November 3, 2007 SoCon Football Recaps
GEORGIA SOUTHERN 38, WOFFORD 35
SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? Wofford College was defeated 38-35 by Georgia Southern on Saturday afternoon at Gibbs Stadium. A record crowd of 12,124 was on hand for Wofford Homecoming. Georgia Southern kicker Jesse Hartley made a 44-yard field goal with 8:58 remaining in the game to give the Eagles a 38-35 lead.
Wofford is now 7-3 on the season and are 4-2 in conference play. Georgia Southern is 7-2 overall and are 4-2 in the Southern Conference. Wofford was led by Kevious Johnson with 137 yards on 18 carries with one touchdown. Josh Collier completed three-of-ten passes for 100 yards. Tripp Smith led Wofford receivers with one catch for 59 yards. Georgia Southern quarterback Jayson Foster had 279 rushing yards on 28 carries and had three touchdowns.
“We fought hard but made a couple of mistakes and you can’t make mistakes against a good team,” said head coach Mike Ayers. “We did not get it done on the last fourth-down attempt. The kids battled and kept competing the whole way. We are down in some personnel due to injuries, which is frustrating but we have to go on and get ready for the next one. Georgia Southern has done a great job this season. This is the best the league has been, top to bottom. We have one more game to go and still have a chance, but it is going to be tough.”
On the second play of the game, Georgia Southern quarterback Jayson Foster went 82 yards for touchdown and an early lead just 24 seconds into the game. Wofford responded with a 71-yard drive, highlighted by a 59-yard reception by Tripp Smith from Dane Romero. Michael Hobbs went in from three-yards out to tie the game at 13:38 in the first quarter.
The Terrier defense forced the Eagles to punt on their next possession. Back on offense, Wofford was able to take the lead when Justice Joslin scored on a 19-yard run at 6:07 in the first quarter. Jayson Foster continued to impress, going 72 yards for a touchdown at 5:17.
Wofford gained three first downs on their ensuing drive, but were forced to punt. Early in the second quarter, Georgia Southern put together an 86-yard drive that was capped by a three-yard touchdown run by Foster, his third of the day.
The Terriers were driving, but a fumble was recovered by Chris Rodgers to give the ball to the Eagles. After a gain of one first down, Georgia Southern was forced to punt. Wofford was forced three-and-out on the next drive and defensive back Ronald Flott punted in place of an injured Chris Tommie.
With the Eagles back on offense, a ten-play drive was capped by a one yard rushing touchdown by Mike Hamilton with 3:06 remaining in the second quarter. Wofford was forced to punt on the next drive, and Georgia Southern went into the half with a 28-14 lead.
To open the second half, Josh Collier found Jeremy Marshall open for a 44-yard touchdown reception at 13:46 to cut the Georgia Southern lead to 28-21. The Eagles turned the ball over on downs after an incomplete pass on fourth-and-two. However the Georgia Southern defense was able to force a three-and-out by the Terriers.
With the Terriers’ defense coming up with a big three-and-out, the offense responded with a 47-yard reception by Fenn Allen to the ten-yard line. Three plays later, Kevious Johnson scored on a two-yard run at 3:21 in the third quarter to tie the game at 28-28.
After another three-and-out forced by the Terrier defense, Jeremy Marshall was intercepted by Chris Covington to return the ball to the Eagles. Following the turnover, Georgia Southern drove 38 yards in seven plays and scored with a one-yard run by Mike Hamilton at 14:14 in the fourth quarter.
Back on offense, Andy Strickland took the ball 39-yards on a reverse up the sidelines for a touchdown at 10:52 in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 35-35. With a 45-yard kickoff return, Georgia Southern was able to regain the lead at 38-35 when Jesse Hartley kicked a 44-yard field goal at 8:58 in the fourth quarter.
Wofford picked up a key fourth-and-six with a run by Kevious Johnson. Dane Romero added two more first down runs to get inside the Eagles 20-yard line. On fourth-and-two at the 15-yard line, the Terriers turned the ball over on downs.
Georgia Southern picked up three key first downs, including one with 1:22 remaining in the game to run out the clock for the 38-35 victory.
FURMAN 52, ELON 49
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Jerome Felton ran for a career high 154 yards and four touchdowns to lift Furman to a 52-49 Southern Conference homecoming win over 14th-ranked Elon Saturday afternoon at Paladin Stadium.
Felton, a senior fullback from Madisonville, Tenn., playing in the final home game of his career, scored on runs of 10, 7, and 1 yards before finishing off his performance with a career long 60-yard touchdown bolt to give the Paladins a 52-42 lead with 4:16 remaining in the contest.
Elon, behind freshman quarterback Scott Riddle’s Southern Conference record 534-yard passing performance, made it 52-49 with a 14-yard touchdown strike from Riddle to Terrell Hudgins with 2:02 left in the game, but Furman’s Ryan McKie recovered the onside kick, and the Paladins ran out the clock.
Riddle completed 38-of-52 passes and threw three touchdowns while also rushing for three scores. He was picked off three times and suffered four sacks. His 534 yards topped the previous SoCon career mark of 532 yards set by Chattanooga’s Chris Sanders in a 40-35 loss to Furman in 1999.
“It was good to get the win and send these seniors out with a victory in their final home game,” said Furman head coach Bobby Lamb. “We made some plays in the first half and got up 24-7, but even then we knew it was far from over. Elon has a great offense, but we figured out a way to make just enough plays to win it.”
“The disappointing thing is we got off to a bad start and turned the ball over three times,” said Elon head coach Pete Lembo. “If you want win games in November, you’ve got to play your best football. If you turn it over, you won’t win any games in this conference.”
The victory was Furman’s eighth straight over Elon and 10th in the 11-game series. The 101 combined points marked the highest scoring game in Paladin Stadium history, eclipsing the 96 points Furman and The Citadel tallied in 1994.
Felton’s four touchdowns gave him 65 for his career and moved him into second place on the Southern Conference career scoring ledger with 402 points.
Terrell Hudgins tied a career high with 16 receptions for 207 yards and two scores.
Furman’s William Middleton set up the game’s first score with a 27-yard interception return to the Elon 14. Two plays later Felton scored on a 10-yard run to stake the Paladins to a 7-0 lead.
After both teams traded field goals, Felton capped a 9-play, 70-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown run to stretch Furman’s lead to 17-7. Renaldo Gray wrapped up a strong first half with a 1-yard scoring plunge with 47 seconds to go in the half to give the Paladins a 24-7 advantage.
The Phoenix got back in the game with a pair of third quarter scores, including a Riddle 1-yard run and 5-yard scoring toss to Terrell Hudgins, to make it 24-21.
Furman, however, answered with the help of a 68-yard kickoff return by Mike Brown that set up a 13-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Renaldo Gray to tight end Larry Hedden, and a 1-yard plunge by Felton with 2:22 remaining in the third quarter for a 38-21 advantage.
Elon clawed back and made it 45-42 following a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs by Riddle and a 44-yard scoring toss to Bo Williamson, but Furman got the game’s decisive points from Felton, who took a handoff off left guard and outran the Phonenix defense for a 60-yard burst to stake the Paladins to a 52-42 lead with 4:16 to go.
APPALACHIAN STATE 45, THE CITADEL 24
CHARLESTON, S.C. ? A season-high 19,697 fans packed Johnson Hagood Stadium for The Citadel’s 55th Homecoming celebration, but Appalachian State quarterback Armanti Edwards stole the show as he rushed for 291 yards on 21 carries and two touchdowns as the Mountaineers defeated the Bulldogs 45-24 in a Southern Conference match-up on Saturday afternoon.
Edwards ended his extraordinary day with 439 total yards of offense and four total touchdowns as he also went 10-20 for 148 yards and two scores through the air. Running back Kevin Richardson added 68 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown for Appalachian State. The Mountaineers ended the day with 439 yards on the ground. In his first career start, freshman quarterback Bart Blanchard rushed for 64 yards on 22 carries and a touchdown for The Citadel. He also went 20-36 for 197 yards and a score through the air. Sophomore wide receiver Andre Roberts caught nine passes for 95 yards and a touchdown for the Bulldogs, and senior running back Tory Cooper carried 16 times for 69 yards.
The Mountaineers quickly jumped out to a 3-0 lead after Julian Rauch kicked a 39-yard field goal to cap a 58- yard opening drive. Appalachian State then held the Bulldog offense to a three and out and Edwards scrambled 80 yards for a touchdown on the first play of their second offensive possession. Rauch added the extra-point to make it 10-0 Mountaineers with 9:53 left in the first quarter. The Citadel forced the first turnover of the game as wide receiver CoCo Hillary took a direct snap and was stripped by senior linebacker Andrew Rowell.
Safety Dwight House recovered the fumble and the Bulldogs took over at the Appalachian State 30-yard line. The Cadets scored on the very next play as Blanchard found Roberts for a touchdown. Senior Mike Adams hit the extra-point to make it a 10-7 game with 2:52 remaining in the opening period. Appalachian State dominated the rest of the first half, however, as it scored three unanswered touchdowns.
Linebacker D.J. Smith intercepted a Blanchard pass on the second play of the second quarter and returned it 23 yards for an Appalachian State touchdown. Rauch knocked the extra-point through to give the Mountaineers a 17-7 advantage. The Mountaineers capped a five-play, 72-yard drive on their next offensive possession with a six-yard touchdown pass from Edwards to wide receiver Josh Johnson. Rauch added the point after for a 24-7 lead.
Appalachian State’s offense again struck quickly on their next offensive possession as Edwards found wide receiver Dexter Jackson down the sideline on the first play from 45 yards out for his second touchdown pass of the game. Rauch’s extra-point gave Appalachian State a commanding 31-7 lead with 8:07 remaining in the first half.
The Bulldogs chipped away at the lead beginning with an 11-play, 80-yard drive on their next offensive possession. Led by the passing and rushing of Blanchard, the Cadets advanced to the one-yard line of the Mountaineers. Defensive tackle Terrence Reese then came in for a rare appearance on the offensive side of the ball and plowed his way into the end zone for his first career rushing touchdown. Adams nailed the point after to cut the Mountaineer lead to 31-14, which was the score as the game went to halftime.
The Citadel cut into the lead further on the first possession of the second half as they drove 63 yards in 14 plays, capped off by a 24-yard field goal by Adams to make it a two-score game at 31-17. The Cadets got even closer with 24 seconds remaining in the third quarter. After the Bulldogs converted on a third-and-19 play from the Appalachian State 49-yard line on a 20-yard pass from Blanchard to senior wide receiver Ta’Mar Jernigan, Blanchard finished the drive with a nine-yard touchdown run. Adams added the extra-point to cut the Appalachian State advantage to 31-24.
The Mountaineers put the game away, however, with two fourth quarter touchdowns. After a 43-yard run by Richardson put Appalachian State at the Bulldog eight-yard line, Richardson ran it into the end zone two plays later from one yard out. Rauch hit the extra-point to put the Mountaineers back up by 14 at 38-24.
After their defense held the Bulldog offense, Appalachian State got the ball back and added to their lead with a 10-play, 70-yard drive. Edwards capped it off with another long touchdown run, this time racing in from 25 yards out. Rauch put the point after through to give the Mountaineers their final margin of victory at 45-24.
WESTERN KENTUCKY 28, CHATTANOOGA 21
CHATTANOOGA, TENN. ? Western Kentucky tailback Tyrell Hayden rushed for a career-high 149 yards, and quarterback David Wolke threw for a career-best 213 yards and two touchdowns as the Hilltoppers held on for a 28-21 victory over Chattanooga in a non-conference football game at Finley Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
With the score tied at 21-21 with 2:41 remaining in regulation, Hayden ran for 51 yards on four consecutive plays to put the Hilltoppers in scoring position at the 12-yard line. From there, reserve running back Marell Booker capped off the six-play, 75-yard drive when he busted a touchdown run off left tackle with 53 seconds remaining for what proved to be the game-winning score.
“Our defense played well until last drive,” UTC Head Coach Rodney Allison said. They ran the ball 75 yards for a touchdown. That should never happen. You have to make them throw the ball to beat you.”
Ironically, the Hilltoppers edged the Mocs (2-7) by the same score last season in Bowling Green, Ky.
Chattanooga’s final drive to try to tie or go ahead began at the Mocs’ own 16-yard line with 47 seconds to play. Quarterback Antonio Miller directed the offense down to the WKU 29-yard line with eight seconds left. The first pass attempt fell out of receiver Clint Woods’ hands at the goal line. The final pass to the left corner was incomplete, ending the comeback attempt.
“We didn’t make the plays when it counted; they did,” Allison said. “We let that one get away. We’ve been in a lot of games. For some reason, at the end, they are not going our way. We tried to control it from a time standpoint. We lost a close game to a pretty good team. They were big and looked like a I-A team, like they should. We played a pretty solid game. We played hard to the very end. That has never been a problem with this team.”
Western Kentucky (6-3) got on the scoreboard first when Wolke connected with wideout Jake Gaebler for a 51-yard touchdown strike with 9:43 to play in the first quarter, putting the Hilltoppers up 7-0. That lead would hold up until the 12:43 mark of the second quarter when Miller polished off an 82-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run, tying the score at 7-7.
Miller completed 16-of-28 passes for 163 yards with two interceptions. He also ran five times for 16 yards.
Capitalizing off of a career long 57-yard run by sophomore running back Erroll Wynn, the Mocs utilized junior tailback Bryan Fitzgerald on back-to-back runs, with the second culminating in a five-yard touchdown run to give UTC a 14-7 lead with 2:44 left in the first half.
Wynn tied his career high with 131 yards on the ground on 19 carries. Fitzgerald finished with 81 yards on 17 runs, and the Mocs’ rushing total of 238 yards was the team’s second-highest total of the year. It was also the second straight game the offense has surpassed 400 yards of offense with 401.
The Hilltoppers weren’t quite done in the half, however, as they engineered a nine-play, 63-yard drive that culminated with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Wolke to wide receiver Jessie Quinn to tie the score at 14-14 heading into halftime.
The two teams went scoreless for most of the third quarter until true freshman defensive back Buster Skrine picked off a Wolke pass and ran it back 45-yards to put the Mocs ahead 21-14 with 46 seconds left in the quarter. The score would stay that way until WKU running back Stephen Willis went 11 yards off left tackle to tie the score at 21-21 with 7:47 to play.
Two unsuccessful Chattanooga drives and one Western Kentucky series that ended abruptly with a second interception by Skrine set up the Hilltoppers’ last minute heroics.
Hayden and Wolke led Western Kentucky with their respective performances and were joined by the receiving duo of Curtis Hamilton and Gaebler with five catches each and 95 and 90 yards, respectively. Gaebler and Quinn’s touchdown grabs were the only receiving scores for the Hilltoppers on the afternoon.
Linebacker Andre Lewis led the WKU defense with nine total tackles and two pass breakups. Bo Smith and Chris Bullard accounted for both Western Kentucky interceptions.
Woods led all receivers with nine catches for 74 yards and has caught 20 balls in the last two games. UTC’s top pass catcher, Blue Cooper, sat out the game because of an injury.
On the defensive side, safety Chris Camacho and linebacker Aaron Adams led the attack with nine tackles each. Lineman Nick Rivers added a fumble recovery, and linebacker Steven Mills and defensive lineman Neil Brown each recorded a sack.