with 11 tackles and an interception in the end zone as time expired to seal the win ... Kamaal McIlwain also had an interception and Joe Smith recovered a fumble as Newberry won the turnover battle, 3-0 ... Sophomore tight end Jake James caught a 5-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter in his first game for Newberry ... It was the first touchdown reception by a Newberry tight end since Michael Ward's 81-yard TD catch against Morehead State on Sept. 9, 2006 - a span of 47 games ... Newberry returns to action next Saturday to take on nationally-ranked Tusculum (4-1, 0-1 SAC) in Greeneville, Tenn., for a 2 p.m. kickoff ...
Tusculum leads the all-time series, 8-4, including wins in the last two matchups ... Newberry's last win in Greeneville came in the 2006 playoff season on a strip-and-score with 40 seconds remaining by Derrell Mills, who earned national defensive player of the week honors that day ... TC won last year's matchup, 34-31, in Newberry ... Newberry quarterback Eric McCollom had 448 passing yards in the last game at Pioneer Field.

TUSCULUM - The 13th-ranked Tusculum Pioneers (4-1, 0-1 SAC) suffered its first loss of the season in a 45-39 setback at Mars Hill … Tusculum churned out 577 yards offensively, but committed three turnovers, resulting in 21 points, including a pair of miscues in the opening quarter, which were turned into a pair of touchdowns … Tusculum has its four-game winning streak snapped, while also falling to Mars Hill for the first time in seven years … Sophomore quarterback Bo Cordell passed for 511 yards with a TC single-game record five touchdown tosses for a second straight game … Cordell went 44-of-66 (both school records) as four Pioneers recorded over 100 yards receiving for the first time in school history … The 511-yard performance is the second-best in school history, surpassed only by his 524-yard effort against Carson-Newman in 2009 … The 511 yards is third in SAC history, becoming one of only two league signal callers with multi-500 yard passing games, with the other being former Presbyterian quarterback and Harlon Hill Trophy finalist Todd Cunningham … Junior Deonte' Gist posted a career-best 13 catches for 129 yards, while junior Rashaad Carter added nine grabs for 104 yards and a TD … Junior tight end Michael Rodriguez made nine receptions for 102 yards and two TDs, while senior Calvin Britt finished with six catches for 152 yards and two scores … Cordell has now moved into the second place all-time in school history in career touchdown passes (41) and completion percentage (.627) … He is also third in career passing yards (5543), career total offensive yards (5431) and career total offensive attempts (940) … Cordell is fourth all-time in career completions (449) and career pass attempts (716) … In his last seven games, he is averaging 425 passing yards per contest with 22 TDs during that span … He has passed for over 400 yards in his last four games and five of his last six … Britt is closing in on a personal milestone, needing 58 receiving yards to become only the fourth player in school history with over 2,000 yards in his career … Britt's 1,942 yards are currently fourth all-time at Tusculum … He is already the career leader in TD receptions (23) and yards per catch average (20.66) … Britt also needs six catches to join the 100-receptions club at Tusculum … Carter could beat him there as he needs only five grabs to join that illustrious group … He has made 95 catches for 1,310 yards (10th in school history) and 10 TDs in his 25-game career … Gist needs eight more yards to join Britt and Carter with 1,000 receiving yards in his career … Gist would become the 13th player in school history in the 1,000-yard club … Senior kicker Gareth Rowlands continues his torrid pace through the Tusculum record book … Rowlands eclipsed the 200-point mark in his career on Saturday with his nine points (2 FG, 3 PAT) … His 203 points are the most by a TC kicker and second for all players ... He enters this week's action having made 34 consecutive extra points, including a perfect 17-of-17 this season … Rowlands has also been named to the Fred Mitchell Award Watch List, which recognizes the college division national kicker of the year … Tusculum will host Newberry for homecoming this Saturday … The Pioneers lead the all-time series 8-4, including homecoming wins over the Wolves in 2003 and 2008 ... Since 1936, the Pioneers are 11-15 in its homecoming game, but 8-2 since 2000 and victories in their last three contests in front of the alumni.

WINGATE - Wingate University rallied from two 21-point deficits, but the Bulldogs could not get over the mountain in a 35-28 setback to Catawba College in South Atlantic Conference football action Saturday afternoon at Irwin Belk Stadium and John R. Martin Field. The contest was the SAC opener for both teams. Wingate is 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the SAC. The Bulldogs visit Carson-Newman Saturday, Oct. 9 for a 3 p.m. league contest … Both quarterbacks had huge days. Wingate redshirt junior signal-caller Cody Haffly was 28-of-50 for 316 yards and two scores. Catawba senior QB Patrick Dennis completed 21-of-34 passes for 285 yards and four touchdowns. Indian junior back-up quarterback Daniel Griffith completed a 52-yard Hail Mary TD pass to senior wide receiver Brandon Bunn as time expired in the second quarter. Bunn caught 10 passes for 247 yards and four TDs Saturday … Bunn scored on the opening play from scrimmage, as Dennis connected with him on a 74-yard, catch-and-run play at the 14:40 mark of the first quarter. His final receiving TD with 11:28 remaining in the third quarter (27 yards from Dennis) gave the Indians a 35-14 lead after the PAT by junior place kicker/punter Thomas Trexler. The margin was the visitors' second 21-point lead of the contest … Special teams helped the Bulldogs get back in the game. Wingate freshman defensive back Timmy Rogers returned a blocked punt 18 yards for a TD with 3:13 to play in the third frame. Sophomore wide receiver Josh Clawson did the honors with his first career blocked kick. The PAT by redshirt senior placekicker RP Lopez made the score 35-21 … Rogers set up the next Wingate score with his own blocked punt. The play gave the Bulldogs the ball on the Catawba 36-yard line with 6:50 to play in the fourth quarter. Six plays later, Haffly found sophomore wide receiver Chris Bowden with a 27-yard scoring strike to pull the hosts within a touchdown … Catawba did not give the ball back, converting two huge third-down plays on the ensuing drive. Bunn and Dennis connected on a 46-yard pass on third-and-11 from the Catawba 31, giving the Indians their second third-down conversion of the drive and allowing the visitors to run out the clock … In the first quarter, the Bulldogs answered Bunn's 74-yard touchdown reception with a TD drive of their own. Haffly took his troops 11 plays and 70 yards in exactly five minutes, concluding the march with a two-yard touchdown pass to redshirt senior wide receiver Delric Ellington at the 9:40 plateau … Catawba wasted little time responding, thanks to a 71-yard kick-off return by sophomore defensive back LJ McCray. Two plays and one minute and one second later, Dennis found Bunn for a 14-yard TD. Trexler's extra point made the score 14-7 with 8:39 to play in the opening frame … The Indians scored two second quarter touchdowns to take a 28-7 advantage to the halftime locker room. Both scoring drives were seven-play marches. The first concluded when Dennis hit senior tight end Grayson Downs with a four-yard TD pass with 5:12 to go in the second quarter … The Bulldogs drove the ball to the Catawba 14-yard line on the next drive, but Indian senior defensive lineman Julian Hartsell sacked Haffly and forced and recovered a fumble to end Wingate's possession. On the last play of the first half, Griffith made the most of his only pass attempt Saturday. He lifted up a Hail Mary and watched it fall into Bunn's hands as time expired … Catawba was penalized for excessive celebration on the wild Hail Mary play, forcing the Indians to kick off from the 15-yard line to start the second half. Rogers returned Trexler's kick-off 22 yards to the Wingate 42. Six plays later, Bulldog redshirt senior running back Nelson Woods scampered 31 yards to pay dirt to pull the hosts within two touchdowns at 28-14 … Wingate received a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty following the Woods' TD. As a result, the Bulldogs experienced a kick-off from the 15-yard line. Catawba capitalized, as Indian sophomore defensive back Scottie Floyd returned the ensuing kick-off 32 yards to the Wingate 37-yard line. Bunn's final TD grab occurred five plays later, setting the stage for a wild finish … Woods had a big day for the hosts, as he rushed 21 times for 82 yards and one touchdown. He caught seven passes for 67 yards as well. With his rushing TD, Woods ties the school record for rushing touchdowns in a career with 30. Wingate first team pre-season All-American Perry Floyd topped the Bulldog all-purpose charts with 168 yards. He caught a team-best nine receptions for 93 yards. Floyd also had one rush for 33 yards. He compiled 42 return yards to fill out his stat sheet … Catawba dominated the fourth quarter time of possession, as the Indians kept the ball for 10:27 in the final frame. Wingate won the total offense battle 391-328, thanks to a strong run defense. The Bulldogs held the Indians to negative nine yards rushing on 26 attempts … Defensively, the big news was Catawba's seven quarterback sacks. Hartsell led the way with two QB sacks. Indian sophomore linebacker Cory Johnson led all defenders with 17 tackles (six solo, 11 assists). He shared a sack and posted one quarterback hurry. Catawba recorded 11 tackles for losses, nine pass break-ups and six QB hurries Saturday … For Wingate, redshirt sophomore safety Robert Fletcher had nine tackles. Bulldog redshirt senior cornerback Terrence Stephens and senior linebacker Ben Hinson had eight tackles each. Stephens had an interception, while Hinson notched a quarterback sack … Catawba is 5-0 against Wingate in South Atlantic Conference season openers. Prior to Saturday, the Bulldogs had won four of the last six contests in the series. In addition, Wingate had won the last two contests at Irwin Belk Stadium and John R. Martin Field … Wingate hits the road Saturday, Oct. 9, venturing up the mountain to Jefferson City, Tenn. to face Carson-Newman College. The Eagles will be celebrating homecoming with a 3 p.m. kick-off. Last year, C-N running back Buck Wakefield rushed for a school-record 303 yards and two touchdowns to lead the 18th-ranked Eagle football team to a 45-7 road victory over the host Bulldogs … In Wingate's most recent trip to Mossy Creek, Carson-Newman rallied from a 27-14 halftime deficit to take a 35-33 victory over Wingate at Burke-Tarr Stadium on Nov. 1, 2008. The Bulldogs scored touchdowns on their first three possessions in the 2008 contest. Wingate quarterback JD Moore completed 23-of-50 passes for 289 yards and one touchdown on the afternoon … Carson-Newman leads the all-time series between the two schools 21-1. On Oct. 7, 1995, Bulldog quarterback Brandon Gandy led Wingate to a 25-24 win over the Eagles at Walter Bickett Stadium in Monroe.