No. 18 Elon 22, No. 14 Georgia Southern 20
Final Stats
STATESBORO, Ga. - Raja Andrews tied a Georgia Southern single-game record making nine receptions, but Andrew Wilcox's fifth field goal of the game was the difference as the Eagles dropped their Southern Conference opener to Elon, 22-20 at Paulson Stadium. Georgia Southern fell to 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the league while Elon improved to 3-1 and 1-0.
In the fourth quarter the Eagles drove down into Elon territory but were facing 3rd-and-goal from the nine after a penalty. Antonio Henton scrambled to his left and found Demarcus Watts on the left corner for a touchdown. Adrian Mora's extra point put the Eagles ahead by one.
Elon eventually got the ball back with 4:12 remaining on its own 20. After a pair of first downs, Elon advanced to its own 42. The Eagles nearly came up with an interception down the sidelines on first down. Facing 4th-and-10, Riddle found Terrell Hudgins for 20 yards. Six plays later Wilcox lined up from 34 yards and nailed the kick with six seconds left.
Georgia Southern's desperation pass fell incomplete and Elon won for the second straight time in the series.
"Defensively, most of the night we held them in check. We gave up the fourth down where we gave up the hitch-and-go to get them close to field goal range. However, defensively we played well enough to win," said Georgia Southern head coach Chris Hatcher. "Offensively we couldn't make the plays when we needed to. We had some protection problems - they were giving our tackles fits all night long. We had a good play there to run the clock out but we got beat off the edge. The bad thing about it is, we had the chances to win the game and we didn't do it."
The Eagles held Elon to 3-and-out on its opening drive, just shy of a first down. Henton came out throwing, completing 3-of-5 passes for 37 yards and ran for another five, however, the drive stalled on Elon's 24. Mora connected on a 41-yard field goal, the first kicking attempt of his career in his first collegiate game played.
Elon drove into GS territory but on 3rd-and-short the defense held. Facing 4th-and-2 from the GS 29, J.B. Shippy, Dakota Walker and Brandon Echols stopped A.J. Harris for no gain, giving the Eagles the ball on downs.
On the first play, Henton found Andrews for 54 yards, a career-long reception for the senior wide receiver. Mora would eventually convert a 32-yard field goal for a 6-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
The Phoenix marched down to the Eagles' 11, but Bo Williamson could not haul in a TD pass from Riddle and Elon settled for a 25-yard field goal from Wilcox to make it 6-3 with 4:31 remaining in the first.
Wilcox added a 36-yard FG on the first play of the second quarter to tie the game. On the ensuing kickoff freshman Samair Baker took the kick on his own four, dodged through a couple of tackles, hit the right corner, picked up a key downfield block on the kicker and scored. It was the first time in 47 games an Eagle scored on a kickoff return (Jayson Foster 83 yards vs. Wofford in 2004), and Baker joined elite company becoming the 10th Eagle all-time to score on a kickoff return.
On Elon's next drive, Riddle eluded the blitz and connected with Hudgins on a 52-yard pass, then added a facemask penalty to put the Phoenix down to the seven. The two connected again for a record-setting TD. Riddle became Elon's all-time TD passing leader with his 39th (Burgin Beale threw 38 from 1965-68). Hudgins took sole possession of the SoCon career record with his 29th touchdown reception. He previously was tied with Furman's Chas Fox (1982-85).
Henton and Andrews connected for 52 yards on third down from midfield. The Eagles had 1st-and-goal but the drive stalled. Mora connected on a 22-yard FG but a personal foul gave the Eagles 1st-and-goal from the Phoenix two. Henton found Tim Camp in the endzone but the TD was called back on a holding penalty. The Eagles were pushed back to attempt a 40-yard field goal that fell short.
"We had the ball on the two after the penalty. I thought we could get it in from the two. We had a great call on first down and missed a block on the edge. Then we took a sack - we preach it every day in practice not to take a sack there - and kept going backwards and backwards. But it shouldn't have come to that. I don't second-guess that decision," said Hatcher.
Wilcox nailed a 33-yard FG with 1:10 left in the half to give Elon its first lead at 16-13. Elon out-gained GS 308-183 in the first half and held the ball for more than 7:30 longer (18:48-11:12).
Following a scoreless third quarter, Carson Hill nailed Riddle for no gain on 3rd-and-1 from the Eagles' six. Wilcox's 22-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter made it 19-13.
By the end of the third quarter Andrews had already set his career-highs, nine receptions for 143 yards. He missed most of the fourth quarter with an injury. Those 143 yards were the fifth-most in program history, surpassing his previous high by 20 yards which was set last week.
Henton completed 20-of-40 passes for 232 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 46 yards on 15 carries. His yardage is the 10th-highest total in program history, also making it two straight weeks the sophomore QB has thrown for at least 200 yards.
Baker registered a team-high 55 rushing yards to go with his 151 on four kickoff returns.
Quentin Taylor recorded 12 tackles and Terrione Benefield added a career-high 11 stops. Junior Ronnie Wiggins came up with two key interceptions, the first of his career. In fact, those two picks were the first by Georgia Southern this season.
Hudgins' record-setting night included 13 catches for 199 yards and a TD. The junior wide receiver now holds the SoCon career marks in receptions (226) and touchdowns.
Riddle completed 27-of-45 passes for 308 yards and a score to go along with his two interceptions. Brandon Newsome rushed for a game-high 148 yards. Brandon Wiggins made a team-high 10 tackles, including 2.5 for a loss.
Elon plays host to Samford next week. The Eagles conclude their four-game homestand next Saturday (Sept. 27), playing host to Wofford. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Paulson Stadium and the game will be televised live on CSS.
GAME NOTES: Georgia Southern won the opening coin flip for the first time this year. The Eagles elected to defer. Andrews recorded his career-high reception yardage early in the second half. He also returned three punts for 48 yards... Charlie Edwards averaged 46 yards on six punts, including three inside the 20-yard line. Watts' TD reception was his first collegiate score... Hill recorded another two pass break-ups, adding to his team-lead of eight in four games... Darell Norman saw his first action on defense this year. The redshirt-freshman running back-turned-defensive back made three solo stops... Shippy matched his season-high of six tackles... The Eagles lost their SoCon opener for the fourth straight year.
No. 23 Furman 23, No. 6 Delaware 21
Final Stats
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Matthew Cesari’s 29-yard field goal gave Furman a nine-point fourth quarter lead and proved to be the difference as the 24th-ranked Paladins held off sixth-ranked Delaware, 23-21, in Saturday afternoon football action at Paladin Stadium.
“This is a big win for us,” said Furman head coach Bobby Lamb, whose squad improves to a 3-1 on the season. “In the second half I felt like we were playing against Delaware and to some degree ourselves with the mistakes we made, but the impressive aspect, as far I’m concerned, was the total team effort our guys gave. A lot of guys stepped up and made plays. That’s what it took to win this game. That’s excited as I’ve seen our guys in the locker room in a long time.”
“We were underachievers today,” said Delaware head coach K.C. Keeler, whose team committed five turnovers for the first time since a 35-7 loss to Massachusetts in 2005. “Furman is a good football team, but they are not as good as we are. We will live with this loss, but we have to move on. We just made so many mistakes. We are embarrassed and its on me and on every player. I’m as upset with this loss as any game I’ve coached here. We made mistakes today we just can’t make and haven’t made before.“
Furman, which committed three turnovers of its own, never trailed in the contest but could not completely secure the decision until the game’s final two minutes.
Trailing 20-7 at halftime, Delaware sliced Furman’s lead to 20-14 with a Johnathon Smith 2-yard touchdown run with four minutes to go on in the third quarter.
Furman answered by moving from its own 24 to the Delaware 7, but a penalty on a first and goal play pushed the Paladins back to the 12. After three plays failed to net a yard, Cesari delivered his 29-yard field goal with 13:59 remaining to give Furman a 23-14 advantage.
From that point both teams suffered key turnovers, including three in consecutive plays.
Following punts by both teams, Delaware used a 38-yard pass from quarterback Robby Schoenhoft to Mark Duncan to advance to the Furman 21. Two plays later Paladin cornerback Ryan Steed intercepted a Schoenhoft pass and returned it 33 yards before fumbling it away into Schoenhoft’s arms at the Furman 48.
On the next play Furman’s Max Lerner stepped in front of Schoenhoft pass at the Delaware 37. A face mask penalty on the Blue Hens gave the Paladins the ball at the Delaware 45, but quarterback Jordan Sorrells was then picked off by Anthony Waters.
Following another exchange of punts, Delaware quickly moved 64 yards in seven plays to make it a 23-21 contest on a 14-yard touchdown strike from Schoenhoft to Aaron Love with 2:44 to go.
After Delaware elected to forgo an on-side kick, Furman assumed possession at its own 28. A short first down run on third down by Tersoo Uhaa to the Paladin 37 allowed Furman to run out the clock.
Furman broke a 7-7 deadlock in the first half with a 1-yard touchdown plunge by Uhaa, and less than an minute later tallied again on Thomas Twitty’s 20-yard interception return for a touchdown
The Blue Hens’ missed a 42-yard field goal on their next possession and then suffered their third turnover of the contest when Schoenhoft’s pass into the end zone on a fourth-and-two play from the Furman 7 was picked off by Paladin cornerback William Middleton just before intermission.
Jordan Sorrells paced Furman offensively, completing 17-of-30 passes for 263 yards. Tailback Mike Brown led Paladin rushers with 13 carries for 63 yards and also collected 91 yards receiving on five catches.
Scholenhoft completed 22-of-39 passes for 246 yards a score for Delaware but suffered interceptions. Smith led all rushers with 94 yards on 22 carries, including two touchdown runs.
Delaware forged a 394-346 advantage in total offense.
Brandon Williams topped Furman with 12 tackles with a forced fumble and pass deflection.
Furman opens Southern Conference play next week when it entertains Chattannooga in a 3:35 p.m. game that will be televised by CSS.
Western Carolina 23, Presbyterian 21
Final Stats
Clinton, S.C. - Red-shirt sophomore Marquel Pittman hauled in an acrobatic four-yard scoring strike with just over three minutes showing on the Bailey Memorial Stadium clock Saturday afternoon. But it wasn't until Presbyterian's Cam Miller hooked a 23-yard field goal wide left that the Catamounts were able to celebrate their first road win since late October, 2005, downing the Blue Hose, 23-21.
The victory snapped Western's 14-game road losing skid which dated back to '05 when the Cats defeated Chattanooga. It also was WCU's eighth-straight over Presbyterian dating back to 1970, and its first in Clinton since 1976, snapping PC's six-game home winning streak.
But the big story of the day was the running of red-shirt freshman Quan Warley. The Thomasville, N.C., native rushed for 200 yards on 29 carries to help lead the Catamounts back to the .500 mark on the season at 2-2. He added 17 yards receiving on three catches.
Warley became just the eighth different Catamount to surpass 200 yards rushing in a single-game, eclipsing the century mark for the first time in his collegiate career. His performance was also just the 10th, 200-yard rushing performance in school history and WCU's first since Fred Boateng rushed for 213 against Georgia Southern in 2000.
He is also the third freshman to rush for 200 yards in school history joining Darryl Jackson (vs. Mars Hill, 200 yards, 10/10/87) and Darius Hooks (vs. Wofford, 203 yards 9/14/96)
Western Carolina held a 483-to-313 yard advantage in total offense, amassing 28 first downs to Presbyterian's 14. The Catamounts monopolized possession on the day, tallying just under 40 minutes in time of possession (39:07) with all five scoring drives taking at least eight plays and three encompassing 70 yards or more including a season-best, 97-yard drive that culminated in the end zone.
Sparked by a career-long, 33-yard run by Warley, Western drove 79 yards in 13 plays to light the scoreboard first. Junior Blake Bostic booted his first of three field goals - a 26-yarder to give the Catamounts an early, 3-0, lead.
However, the home-standing Blue Hose answered with a touchdown drive to reclaim the lead, 7-3. Following the score, the Presbyterian bench cleared in a pre-meditated celebration in the end zone drawing one of two penalty flags which set up the Catamounts with great starting field possession after the ensuing kickoff. WCU moved 31 yards into scoring position before the drive stalled and Bostic connected on his second kick, a 32-yard field goal.
Presbyterian (1-3) pushed across its second touchdown of the opening 30 minutes with just 43 seconds showing on the game clock, capping a seven-play, 77-yard drive to lead at intermission, 14-6.
Late in the third quarter, Western cut into the Blue Hose advantage on Bostic's third triple of the game. The Bostic, N.C., native booted a career-long 39 yarder to pull the Catamounts to within five points, 14-9.
Western reclaimed its lead midway through the third quarter on its longest drive of the season. The Catamount offense moved 97 yards in eight plays, including double-digit Warley runs of 16, 11 and 12 yards, and a 29-yard pass from senior quarterback Andy Horn to classmate Donald James. The duo again hooked up to cap the drive with a 16-yard, pass-and-catch into the end zone to push WCU to the lead, 17-14.
Presbyterian moved back in front with a four-yard touchdown strike to lead 21-17 before what proved to be the game-winning drive. Starting at its own 30 yard line after a 19-yard kickoff return by red-shirt sophomore Adam Hearns, Horn marched the Catamounts down the field capitalizing on an 11-yard pass to Hearns and a game-long, 39-yard strike to Pittman.
After moving inside the 10-yard line, Horn again found Pittman on a fourth-and-goal on a lob pass into the right corner of the end zone where the Maxton, N.C., native skied and pulled it in between two PC defenders for the go-ahead score, 23-21.
The Blue Hose managed to drive down the field thanks to a 45-yard romp by S.J. Worrells into field goal range. But then, on a third and 1 from the five-yard line, the PC center felt that the WCU defensive line jumped on a hard cadence, snapping the ball and QB Tim Webb kneeling in accordance. However, no infraction was ruled and it ended up costing the Blue Hose the down, forcing Presbyterian into a field goal attempt. Miller's 23-yard attempt missed wide left with WCU sealing the win as Warley rushed 30 yards on a third down play while trying to run out the clock.
Horn finished 24-of-35 - both career highs - for 241 yards passing and two TDs. He also rushed 11 times for 31 yards, including a career-long, 19-yard scramble in the first quarter. Pittman just missed 100 yards finishing with 94 yards receiving on seven catches, while James also caught seven passes for 52 yards in the win.
After failing to record a turnover through its first four games, the Catamount defense recorded two takeaways against Presbyterian. Red-shirt freshman John Julien single-handedly gave WCU its first turnover as he stripped Presbyterian's Chetyuane Reeder early in the second quarter. Senior Jeff Bradley pounced on a fumble in the PC backfield to create the Catamounts' second takeaway of the season.
Junior Chris Collins led WCU with seven tackles, including one for a three-yard loss, while sophomore Mitchell Bell and freshman Brandon Vaught, who earned the starting nod, each tallied six tackles including five solo stops apiece.
Western Carolina will stay on the road next week as it opens Southern Conference play at The Citadel at Johnson Hagood Stadium. The Catamounts will try and snap a two-year drought in league play, last winning a conference game at Chattanooga in 2005. Kickoff is set for 1:00 pm.
No. 22 The Citadel 37, Princeton 24
Final Stats
Charleston, S.C. ? The Citadel outscored Princeton 30-7 in a second half rally to lead the Bulldogs to a 37-24 victory over Princeton University before a crowd of 13,120 at Sansom Field at Johnson Hagood Stadium. A Mel Capers blocked punt was the turnaround in the game after which The Citadel scored on five consecutive possessions.
The Bulldogs got off to a rough start as the opening possession started off with a Bart Blanchard sack, setting The Citadel back nine yards for second-and-19. Unable to make-up the yardage, Mark Kaspar was brought out and punted a 46-yarder to the Princeton 15. Matt Ransom returned the ball 13 yards to the Princeton 28 to start their first possession of the game. Driving the ball 58 yards, the Tigers connected on a 31-yard field goal with 8:07 on the clock, putting the first points on the board, 3-0.
Princeton started the second quarter with another successful drive. Starting at their own 22-yard line, the Tigers drove the ball 78 yards in 13 plays, taking 6:27 off the clock for a Tiger touchdown at 8:19. Princeton extended the lead, 10-0.
The Citadel got into the game on the next possession when Blanchard connected with All-American wide receiver Andre Roberts for an 11-yard touchdown pass on second-and-seven with 3:14 left in the second. A Sam Keeler extra point kick brought the Bulldogs within three points, 10-3.
However, the Tigers added another touchdown of their own on the next possession. Taking just 2:56 off the clock, Princeton drove the ball 50 yards in 10 plays, ending with a 6-yard touchdown pass with 18 seconds left in the quarter. Princeton led going into the half, 17-7.
The Bulldogs came out attacking in the third quarter. Forcing the Tigers to punt the ball from their own 38-yard line on the first possession of the second half, Mel Capers blocked the kick leading to a Reggie Rice recovery and Bulldog touchdown at 12:45 in the third quarter. The score marked the first time the Bulldogs blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown since Lincoln Kling’s block and recovery in 2007 against Webber International. The Citadel was back within three.
The next Bulldog possession was highlighted by a 35-yard pass from Blanchard to Josh Haney, putting The Citadel in Princeton territory. The Bulldogs took the lead when Blanchard found Taylor Cornett for a 4-yard touchdown pass at 5:13 in the third. The Citadel took the lead for the first time in the game, 21-17.
The Citadel defense forced Princeton to punt on their next possession and followed it with an eight-play, 26 yard drive that ended with a Sam Keeler 29-yard field goal with 46 seconds left in the third quarter.
The Bulldog defense forced another three-and-out on the next Princeton possession. The Citadel received the ball on the Tiger 38-yard line and drove to the Tiger 12 before Keeler kicked a 29-yard field goal to extend the Bulldog lead, 24-17.
Freshman running back Asheton Jordan recorded his third career touchdown on a 5-yard run at 13:11 in the fourth quarter, extending the Bulldog margin to 13 points after a failed extra point by Keeler. Roberts sealed the game with another Citadel touchdown at 5:51 left in the game before Princeton scored one last time on a 13-yard pass with 41 seconds left in the game.
Blanchard finished the game completing 12-of-22 passes with one interception for 151 yards and three touchdowns. Roberts led the Bulldogs’ offensive effort with four catches for 22 yards and two touchdowns. Haney recorded three catches for 55 yards and a game-long of 35 yards. Jordan wrapped up with 72 rushing yards and one touchdown. Reggie Rice led the Bulldog defense with 11 total tackles, one sack for a loss of 11 yards and three quarterback hurries. The Citadel totaled 307 offensive yards and 18 first downs, while Princeton totaled 358 with 21 first downs.
South Carolina 23, No. 12 Wofford 13
Final Stats
COLUMBIA, S.C. ? Wofford College was defeated 23-13 on Saturday night by South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium. In a game similar to the 2006 meeting, the game was tied at 10-10 in the third quarter and Wofford was down just 16-13 until the final minutes of the game.
The Terriers are 2-1 on the season and South Carolina is 2-2. Wofford was led by Dane Romero with 75 yards on the ground and Ben Widmyer with 59 yards and a touchdown. Justice Joslin had 52 receiving yards. South Carolina was led by Brian Maddox with 52 yards rushing and Mike Davis with 51 receiving yards.
“First and foremost I am proud of the kids,” said head coach Mike Ayers. “We played a great group of athletes and a dominant defense. We knew that it would be difficult. But at the same time, we knew that if we played hard and stayed away from penalties and turnovers, that we would have a shot in this ballgame. I could not be more proud of the defense when you look at the youth that we have on defense. I looked out there one play and we had two true freshmen at corner, a true freshman at linebacker, and those guys are getting after it. Coach Ellis Johnson did a great job in mixing things up. I think we did a pretty good job of countering. We played a lot of defense and had our chances. I am proud of our kids and I think we are a better football team coming out of the game than coming in.”
The Gamecocks had the ball first, and on the second play from scrimmage Aaron Scott intercepted Chris Smelley at the 29-yard line. The Terriers were able to hold on to the ball for a 16-play drive that consumed 7:38, but a 37-yard field goal attempt by Patrick Mugan was wide right. On the next drive by the Gamecocks, they picked up five first downs in 18 plays. However South Carolina had to settle for a 22-yard field goal by Ryan Succop at 14:14 in the second quarter.
On the next drive by the Terriers, Fenn Allen and Andy Strickland picked up first downs. Ben Widmyer then went 50-yards on a run up the right side of the field for a touchdown at 10:50 in the second quarter.
South Carolina did not waste time regaining the lead, going 71 yards in six plays with the drive capped by a seven-yard touchdown run by Brian Maddox for a 10-7 lead at 8:10 in the second.
The Terriers went three-and-out on their next drive. South Carolina was driving after two first downs when Mitch Clark hit Chris Smelley, forcing a fumble and recovering the ball. After an official review, the play stood and Wofford took over. The Terriers were forced three-and-out again, giving South Carolina the ball back with under two minutes to play. On the final play of the half, Mike Niam intercepted Smelley and the Gamecocks had a 10-7 lead.
To open the second half, Wofford moved the ball deep into Gamecock territory with a 52-yard completion from Ben Widmyer to Justice Joslin. The drive was capped with a 25-yard field goal by Patrick Mugan to tie the game at 10-10 at 11:03 in the third quarter.
The Gamecocks answered the field goal with a field goal of their own when Succop hit a 38-yard field goal at 5:37 in the third to take a 13-10 lead. Wofford was forced three-and-out on the next possession, but the Terrier defense stood strong and limited the Gamecocks to a 19-yard field goal at 14:56 in the fourth quarter for a 16-10 lead.
Wofford was able to respond with a 14-play drive that was capped by a 36-yard field goal by Patrick Mugan at 7:50 in the fourth quarter to make it a 16-13 game. The Gamecocks were able to go 70 yards in 13 plays, with a 17-yard touchdown from Chris Smelley to Dion LeCorn with just 1:58 in the game to go up 23-13. Wofford had one more chance to drive the field, however picked up just one first down and turned the ball over on downs. South Carolina was able to hold onto the ball for the final seconds to preserve the win.
Wofford out-gained South Carolina on the ground, 185 to 172. South Carolina had 30 first downs to Wofford’s 14. In total yards, South Carolina had a 376 to 285 advantage. Wofford did not commit a turnover in the game, while South Carolina had three.
The Terriers will remain on the road next weekend as they open Southern Conference play at Georgia Southern at 7:00 pm on Saturday, September 27. Wofford returns home on October 11 against Chattanooga following a bye week.
Wofford vs. South Carolina
Post-Game Notes
The 50-yard run in the second quarter by Ben Widmyer was the longest of his career.
Mike Niam intercepted the first pass of his career at the end of the first half.
The Terriers did not have a 100-yard rusher for the first time this season. In addition, the Wofford defense did not allow a 100-yard rusher or 100-yard receiver.
Wofford and South Carolina are scheduled to play again in 2012.
No. 5 James Madison 35, No. 1 Appalachian State 32
Final Stats
HARRISONBURG, Va. - Saturday’s meeting between FCS powerhouses Appalachian State and James Madison lived up to the billing with No. 5 JMU overcoming a 21-point halftime deficit to upend No. 1 Appalachian, 35-32, in a thrilling contest at sold out Bridgeforth Stadium.
The Mountaineers (1-2) built up their 21-0 halftime advantage by winning the field position battle and outgaining the Dukes 223-66 in the half. However, the tide quickly turned after halftime with JMU’s Scotty McGee returning the opening kick of the half 99 yards for the first six of 14-straight points for the Dukes.
Armanti Edwards led ASU with 109 yards rushing and 142 yards through the air with a touchdown pass and a scramble for a late two-point conversion. His counterpart, Rodney Landers, answered with 113 yards on the ground and 96 passing yards for the victorious Dukes. Robert Welton took over for an injured Devon Moore in the ASU backfield and rushed 17 times for 92 yards in the loss.
After McGee’s kickoff return rejuvenated the previously silent hometown crowd, Landers ripped off a 62-yard jaunt to the endzone to make the score 21-14 less than three minutes into the third quarter.
The Apps tried to quell the rally on JMU’s next possession when Leonard Love intercepted a Landers’ pass, giving ASU the ball on the JMU 34-yard line. ASU’s drive stalled out but Jason Vitaris was able to boot a 30-yard field goal through the uprights to make the score 24-14 with 6:09 left in the quarter.
Unfortunately, the three points did little to strip the Dukes of their momentum as a perfect Landers pump fake made for a wide open Griff Yancey up the middle of the field. Landers completed the play for a 35-yard touchdown to cap the two-play strike. JMU took their first lead of the evening to open up the fourth quarter scoring with 4-yard Eugene Holloman carry off left tackle to make the score 28-24 with 10:48 remaining in the contest.
The Apps appeared poised to answer and drove the ball down to the JMU 24-yard line before the JMU defense managed to strip Welton of the ball after a hard-fought 11-yard run. JMU recovered the loose ball on their own 13-yard line and 10 plays later Landers carried the ball in from the 1-yard line put JMU up 35-24 with less than three minutes to play.
ASU kept fighting as Edwards pulled a few more tricks out of his bag, engineering a 49-second drive that ended with a Welton 1-yard carry to the endzone. The Apps elected to go for two and Edwards, unable to find an open receiver, carried the ball across the goaline to put ASU within a field goal at 35-32 with 1:42 left in the contest.
The Mountaineers had two chances to recover the onside kick as JMU was whistled for an offsides infraction on the first attempt. However, the Dukes managed to recover the second attempt and a Landers quick kick on fourth down ran out the clock and ASU’s comeback hopes.
ASU scored first on a 6-yard run from Devon Moore that was set up by a Mark LeGree interception. In the second quarter, Edwards found Josh Johnson on the endline for an 11-yard strike. Welton added ASU’s third first-half touchdown with a 2-yard score with 31 seconds left in the half.
The Mountaineers will return home next weekend to host Presbyterian in a night game at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Kickoff at The Rock is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Jacksonville State 31, Chattanooga 3
Final Stats
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. ? In its first game of the season against a Football Championship Series opponent, the Mocs fell to Jacksonville State 31-3 Saturday night at Finley Stadium. With the loss, Chattanooga now sits at 1-3 on the 2008 campaign.
On a night where offense was hard to come by for the Mocs, quarterback Jare Gault completed 10 of 18 passes for 64 yards, while gaining 28 yards on the ground. Erroll Wynn was the Mocs leading rusher with 48 yards on nine carries. Wideout Clint Woods paced the Mocs receivers with nine catches for 72 yards.
Leading the way for Jacksonville State was LSU transfer Ryan Perrilloux. The junior threw for 122 yards and a touchdown, and also ran for 31 yards and another score. The Gamecocks featured a two-headed running back tandem in Tremayne Coger and Daniel Jackson, as both backs combined for 234 yards and one touchdown.
The Gamecocks broke the scoreless tie in the middle of the first quarter thanks to a 35-yard field goal from Gavin Hallford. Just over six minutes later, JSU would strike again, this time on a 35-yard run from Perrilloux to put the Gamecocks up 10-0.
In the second quarter, Jacksonville State continued to pour the offense on thanks to Perrilloux. The Gamecock quarterback would account for another score, seven minutes in, on a 17-yard pass to Maurice Dupree as JSU went into halftime with a 24-0 lead.
Chattanooga struggled to find consistency on offense in the first half as the Mocs were held to 72 yards total. Mocs quarterback Tony Pastore was held in check during the first half as the UTC signal caller was 3-8 for eight yards. Pastore also accounted for three interceptions in the first half as the Mocs’ passing game was held to only 29 yards in the air.
In the second half, the Mocs were able to get on the scoreboard thanks to a third quarter 43-yard field goal from Craig Camay to make the score 24-3. The Mocs defense was able to slow down the potent Gamecock attack in the second half as well, holding Jacksonville State to 173 yards of total offense.
Defensive end Neil Brown led the defense with nine tackles, eight solo and one for loss. LB Jarvis Newson added seven tackle with two coming for loss.
Next up for the Mocs will be its Southern Conference opener against Furman on Saturday, Sept. 27. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Paladin Stadium in Greenville, S.C.