Southern Conference Football Results from October 13:
WOFFORD 52, GARDNER-WEBB 17
HEAR THE CALL:
Mychael Johnson Interception in the 2nd Quarter
Andy Strickland 40-yard catch in the 3rd quarter
Josh Collier Pass to Kevious Johnson and Touchdown in 3rd Quarter
Layton Baker Blocked Punt Recovery for Touchdown in 3rd Quarter
Michael Combest Interception in 4th Quarter
Brian Whitehurst 10-Yard rushing TD in 4th Quarter
SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? Wofford College broke open a tie game with five second half touchdowns to defeat Gardner-Webb 52-17. Kevious Johnson led the Terriers with two touchdowns, while the defense came away with three interceptions, a fumble recovery and a blocked punt recovered for a touchdown.
Wofford improves to 6-1 on the season and are 3-0 in conference play. Gardner-Webb is 2-4 overall. The Terriers are currently in first place in the conference. Wofford had a 445 to 316 lead in total offense and had the ball for 33:33 in the game, including ten minutes of the first quarter.
“We were not playing bad in the first half, scoring 14 points and running a lot of plays,” said head coach Mike Ayers. “Then Gardner-Webb jumped up early in the third quarter. The defense really stepped up and gave us a short field to work with. The passing game in the second half also enabled us to open things up. The bottom line is this was a tough game.”
The Terriers had the ball first in the game and were able to drive 55 yards in twelve plays to take an early 7-0 lead. Adrian Young scored from four yards out to end the drive. The Wofford defense forced the Runnin’ Bulldogs three-and-out on their first possession of the game.
Back on offense, the Terriers picked up five first downs on a twelve play drive. Kevious Johnson scored on a three-yard run to cap the 75-yard drive.
Gardner-Webb picked up a key fourth-and-one on their ensuing drive, but a tackle for loss by James Gonsoulin and a sack by Mitch Clark forced a punt. Wofford quarterback Josh Collier was intercepted on the next drive by Cedric McGowan, but Mychael Johnson returned the favor for the Terriers with an interception of quarterback Stan Doolittle just two plays later. Wofford was forced three-and-out on their possession.
The Runnin’ Bulldogs picked up one first down before being forced to punt by the Terrier defense. Wofford’s Ben Widmyer was intercepted by Kendrick Best four plays later to return possession to Gardner-Webb.
Gardner-Webb was able to take advantage of the turnover. After a 27-yard reception by Duvaughn Flagler, he scored on a one-yard reception from Doolittle. Wofford was able to drive the ball into Runnin’ Bulldog territory, but the half ended with the Terriers holding a 14-7 lead.
The second half began with the Runnin’ Bulldogs scoring on a 43-yard reception by tight end Hughie Dixon to tie the game at 14-14 just 1:10 into the third quarter. The Terriers struck back quickly as a reception by Andy Strickland gained 40 yards, then Kevious Johnson scored from 16 yards out at 13:04 in the third quarter to take a 21-14 lead.
After a loss of yardage that backed the Runnin’ Bulldogs to their own one-yard line, a third-down quick punt was unsuccessful as Layton Baker was able to block the punt and recover it in the endzone for a touchdown. After the point after by Patrick Mugan, the Terriers had a 28-14 lead less than three minutes into the second half.
On the next drive by Gardner-Webb, Evan Kay scored with a 27-yard field goal. After the Terriers went three-and-out, the Runnin’ Bulldogs were once again able to sustain a drive, but on fourth-and-six were stopped by the Wofford defense.
Back on offense, the Terriers drove 75 yards in thirteen plays for their fifth touchdown of the day as Josh Collier took it to the endzone from one yard out on a quarterback sneak. The Terriers defense continued to impress, as Kevin Adleman stripped the ball and recovered the fumble at the Runnin’ Bulldog 24-yard line. Six plays later, Patrick Mugan tacked on a 27-yard field goal to take a 38-17 lead with 9:23 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Terrier defense stopped another Runnin’ Bulldog drive when Michael Combest tipped a pass and intercepted it, with a 14 yard return to the Gardner-Webb 26-yard line. Wofford converted the turnover into points when Kevious Johnson found Joseph Inman alone in the endzone for an eleven-yard touchdown reception.
On the next drive by Gardner-Webb, Zac Grey intercepted Devin Campbell and returned it to the Runnin’ Bulldog’s 13-yard line. With Travis Boyd at quarterback, Brian Whitehurst ran it in for a ten-yard touchdown and a 52-17 lead at 2:11. Gardner-Webb had the ball when the game ended.
Next weekend the Terriers will host Elon in a Southern Conference game at Gibbs Stadium. The game will begin at 1:30 pm.
THE CITADEL 54, FURMAN 51 (OT)
CHARLESTON, S.C. ? Senior quarterback Duran Lawson set a school record with 486 total yards of offense and senior running back Tory Cooper galloped into the end zone from five yards out in the first overtime to give The Citadel a 54-51 victory in a thrilling Southern Conference game at Johnson Hagood Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Bulldogs (4-2, 2-1 SoCon) came all the way back from a 27-7 deficit in the second quarter to claim their first victory over the Paladins since a 10-9 win at Johnson Hagood Stadium in 2003. It marked the second time in three years that The Citadel and Furman needed overtime to decide the contest, as the Paladins defeated the Bulldogs 39-31 in three overtimes at Johnson Hagood Stadium in 2005.
Ironically, it also was Parents’ Day weekend two years ago when the Bulldogs and Paladins went to overtime. A back-and-forth fourth quarter started with the Bulldogs cutting into Furman’s 41-31 advantage with a 23-yard touchdown run by Cooper. The Citadel was set up in great field position at the Paladin 32-yard line after a 36-yard punt return by sophomore wide receiver Andre Roberts. Senior Mike Adams knocked the extra-point through to make it 41-38 Furman. After Scott Beckler hooked a 35-yard field goal wide left, the Cadets drove 80 yards in nine plays on their next offensive possession to take their first lead of the afternoon.
A 40-yard pass from Lawson to Cooper put The Citadel at the Furman 14-yard line, and four plays later Cooper dove into the endzone for a Bulldog touchdown. Adams’ extra-point gave The Citadel a 45-41 lead. But the Paladins answered quickly as tailback Mike Brown fielded a short Bulldog kickoff on the bounce and eluded tacklers for a 76-yard touchdown return. Beckler hit the extra-point to give Furman the lead right back at 48-45. The Citadel answered with a big kickoff return of their own as freshman tailback Cody Wilson returned the kick 56 yards to the Paladin 24-yard line. The Furman defense was able to hold the Bulldogs, but Adams tied the game at 48 with a 32-yard field goal with 1:19 left in regulation.
Furman had a chance to win the game in regulation as they drove to The Citadel 26-yard line in 10 plays. But Beckler pushed a 44-yard field goal attempt to the right to send the contest into overtime. In overtime, the Paladins had the first crack at putting more points on the scoreboard. The Bulldog defense was able to keep Furman out of the endzone, and Becker made a 36-yard field goal to make it 51-48.
But Cooper and the Cadets would not be denied as he ran into the endzone from five yards out to set off a celebration by Bulldog players and fans as they secured a 54-51 victory. Lawson finished the day 28-37 for a career-high 386 yards and added three touchdowns. Roberts was his favorite target as he caught nine passes for 122 yards and a score. Lawson also ran for 100 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown as he accounted for a Bulldog-record 486 of the Bulldogs’ 641 total yards. Cooper ran 28 times and gained 136 yards and scored three touchdowns. Cooper also added 83 yards receiving on seven catches. Furman finished with 451 total yards of offense.
Quarterback Renaldo Gray went 15-32 for 289 yards and three touchdowns, and he found wide receiver Patrick Sprague early and often. Sprague caught nine passes for 238 yards and three touchdowns. After Roberts grabbed a 62-yard touchdown pass on The Citadel’s first offensive possession, the Paladins responded with four unanswered scores. Tailback Cedrick Gipson scored from three yards out on Furman’s first offensive possession. Sprague caught touchdown passes of 17, 14, and 61 yards to put Furman up 27-7 with 7:51 remaining in the second quarter.
Beckler hit the extra-point off the upright, however, to keep the score at 27-7. The Bulldogs cut the Paladin advantage to 10 before heading into the locker room as Lawson scored on a run from four yards out and Adams hit a 34-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to make it a 27-17 Furman lead heading into halftime. The Citadel pulled to within three on their first offensive possession of the second half as Lawson capped a six-play, 64-yard drive with a pass to senior wide receiver Ta’Mar Jernigan from 15-yards out for a touchdown. Adams nailed the point after to make it 27-24. The Paladins answered with a touchdown of their own as fullback Jerome Felton ended a four- play, 65-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run. Beckler hit the extra-point to make it 34-24 with 8:46 left in the third quarter.
The Bulldogs were driving to cut into the lead again, but linebacker Clifton Dortch stripped Wilson at the Paladin 12-yard line and returned it 87 yards to the Cadet one-yard line. Gray then ran it into the end zone two plays later from six yards out after a false-start penalty. Beckler’s extra-point gave Furman what seemed to be a commanding 41-24 lead with 2:03 remaining in the third quarter.
The Citadel then responded with a 60-yard, five-play drive that ended with a 16-yard pass from Lawson to junior wide receiver Joshua Haney. Adams knocked the point-after through to pull the Bulldogs to within 10 at 41-31 with 1:17 left in the third period and set up an outstanding fourth quarter.
ELON 36, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 33 (2 OT)
ELON, N.C. ? Andrew Wilcox connected on a career-long 49-yard field goal to lift Elon to a 36-33 double overtime triumph over No. 21 Georgia Southern in Southern Conference football action Saturday afternoon at Rhodes Stadium.
The contest featured nine total field goals made, tying an NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision record. Nevada (five) and Northern Arizona (four) combined for nine successful field goals in a game on Oct. 9, 1982. Nevada (five) and Weber State (four) collectively sank nine field goals in a contest on Nov. 6, 1982.
The Eagles (4-2 overall, 1-2 SoCon) were the first to scratch the scoreboard, taking a 7-0 lead on Lamar Lewis’ 54-yard touchdown run with 3:52 to play in the first quarter. The Phoenix (4-2, 2-1) pulled within 7-3 on a 48-yard field goal by Andrew Wilcox ? his new career-long kick prior to his game-winner ? with nine seconds remaining in the opening frame.
Jesse Hartley converted a 49-yard field goal to stretch the Georgia Southern advantage to 10-3 with 11:32 left in the second stanza. Wilcox countered with a 32-yard field to bring the Phoenix within 10-6 with 7:45 to go in the quarter.
Elon claimed its first lead at 13-10 when Bo Williamson reeled in a 40-yard touchdown pass from Scott Riddle with 5:16 left to play in the second period. The Phoenix fattened its advantage to 20-10 when Dontay Taylor scored on a one-yard toss from Riddle with 25 seconds remaining in the first half.
The Eagles drew within 20-13 at halftime after Hartley knocked down a 29-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter. Elon extended its edge to 23-13 on another Wilcox field goal ? a 41-yarder this time around ? with 13:20 left in the third stanza.
Jayson Foster scored on a four-yard scamper to bring Georgia Southern within 23-20 with 8:01 to play in the third period. Hartley’s 22-yard field goal evened the score at 23-23 with 5:16 remaining in the quarter. Mike Hamilton scurried six yards for an Eagle touchdown with 8:56 to go in the contest, giving GSU the lead at 30-23.
Elon knotted the score at 30-30 ? the eventual score at the conclusion of regulation ? with 5:33 left when Riddle connected with Taylor on another one-yard touchdown toss.
In the first overtime period, Hartley made a 41-yard field goal to give the Eagles their final lead at 33-30. Wilcox cashed in a 34-yard field goal to force the decisive second overtime frame.
Entering the contest, Wilcox’s longest field goal of his collegiate career was a 43-yarder against Wofford last season. His 49-yard field goal ranks as the fifth longest in the Phoenix record book.
Elon kicker coach Mitch Rippy (versus Gardner-Webb in 1977), Phil Renn (versus Presbyterian in 1982) and Paul Mullen (versus Presbyterian in both 1985 and 1986) all successfully booted 52-yard field goals to account for the top four spots on the all-time list.
Wilcox’s 48-yard field goal is tied for sixth ? with Rippy (versus Norfolk State in 1976) and William Rawls (versus Western Carolina in 2003) ? in Phoenix history.
Next Saturday, the Phoenix will visit No. 8 Wofford at 1:30 p.m. and the Eagles visit No. 5 Appalachian State at 3:30 p.m.
CHATTANOOGA 39, WESTERN CAROLINA 21
CHATTANOOGA, TENN. --- Chattanooga quarterback Antonio Miller ran for a touchdown, threw a touchdown pass and caught a touchdown pass Saturday to lead the Mocs to a 39-21 Southern Conference victory over Western Carolina.
Miller caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from receiver Blue Cooper and scored on a one-yard run in the first quarter and connected with wideout Clint Woods on a 59-yard pass play in the third quarter to move the Mocs to 2-1 in the SoCon and remain in second place.
“We got things going early tonight,” UTC Head Coach Rodney Allison said. “Our offense was moving the ball and putting points on the board, and our defense was creating pressure on them and causing problems. I credit Western Carolina for coming back in the second half.”
UTC tailback Bryan Fitzgerald rushed for a career-high 174-yards, his second straight 100-yard game, and Cooper completed both his pass attempts for touchdowns.
The Mocs shut out the Catamounts, 1-6, 0-3 SoCon, in the first half, 25-0, marking the first time since October 25, 2003, that a Chattanooga football team has accomplished that feat.
The Mocs, 2-4 overall, took control of the game early as they scored on their first four drives to take a 23-0 lead at the 10:58 mark of the second quarter. Following a 41-yard field goal by kicker Craig Camay, linebacker Joseph Thornton set up the Mocs’ next scoring drive with his first of two interceptions of the night, stepping in front of an Adam Hearns’ pass.
Following a play for loss at the WCU 33-yard line, Cooper took the ball on a trick play and found Miller on a flea-flicker for a 35-yard touchdown pass to go up 10-0 with 6:25 left in the first quarter. That pass attempt was the first of Cooper’s career.
Fitzgerald accounted for 81 of Chattanooga’s 82 yards rushing on its second touchdown drive, going 79 yards off left tackle on the second play from scrimmage down to the Western Carolina 1-yard line. On the next play, Miller went over right tackle for his third rushing touchdown of the year to extend the Mocs’ lead to 16-0 after a failed extra point.
With 10:58 to play in the first half, Cooper struck again as he capped off a 75-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Joseph Pittman on a fake field goal to make the score 23-0. Safety Chris Camacho closed out the first half scoring, forcing a Western Carolina safety at the 6:35 mark to extend to a 25-0 lead. It was the Mocs’ third straight game registering a safety.
The Catamounts got on the board at the start of the second half as safety Angelo Brown recovered a blocked Chattanooga punt and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown, making the score 25-7. Chattanooga wasted little time in regaining its 25-point advantage as Miller connected with receiver Clint Woods twice on the next possession, including a 59-yard catch and run at 10:49 of the third quarter for a 32-7 lead.
WCU answered right back as Hearns connected with wideout Eddie Cohen for a 39-yard touchdown pass with 8:43 remaining in the third quarter. WCU added a four-yard TD run by tailback Willie Harper with 1:00 left in the third to close to within 32-21.
UTC’s defense, who registered six sacks on the day, stopped any comeback hopes the Catamounts had in the fourth quarter. Thornton picked off his second pass of the night at the WCU 43-yard line and returned it 42 yards to the one. Erroll Wynn provided the final margin with a one-yard scoring run at 8:35 in the final period.
Miller completed 9-of-16 passes for 124 yards. Woods led Chattanooga’s receivers with four catches for 90 yards and a touchdown.
Hearns finished with 265 yards passing and one touchdown, connecting on 17-of-40 attempts. Cohen led all receivers with 109 yards on six catches, his third straight game with at least 100 yards receiving.
Camacho, the league’s leading tackler, led the Mocs with 11 hits. Two of linebacker Chris Johnson’s four tackles were quarterback sacks, while the defense kept the Cats to just 12 rushing yards.
Chattanooga will be back in action next Saturday, hosting SoCon foe Furman at Finley Stadium in a special noon kickoff.