Appalachian State 21, James Madison 10

BOONE, N.C. ? Top-ranked Appalachian State University jumped out to a 21-3 halftime lead and never looked back as it extended its home winning streak to 19 with a 21-10 win over No. 12 James Madison on Saturday at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

 

Timely defense and a pair of 80-yard touchdown drives were the keys to Appalachian (1-1) taking the 18- point lead into the locker room. On its first possession, James Madison (1-1) marched all the way to the ASU 3 yard line, but Appalachian was able to limit the damage by forcing JMU to settle for a 22-yard David Rabil field goal.

 

On the ensuing series, the Mountaineers converted a pair of third downs, the second on a 12-yard pass from Trey Elder to Kevin Richardson on third-and-seven from the 25. On the play, Elder was shaken up on a late hit by JMU’s Phil Minafield and had to be replaced by true freshman Armanti Edwards. In his firstever play at The Rock, Edwards sliced through the Duke defense for a seven-yard touchdown run that gave the Mountaineers a 7-3 lead with 4:15 remaining in the first quarter.

 

Appalachian took advantage of great field position that came courtesy of Jeremy Wiggins’ second

interception of the young season to extend its advantage to 14-3 early in the second period. Wiggins’ 22- yard interception return gave the Mountaineers possession at the JMU 26 and it took them only five plays to make it 14-3 on one-yard touchdown plunge by Richardson.

 

The Dukes drove inside the ASU 30 twice more in the first half, but came away empty both times. On the first of the two trips deep into Mountaineer territory, Appalachian linebacker Pierre Banks hammered JMU running back Maurice Fenner to force a fumble that was recovered by Justin Woazeah. After an ASU punt, James Madison marched back down the field, but came away empty once again when Rabil pushed a 29-yard field-goal attempt wide right.

 

With 2:54 left to play before intermission, Appalachian put an exclamation point on the impressive first half by putting together its second 80-yard drive of the half. Highlighted by a 35-yard pitch-and-catch from Elder to a wide open Hans Batichon, the series culminated with Richardson’s second one-yard touchdown dive of the day that put the Mountaineers up 21-3 with 19 seconds left in the half.

 

Despite being out-gained 177-65 in the second half, Appalachian surrendered only a 47-yard touchdown pass from Justin Rascati to L.C. Baker in the fourth quarter en route to the win.

In all, the Dukes held a 337-236 advantage in yards, but the Mountaineers won the all-important battle of turnovers by forcing two and committing none.

 

Banks led the Apps in tackles for the second-straight week with 16, the most by a Mountaineer since Nygel Rogers had 21 and Jerrell Carter recorded 18 at Northwestern State on Sept. 25, 2004. Banks, a junior from Durham, N.C., also forced a pair of fumbles.

 

Buck Buchanan Award candidate Marques Murrell added eight tackles, including two sacks, and a pass break-up. His two sacks moved him alone into third on the school’s all-time list with 26 for his career while the two tackles for loss gave him 45 for his career, just one behind Dexter Coakley for fifth all-time at ASU.

 

Offensively, the Apps were led by Richardson’s 79 rushing yards. Elder completed 8-of-15 passes for 79 yards and ran for 30 more and Edwards added 37 yards on the ground.

 

Appalachian will look to extend its winning streak at The Rock to 20 when it hosts Mars Hill next Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

 

NOTES: The over-capacity crowd of 23,814 was the fifth-largest in ASU history and biggest ever for a home opener, surpassing the 23,267 that were on hand for last season’s home opener versus Coastal Carolina ... with the win Appalachian moved to 38-12-1 all-time versus nationally ranked opponents at Kidd Brewer Stadium ... 10 of the Mountaineers’ 19-straight wins at home have come over nationally ranked teams, including the last four ... James Madison was the first Atlantic 10 squad to visit Boone since Maine dealt Appalachian its last loss at home, a 14-13 decision in the first round of the 2002 playoffs ... Only a junior, Richardson’s two rushing touchdowns give him 23 for his career, good for a tie for fourth in school history with current ASU quarterbacks coach Scott Satterfield ... Wiggins recorded nine tackles to move into a tie for seventh all-time at ASU with 323 career tackles ... he is the only defensive back in the Appalachian’s top 10 in career tackles.

 

 

Furman 24, West Georgia 7

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Cedrick Gipson rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown to lead NCAA I-AA fourth-ranked Furman to a 24-7 win over West Georgia Saturday evening at Paladin Stadium.

 

Gipson, a junior from Summerton, S.C., registered 13 carries, including a career long 67-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to give Furman

(2-0) a 10-7 lead.

 

The victory marked the ninth straight home victory for Furman and the Paladins’ fifth straight triumph over NCAA Division II opposition.  It also marked the first meeting in football between the Paladins and West Georgia (0-2).

 

“The score was 24-7, but our defense pitched a shutout and set the tone,”

said Furman head coach Bobby Lamb.  “Offensively, we’ve got a long way to go, but we got a little better in the second half.  Our offense is going to take a little time.  We knew that coming into the season.”

 

“We’re never pleased with losing, but our offense made some strides tonight,” said West Georgia head coach Mike Ledford.  “I’m proud as I can be of our defense in holding a great offense like Furman’s to only 264 yards.”

 

Furman grabbed an early 2-0 lead when a high snap from center sailed over Wolves’ quarterback Brett Yenser’s head into the end zone just over a minute into the contest.

 

It remained 2-0 until midway through the second quarter when strong safety Jermaine Gadson scooped up a fumble by Furman tailback Stephone LaFrance and raced 34 yards for a touchdown to give West Georgia a 7-2 advantage at the 7:54 mark.

 

Furman wasted little time in retaking the lead.  On its first play from scrimmage following the kickoff, Gipson bolted up the middle and outraced the West Georgia defense for a 67-yard touchdown run with 7:04 left in the half.

 

The Paladins took control of the contest on the first possession of the second half, moving 68 yards in nine plays for a 4-yard touchdown run by Jerome Felton that made it 17-7.

 

A 25-yard Justin Stepp punt return to the West Georgia 44 set up the game’s final score.  Using 10 plays to cover the distance, the Paladins capped the scoring on quarterback Renaldo Gray’s 6-yard scoring run on an option keeper with 11:08 remaining in the game.

 

Furman outgained West Georgia 264-110 and held the Wolves to just 16 yards rushing ? the lowest total by a Paladin foe since 2001, when Furman limited Presbyterian to just four yards in a 47-28 victory.

 

For Gipson, the 123-yard performance marked the fourth 100-yard outing of his career.  He was followed by Felton with 75 yards and a touchdown.

 

Adam Patrick led West Georgia with 14 rushes for 47 yards, but the Wolves’

rushing numbers were hurt by four Furman sacks accounting for 36 yards.

 

All-Southern Conference linebacker Andrew Jones paced the Paladin defensive effort with eight tackles and a pass deflection.

 

Furrman returns to action next Saturday when it takes on North Carolina in a 6:00 p.m. contest that will televised by ESPNU.  The Paladins defeated the Tar Heels 28-3 in 1999 in the last meeting between the two schools.

 

 

Towson 24, Elon 17

ELON, N.C. ­ Sean Schaefer passed for 248 yards and the game?s first touchdown, pacing Towson to a 24-17 non-conference victory over Elon in front of 7,544 fans Saturday night at Rhodes Stadium. The Tigers built a

24-3 lead midway through the third quarter and then held off a furious Phoenix rally.

 

Schaefer completed 25 of 36 passes with two picks as the Tigers (2-0) spoiled the home opener for the Phoenix (1-1). Towson finished with 311 yards of total offense while Elon ended up with 224.

 

?It was a hard-fought game by both sides,? Towson coach Gordy Combs said.

?We hurt ourselves with the turnovers and interceptions, giving them short field. Elon never gave up. That?s a sign of good coaching skills. They wanted to make us work for everything.?

 

The Tigers capped a seven-play, 79-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Sean Schaefer to Eric Yancey to claim an early 7-0 lead with 11:11 to play in the first quarter.

 

Towson?s Andrew Goldbeck forced a fumble on a T.J. Clegg carry on the Elon 20-yard line. The Tigers? John Webb recovered the fumble on the Phoenix 14-yard line, setting up the second Towson touchdown.

 

Kerry Miles scored on a one-yard run to fatten the Tigers? advantage to 14-0 with 53 seconds left in the opening stanza. A 23-yard field goal by Chris Desautels extended the Towson edge to 17-0 with 12:13 to play in the second period.

 

Andrew Wilcox put the Phoenix on the scoreboard, sinking a 39-yard field goal with three ticks remaining in the second quarter to cut the deficit to

17-3 at halftime.

 

With Elon attempting to ignite a drive on its own 30-yard line in the third period, Towson?s Drew Mack intercepted a Wes Pope pass on the Phoenix 38-yard line. Mack returned the pick 30 yards to the Elon eight-yard line.

 

Shortly there after, Rasheed McClaude?s four-yard touchdown run stretched the Tigers? lead to 24-3 with 6:38 to play in the third quarter.

 

Elon?s Daniel Barrow blocked a Bill Shears punt on the Towson 22-yard line.

Walker White recovered the ball on the Towson 10-yard line, setting up the first Phoenix touchdown. Clegg scored on a six-yard run as Elon drew within 24-10 with 1:07 remaining in the third stanza.

 

Irvin Raglin intercepted a pass from Schaefer to set up the Phoenix offense on the Towson 39-yard line. Clegg capped off the six-play drive by scoring on a six-yard pass from Pope with 10:59 to go in the contest.

 

With 1:52 remaining, Elon began one last drive to tie the score. The Phoenix fashioned a 10-play, 60-yard drive to reach the Towson 34-yard line. On fourth down with five yards to go for a first down, Elon?s pass attempt fell incomplete with 22 seconds left.

 

?I was disappointed with how we came out of the gate,? Elon coach Pete Lembo said. ?We were just not ready. I take full responsibility for that. That?s not the way to play a good football team. I was pleased with how the kids battled back. Although we played hard, we didn?t play smart enough.?

 

Pope completed 22 of 39 passes with one interception for 172 yards and one touchdown. Elon?s Danny Boback led all defenders with a career-high 11 total tackles.

 

The Phoenix will return to action next Saturday when Presbyterian visits Rhodes Stadium for a 2 p.m. Elon Family Weekend meeting. The Tigers will host Liberty at 6 p.m. next Saturday at Unitas Stadium.

 

Memphis 33, Chattanooga 14

MEMPHIS --- Memphis quarterback Martin Hankins threw for nearly 300 yards Saturday night, and the Tigers scored three times in the second quarter, defeating the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga 33-14.

 

Trailing the Mocs 7-6 after one quarter, the Tigers tacked on two field goals and a touchdown run to take the lead for good.

 

“We made some mistakes, but overall, I wasn’t too disappointed,” UTC Head Coach Rodney Allison said.  “We had a hard time throwing the ball against them, but we were able to move the ball early.  This one game does not end our season.  Our team goals are still attainable.”

 

The Tigers, 1-1, pulled away in the second half.  Running back Jamarcus Gaither scored the second of his two touchdowns on the first possession of the third quarter.  Gaither capped an 11-play, 78-yard drive with a 13-yard scoring run to increase the Memphis margin to 26-7 at 10:46 of the third quarter.

 

Earnest Williams hauled in a dumpoff pass on the right side from quarterback Martin Hankins and turned it into a 14-yard touchdown to give the Tigers their 33-7 lead with 5:57 to play.

 

The Mocs, 1-1, answered with the game’s final points.  Quarterback Antonio Miller marched the team 48 yards in seven plays and threw his second touchdown pass of the day, a six-yarder to receiver Michael Gilmore to slice the deficit to 33-14 with 1:16 remaining.

 

UTC drew first blood in the game, scoring on its second offensive possession of the game.  The Mocs picked up three first downs, and Miller hit wideout Michael Johnson on a 10-yard touchdown pass at 6:54 of the first quarter.  It was Johnson’s first career scoring catch.

 

On the drive, Miller picked up 22 yards on a third down-and-six running play to the 12-yard line.

 

The Tigers pulled some trickery to register their first score of the game at 2:23 of the first quarter.  Receiver Mario Pratcher took a reverse pitch from tailback Joseph Doss and threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to quarterback Martin Hankins, who was open down the right side.  The extra-point try hit the upright and UTC remained on top 7-6.

 

Tigers' kicker Trey Adams, who missed the extra point after Memphis' first touchdown, missed a 36-yard field goal at 11:29 of the second quarter.  He gave Memphis its first lead, 9-7, with a 30-yard field goal at 8:28 of the second quarter.

 

Adams added a 28-yarder at 3:18 of the second period to push the Memphis lead to 12-7.  On the drive, Hankins found a wide-open Duke Calhoun down the middle for a 60-yard gain to the UTC 11-yard line.

 

The Mocs committed their first turnover of the season late in the second quarter.  UM’s Brandon McDonald returned an intercepted Miller pass 30 yards to the UTC 12-yard line.  Two plays later, Gaither bulled in from the three-yard line, and an Adams' extra point kick made it 19-7 with 53 seconds left in the opening half.

 

UTC was playing at Memphis for the third straight season.  The Mocs lost 52-21 in 2004 and 59-14 last season.

 

Running back Eldra Buckley went over the 100-yard mark for the fifth straight game dating back to last season.  The senior collected 105 yards on 24 carries and led the Mocs in receiving with five catches for 20 yards.

 

Miller completed 15-of-27 pass attempts for 111 yards.  He threw his first interception of the season.

 

Gilmore caught four balls for 36 yards, and Johnson added two catches for 31 yards.

 

Hankins was 19-of-30 passing for 294 yards, an interception and a touchdown.  UTC corner Raeshon Ball picked off a Hankins’ pass in the third quarter, his second interception in two games.

 

The Tigers were held to 99 yards on the ground, led by Gaither’s 49.  Duke Calhoun racked up 109 yards on four catches, including a 60-yarder.

 

Ball led the Mocs in tackles with nine hits.  Linebacker Chris Johnson and tackle Neil Brown added eight apiece.

 

UTC visits Western Kentucky next Saturday for its third consecutive away game.  Kickoff in Bowling Green, Ky., is set for 7 p.m. ET.

 

Coastal Carolina 41, Wofford 38

SPARTANBURG, SC ? Tyler Thigpen threw three touchdown passes and rushed for another to Coastal Carolina to a 41-38 win over Wofford Saturday night at Gibbs Stadium.

 

Thigpen’s final scoring pass, a 45-yarder to Jerome Simpson with 2:35 to play in the game, gave the Chanticleers a 41-38 lead.

 

The score capped off a CCU comeback in which the Chanticleers overcame deficits of 24-14 at halftime and 38-34 in the fourth quarter.

 

“We knew we were playing a good football team,” said Wofford head coach Mike Ayers.  “We knew it wouldn’t be easy but we also thought we had a chance to win.”

 

Wofford (1-1) took a 7-0 lead when Aundres Perkins fumbled on CCU’s first play of the game and Kevin Adleman recovered at the Chanticleer 14.  Two players later, fullback Michael Hobbs raced 14 yards for the score.

 

Coastal Carolina (1-1) tied the game on its next possession as Thigpen hit Rodney Burgess on a 12-yard scoring pass.

 

Wofford took a 14-7 lead when Josh Collier threw 12 yards to Fenn Allen with 4:05 to play in the first quarter.

 

The Terriers extended their lead to 17-7 when Nick Robinson connected on a career-long 46-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter.  The Terriers had taken possession at the CCU 24 after a 36-yard punt return by Brandon Berry.

 

Thigpen pulled the Chanticleers to within three at 17-14 when he hit Santini Washington on an 80-yard scoring pass with 12:50 to play in the second half.  The Terriers went up 24-14 when Hobbs scored his second touchdown of the game from 3 yards out to conclude a 16 play, 82-yard drive that consumed 8:06.

 

Coastal Carolina exploded for 20 points in the third quarter.  CCU took the second half kickoff and Thigpen completed three consecutive passes to move from the Chanticleer 19 to midfield.  From the 50, he hit Burgess on a 43-yard pass down to the seven before Arthur Sitton carried it the rest of the way to close the gap to 24-21.

 

CCU took its first lead of the game at 27-24 when Perkins concluded an 82-yard drive with a 6-yard scoring run.  The Chanticleers then went up 34-24 on Thigpen’s 33-yard scoring jaunt.

 

Kevious Johnson’s 28-yard touchdown run with 13:30 to play in the game brought Wofford back to a 34-31 deficit.

 

The Terriers regained possession when linebacker Seth Goldwire stuffed Perkins on a fake punt and Wofford took possession at the CCU 28.  Quarterback Ben Widmyer carried it to the 3 before finishing it off with a 3-yard scoring run.

 

The two clubs traded punts before Coastal started at its own 32 with 4:27 to play.  Thigpen hit Burgess for 11 yards on a third-and-seven before carrying it 9 yards to the Wofford 45.  From there, he hit Simpson with a pass into the end zone for a 41-38 lead.

 

Widmyer’s pass was intercepted by Marrio Norman with 2:15 to play and the Terriers were not able to run another play from scrimmage.

 

Thigpen completed 13 of 20 passes for 288 yards on the night.  Washington had two catches for 109 yards.  Thigpen also carried 10 times for 94 yards.

 

Wofford was led by a pair of 100-yard rushers in Johnson (120 yards) and Hobbs (101).

 

Wofford will visit South Carolina on Saturday, Sept. 16.  Coastal Carolina travels to Georgia Southern next week.

 

 

 

NOTES

Kevious Johnson cleared the 2,000 yard mark in career rushing with an 18-yard carry in the second quarter.

 

Nick Robinson’s 46-yard field goal in the second quarter was a career-long.

 

Michael Hobbs has scored a touchdown in seven straight games dating back to last year.  Hobbs’ two touchdowns vs. Coastal Carolina equaled his career-high.

 

Johnson’s 100-yard rushing game was the seventh of his career.  It was Hobbs’ third career 100-yard game.  The Terriers had two rushers surpass the 100-yard mark for the first time since Gabe Jackson and Dane Romero did it against Gardner-Webb in the 2005 season finale.

 

Central Connecticut State 17, Georgia Southern 13

STATESBORO, Ga. ? Making his first collegiate start, Chris Covington set a Georgia Southern record for most rushing yards in a season-opener but the Eagles dropped a 17-13 decision to Central Connecticut State Saturday night (Sept. 9). An announced crowd 20,178 at Paulson Stadium took part in the somber pre-game and halftime ceremonies which surrounded the Eagles’ opener.

 

The flags were flying at half-staff during the game in memory of former coach Erk Russell, who passed away Friday morning. Instead of all six National Championship flags flying, Georgia Southern flew just the 1985, 1986 and 1989 flags - titles Erk won as the head coach. Georgia Southern also paid tribute to wide receiver Teddy Craft. The senior-to-be wide receiver died last July following a motorcycle accident.

 

Covington rushed for 216 yards on 29 carries, the highest yardage total since Adrian Peterson (4) and Greg Hill (1) equaled or surpassed that mark during the 1999 season. Covington matched the 14th-highest single game total in GS history. The previous season-opening record was set last year by Jermaine Austin (199 at Northeastern).

 

After Georgia Southern picked up two first downs on its opening drive, Travis Clark was hit and fumbled. CCSU got down to the Eagles’ 24 yard line before Covington made the stop.

 

The Eagles held on 1st-and-goal, forcing CCSU to a 25-yard field goal by Ryan Heeney for the game’s first points.

 

Chris Stimmel intercepted Clark’s third down pass on the ensuing drive, taking over on the Eagles’ 31. The Blue Devils attempted a fake field goal on 4th-and-2 from the 30, however Charrod Taylor sniffed out the run and recorded a 6-yard loss and GS took over on downs.

 

Jonathan Dudley missed his 27-yard field goal attempt to tie the game. From there CCSU went on the move. Aubrey Norris capped a 5-play, 80-yard drive, scoring from 25 yards out.

 

Georgia Southern found the endzone midway through the second. Covington had two rushes of 16 and 14 yards before Clark hit Michael McIntosh in traffic in front of the goal line. Covington, who went over 100 yards rushing on that drive, flew over the top for his first collegiate touchdown. Dudley’s extra point cut the deficit to three with seven minutes left in the second quarter.

 

Right before halftime the defense held again and forced a punt, however, holding penalties on consecutive plays moved Georgia Southern back to its own 36. Covington rushed for 23 yards on two carries, eventually getting the Eagles to their own 49 with five seconds left. Clark unloaded a rocket which Darius Smiley hauled in the right corner of the endzone as time expired. Despite the missed PAT, the Eagles went into the locker room with a 13-10 lead.

 

Covington rushed for 137 yards in the first half, 109 more than his previous career-high set against Morehead State last year in the regular season finale.

 

To start the second half, Norris hit a wide open Jermaine Roberts on a 54-yard touchdown pass to regain a 17-13 lead. That proved to be the final margin.

 

Central Connecticut threatened in the fourth. Heeney lined up for a 21-yard field goal but Larry Beard broke through the line and blocked the attempt. However, Georgia Southern, which twice got inside the Blue Devils’ 40, could not muster anything on two drives. The Eagles got one first down on their final drive but eventually turned the ball over on downs with 56 seconds left.

 

“The bottom line in competition, you put yourself out there, you put yourself on the line. You take risks. You learn about it and move on,” said head coach Brian VanGorder. “We’ve got to cut down on penalties. Ball security is something I preach all the time and we have to catch the ball.”

 

Clark finished 12-of-24 for 106 yards and one interception to go with the touchdown. Redshirt-freshman Harland Bower led the defense with 10 tackles while Tastise Hairston netted 106 rushing yards on 18 carries. Norris completed 3-of-7 passes for 76 yards. Stimmel recorded a game-high 12 tackles.

 

The Eagles host Coastal Carolina next Saturday (Sept. 16) at Paulson Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. with a live television broadcast on Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast.

 

 

Charleston Southern 38, The Citadel 35 (2OT)

Charleston, S.C. ? Nick Ellis kicked a 26-yard field goal in the second overtime to lead Charleston

Southern to a 38-35 victory over cross-town rival The Citadel at Johnson Hagood Stadium on Saturday

night.

 

The Bulldogs rallied from a 28-13 fourth quarter deficit to tie the contest at 28 with 1:26 left in

regulation. After both teams scored touchdowns in the first overtime, Blake Vandiver missed a 39-yard field goal in The Citadel’s possession in second overtime. After Charleston Southern (2-0) quarterback

 

Collin Drafts hit Maurice Price for an 18-yard gain to the Bulldog 12 and tailback Kenny Harper rushed for three more to the nine, Ellis split the uprights with the first field goal of the day for either team.

 

In the first overtime, The Citadel (0-2) won the toss and elected to play defense first. On the first play of overtime, Drafts delivered a touchdown pass to Price from 25 yards out. The touchdown pass was the fifth of the game for Drafts, and the second time he found Price.

 

During The Citadel’s half of overtime, running back Nuru Goodrum found pay dirt from one yard out and Vandiver’s extra point tied the score at 35. Goodrum ran six times for 16 yards in the eight-play drive.

 

The Bulldogs began their comeback in the fourth quarter with 7:18 remaining as Tory Cooper took the handoff and scampered 10 yards into the end zone for his second touchdown of the night, capping a 12- play, 72-yard drive. Quarterback Duran Lawson then took the snap and ran up the middle on a draw play to convert the two-point conversion and bring the Bulldogs within seven.

 

The Bulldogs defense delivered a critical three-and-out defensive stop and forced the Buccaneers to punt with 3:50 remaining in the game. On the following drive, the Bulldogs scored on a masterful play by Lawson. With 2:24 left, Lawson dropped back to pass on 3rd-and-11, evaded a defender to evade the sack and stepped up and delivered a strike to wide receiver Andre Roberts for a 31-yard touchdown.

 

The scoring play was Roberts’ first career touchdown, coming in his first career game in front of the home crowd at Johnson-Hagood stadium. The play was also the first touchdown pass of the season for Lawson. Vandiver’s extra-point tied the score at 28.

 

The Bulldogs had a chance to end it in regulation after wide receiver Ta’Mar Jernigan blocked Hart Pearson’s punt with 40 seconds left after a Buccaneer three-and-out. After advancing the ball to the Charleston Southern 22, Vandiver’s 39-yard field goal attempt was blocked by defensive lineman Phil Jordan with no time left on the clock to send the contest to overtime.

Charleston Southern got on the board first with 29.3 seconds remaining in the first quarter as Drafts hit Price from 16 yards out to cap off a 14 play, 77-yard drive that took six and a half minutes. The Buccaneers scored again with 3:55 left in the first half to make the score 14-0. Drafts connected with wide receiver Drew Rucks on a 44-yard scoring play. For the first time in series history, Charleston Southern held the lead as the teams headed to the locker rooms for halftime.

 

With 9:17 left in the 3rd quarter, running back Tory Cooper got the Bulldogs on the board as he took a pitch from Lawson on the option and raced down the right side for an 18-yard run. The touchdown was the first of his career and the first of the year for Bulldogs, as they were kept from the end zone at Texas A&M.

 

But the Bulldogs’ fortunes quickly turned as with 5:40 left, Cooper muffed a punt and Charleston

Southern recovered the ball at The Citadel 31. On the ensuing play, Drafts hit wide receiver Markus Murray for a 31-yard score to make it a 21-7 Buccaneer lead.

 

The Bulldogs drew closer with 11.2 seconds remaining in the third quarter as Goodrum raced

seven yards for the score, his first touchdown of the year, to cap a 12- play, 78-yard scoring drive.

 

However, Vandiver missed the extra point and the score remained 21-13 in favor of Charleston Southern.

 

Drafts connected with tight end Kelby Taylor in the back of the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown pass with 11:28 remaining in the game before the Bulldogs began their comeback.

 

The Citadel has a bye week before going on the road to take on the Pittsburgh Panthers on Sept. 23. The Citadel will not play at Johnson Hagood Stadium again until Sept. 30 when they play host to Chattanooga.