Furman 38, Chattanooga 20
Final Stats
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. ? Furman topped Chattanooga 38-20 in the Southern Conference season in front of 11,201 at Finley Stadium Saturday evening. The Mocs couldn’t overcome a couple of key turnovers along with a bad snap in the kicking game.
Senior wideout Blue Cooper was the standout for the Mocs with a career-high 13 catches for 109 yards. He opens the season with back-to-back 100-yard reception games.
Furman was led by running back Tersoo Uhaa. Uhaa rushed for two touchdowns and 87 yards on 17 carries.
The Paladins had their way of things offensively in the first half, but the Mocs defense tightened the ship in the second. Chattanooga allowed just 112 total yards in the second half after Furman ran and passed its way down the field in the first. In fact, Paladins quarterback Jordan Sorrells threw for 120 yards on eight of 10 passing in the first half, but completed just three of nine after the break for 19 yards.
The Mocs opened the game on a high note recovering an on-side kick, getting the ball at its own 39. On the first play, sophomore B.J. Coleman was hit as he threw and his pass was intercepted by Max Lerner who returned it 43 yards for the score.
On the second drive of the game, the Mocs methodically moved the ball down the field before a fumble on a Bryan Fitzgerald run gave the Paladins the ball on their own 30. Furman then marched 70 yards in eight plays scoring on a Chris Truss catch from Sorrells from two yards out to make it 14-0.
The Mocs struck gold on their third drive with a 52-yard catch-and-run by Chris Awuah. Coleman hit him on the left side on third down and he scampered down the sideline to make it 14-7 to complete the 81-yard, six-play drive (3:07).
Furman answered quickly starting the drive on its own 42. Four plays in, Uhaa ran off tackle left for 34 yards to make it 21-7.
Chattanooga continued to move the ball as well with a six-minute, 18-second drive ending with a 35-yard field by senior Craig Camay. The Mocs went 56 yards in 16 plays before the drive stalled. Fitzgerald and Awuah combined for 40 all-purpose yards on the drive.
The final drive of the half belonged to Furman and after moving the ball to the Mocs’ one-foot line, the Paladins’ Uhaa was stuffed twice at the line of scrimmage, but with four seconds remaining, Uhaa got one more chance and scored as time expired to put Furman up 28-10 at the half.
Chattanooga struck first in the second half. After a 24-yard Brian Sutherland kick return, the Mocs went 44 yards in 10 plays ending in a 42-yard field goal by Craig Camay to cut the lead to 28-13.
On the ensuing drive, from the Furman 37, Sorrells lofted a pass across the middle that was intercepted by Jordan Tippit at his own 37 and returned 21 yards setting up the Mocs at the Paladin 42-yard line.
After a three-and-out, the Mocs snap flew over the head of punter Mike Hammons with Furman’s Ryan Steed recovering in the end zone. For the third time in three quarters, the Paladins scored a touchdown to end a period.
The Mocs capped off the scoring in the game with a two play 33-yard drive in 38 seconds that was setup by a failed fourth-down attempt by Chattanooga on its own five-yard line followed by a three-and-out defensive stand.
Coleman found Chris Pitchford for 19 yards to the 14 which was followed by a pass interference penalty on the Paladins. Coleman found Cooper in the back of the end zone for a two-yard touchdown.
Strong safety J.D. Dothard led the Mocs defense with nine tackles, along with one for a loss. Middle linebacker Steven Smigelsky added eight tackles, while outside backer Joe Thornton had seven to go with a 10-yard reception on a fake punt receiving the pass from Hammons.
Bryan Fitzgerald returned to the lineup from injury to record 69 yards on 23 carries. Awuah, a true freshman, added 34 yards on eight totes along with three receptions for 59 yards and his touchdown.
The Paladins defense was led by Kadarron Anderson’s game-high 14 stops. Jordan Griffin added 12 stops of his own.
Chattanooga travels to Presbyterian in Clinton, S.C., next Saturday for a 1:30 p.m. start, while the Paladins will travel to Missouri (3 p.m.).
No. 10 Elon 41, Presbyterian 7
Final Stats
CLINTON, S.C. -- Scott Riddle set Southern Conference records by passing for 300 or more yards for the 13th time in his career and throwing touchdown passes 60, 61, 62 and 63 for his career as the Elon Phoenix (2-0) romped over the host Presbyterian Blue Hose (0-2) by a 41-7 margin on Saturday afternoon from Bailey Memorial Stadium.
Jamal Shuman rushed for a career-best 190 yards on 26 carries while Sean Jeffcoat posted a career-high 103 receiving yards on four catches for the Phoenix who out-gained the Blue Hose 614-91 in total offensive yards.
The Elon defense finished with three sacks, pushing its season total to nine, and six tackles for a loss.
"Our defense got off to a great start today, really dominated the first half," said Elon head coach Pete Lembo. "And then our offense came alive in the third quarter. For the second week in a row, we got a lot of guys meaningful playing time in the fourth quarter."
Elon took the opening kickoff and quickly marched down the field and into the red zone at the Presbyterian six before Riddle was sacked and fumbled the ball on a second-and-goal play. PC recovered, but was forced to punt after a three-and-out.
After another punt by the Blue Hose, the Phoenix took over at the PC 44 yard line. Elon struck quickly as Riddle found Jeffcoat deep for the score. Adam Shreiner added the extra point and the Phoenix moved on top 7-0 with 4:18 to play in the first quarter.
Elon began the second period with a third down at the PC 11. After an incomplete pass forced a fourth and one, the Phoenix elected to go for it and was stuffed by the Blue Hose defense.On its next possession, Shreiner extended Elon's lead to 10-0 by booting a 26-yard field goal, the first field goal of his career. The score capped a seven-play, 45-yard drive during which Shuman gained 16 yards on the ground and Riddle found Camp for a 26-yard strike.
After yet another PC punt, Elon took over at its own 37 yard line and drove downfield to the 14 yard line in part thanks to three Shuman carries and a 27-yard strike to Jeffcoat. Three plays later, Riddle withstood a PC blitz to find Terrell Hudgins in the back right corner of the endzone for a score. The seven-play drive covered 63 yards and lasted just 1:52.
PC looked to get on the board late in the first half and had moved to the Elon 40 before Cameron McGlenn intercepted his second pass of the season in the end zone with just 1:49 left in the second quarter.
The Phoenix dominated the halftime score sheet for the second consecutive week, holding a 317-42 edge in total offense and a 16-3 advantage in first downs gained.
Facing a third-and-11 on its first drive of the second half, Riddle found Lance Camp deep down the sideline for a 31-yard reception at midfield. Later in the drive, Riddle hit Hudgins for another 32 yards inside the PC 10. Shuman finished the drive off with two carries for eight yards, including a one-yard plunge for the touchdown as the Phoenix extended its lead to 24-0. Elon covered 80 yards on 10 plays in 4:08 for the score.
Shuman began Elon's next possession by breaking off a 20-yard run, carrying the ball to the PC 40 yard line. A.J. Harris followed with a 16-yard rush before Riddle hit fullback Jake Goldsberry for five yards. Another Harris rush took the ball to the four and then Riddle found Jeffcoat for another TD to cap a five-play, 60-yard drive. The strike was the 62nd touchdown pass of Riddle's career, tying him with Appalachian State's Armanti Edwards for the most career TD passes for a career.
Riddle passed Edwards on Elon's next drive, finding Hudgins for a 15-yard score to push the Phoenix's edge to 38-0. In the fourth quarter, the Blue Hose blocked an Andy Leffler punt and returned it to the Elon 38 yard line. PC eliminated the shutout with 10:55 to play when Tim Webb found Sean Adegbola for a 28-yard reception. The score was the first allowed by the Phoenix this season.
Shreiner added a 37-yard field goal with 8:13 left in the contest to provide the final margin.
Elon takes to the road again next weekend as the Phoenix will make the short trip down I-40 to Winston-Salem to take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday evening.
No. 14 Wofford 42, Charleston Southern 14
Final Stats
SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? Wofford College defeated Charleston Southern 42-14 in the home opener at Gibbs Stadium. The Terriers had 394 rushing yards in the game while Mike Rucker and Eric Breitenstein both had two touchdowns.
The Terriers even their record at 1-1, while the Bucs are 0-2. Wofford was led by Mike Rucker with 102 yards and two touchdowns and Mitch Allen with 93 yard rushing and a touchdown, plus 68 passing yards and a touchdown. Charleston Southern was led by Gerald Stevenson with 34 rushing yards and 22 receiving yards plus a touchdown. A.J. Toscano was 15-of-24 passing for 148 yards and a touchdown.
“I was pleased with the progress of the team,” said head coach Mike Ayers. “We got better. The tough thing is playing these games and you lose a guy here and lose a guy there. I am concerned about the injuries. We are young and due to these injuries, we might get younger. We played a lot of guys tonight and they have to get ready. The defense came up with a lot of stops and we did not have a turnover. That gives you a better opportunity. Charleston Southern is a quality football team and I think they show that. We played pretty well tonight, and I know we played hard. We did some great things in all three phases and hopefully we will continue to get better, because we need to.
The Bucs had the ball to begin the game, but went three and out on the possession. Wofford was able to put together a twelve play drive that covered 72 yards that ended with a one yard touchdown run by Eric Breitenstein at 7:06 in the first quarter.
On the next possession by Charleston Southern, quarterback A.J. Toscano was sacked by Mike Niam, who also forced a fumble. The ball was recovered by Eric Eberhardt at the Bucs’ 24-yard line. With the short field, Wofford needed just four plays to score when Eric Breitenstein scored on a 13-yard run up the middle at 1:49 to take a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.
Charleston Southern put together an eight-play drive, but it ended when Phillip LeGrande intercepted A.J. Toscano. With the ball back, the Terriers wasted little time when Mitch Allen ran 35-yard for a touchdown at 14:51 in the second quarter for a 21-0 lead.
With the ball back, the Bucs put together a 17-play drive that covered 80 yards and ended with a two-yard run by Antwan Ivey at 6:50 in the second quarter for a 21-7 score. The Terriers went three-and-out, but the Bucs also went three-and-out on their ensuing possession.
Wofford got the ball back with 3:24 left in the half and put together a seven play drive that was capped by a four-yard run by Mike Rucker. With just 31 seconds left in the half, the Terriers had a 28-7 lead. The Bucs had one play from scrimmage before the half ended, but A.J. Toscano was sacked by SeQuan Stanley.
In the second half, both teams were forced three-an-out on their first possessions. Wofford tried a fake punt, but the pass was incomplete on their second possession of the half. The Bucs capped a scoring drive with a ten-yard pass from A.J. Toscano to Gerald Stevenson at 7:10 in the third quarter to cut the lead to 28-14. The Terriers were forced to punt on their next possession.
The Terriers were able to answer with an 80-yard run by Mike Rucker to take a 35-14 lead with 14:18 on the clock in the fourth quarter. Charleston Southern picked up a first down before being forced to punt. Wofford put together another drive, this time seven plays for 75 yards that was capped by Devin Reed catching a 23-yard touchdown pass from Mitch Allen.
Charleston Southern got the ball back with 8:55 left in the game, but was forced to punt after gaining one first down. The Terriers got the ball back at 6:29 and were able to drive to the one-yard line before time expired in the game for a 42-14 final score.
Wofford had 469 total yards of offense, including 394 on the ground. Charleston Southern had 113 rushing yards and 167 passing yards for 280 total yards. The Bucs were 5-of-15 on third down and converted two fourth down attempts. Wofford was 7-of-13 on third down and 1-of-2 on fourth downs.
The Terriers will be on the road next Saturday at Wisconsin. The game will kickoff at noon ET and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network, which is available on many cable and satellite providers.
Samford 27, Jacksonville 0
Final Stats
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford football team posted a 27-0 shutout win over the Jacksonville University Dolphins in the Bulldogs' home opener Saturday evening at Seibert Stadium.
"This was a good win for us," Samford head coach Pat Sullivan said. "We were able to play a lot of people, and we were able to rest a few people who were hurt. I was glad to get the win."
With the win, Samford improves to 1-1 on the season, while Jacksonville drops to 1-1 with the loss.
Samford quarterback Dustin Taliaferro completed 14-of-23 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns. Backup quarterback Connor Lowery also saw some playing time in the win, completing 4-of-8 passes for 40 yards.
Samford receiver Riley Hawkins caught three passes for 101 yards and a touchdown. Jonathan Lowery had three receptions for 45 yards and a score. Running back Chris Evans rushed 13 times for 74 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, freshman linebacker Darion Sutton led the Bulldogs with seven tackles, including one sack. Keith Shoulders had five tackles, while Erik Peterson had four tackles, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. As a unit, the Samford defense produced six sacks in the game.
For Jacksonville, Rudell Small rushed 16 times for 53 yards. Josh McGregor completed 8-of-21 passes for 62 yards.
Samford got on the scoreboard when Cameron Yaw kicked a 40-yard field goal with 6:43 to go in the first quarter to give the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead.
Samford extended its lead when Taliaferro hit Hawkins for a 51-yard touchdown with 14:16 to go in the second quarter. Yaw added the extra point to make the score 10-0. Yaw booted his second field goal of the day, this one from 24-yards out, to give Samford a 13-0 lead with 5:17 to go in the second quarter.
Samford added one more touchdown before halftime when Taliaferro connected with Lowery for an eight-yard score with 13 seconds left in the second quarter. Yaw added the extra point to give Samford a 20-0 halftime lead.
Samford struck again with 6:55 to go in the third quarter when Evans scored on a one-yard run. Yaw's extra point made the final score 27-0.
The win marked the first shutout win for Samford since a 62-0 win over Faulkner on Sept. 6, 2008. As a team, Samford produced 18 first downs to just five for Jacksonville. The Bulldogs totaled 411 yards of total offense to 101 for Jacksonville.
Samford will return to action on Saturday, September 19, when the Bulldogs play host to cross-town rival Miles. The game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. kickoff from Seibert Stadium.
No. 16 McNeese State 40, No. 2 Appalachian State 35
Final Stats
BOONE, N.C. ? Josh Lewis’ 18-yard field goal with four seconds remaining was the difference in No. 2 Appalachian State University’s 40-35 loss to No. 16 McNeese State on Saturday at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
Lewis’ kick snapped a 35-35 tie and capped McNeese’s 10-play, 79-yard drive that began with 2:05 left to play. Appalachian lateralled the ensuing kickoff three times in hopes of a miracle return but MSU’s Kentrel Butler dragged down Travaris Cadet (Miami, Fla./Central) in the end zone for a safety to end the game and account for the final margin.
The Cowboys’ game-winning drive was indicative of the entire second half, as the teams combined for eight scores in 10 second-half possessions. Trailing 14-7 at halftime, the Mountaineers took the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 77 yards in eight plays to knot the score at 14-14 on an eight-yard touchdown run by Armanti Edwards (Greenwood, S.C./Greenwood). From there, the squads traded touchdowns on the next four series, all within a span of 8:42. However, Lewis was wide right on an extra-point attempt following McNeese’s second touchdown of the period, which allowed Appalachian to grab its only lead of the game at 28-27.
With the one-point lead in hand, the Apps appeared to take a firm grasp of the momentum when Ed Gainey (Winston-Salem, N.C./Mount Tabor) intercepted McNeese’s Derrick Fourroux and returned his first-career pickoff four yards to the MSU 38 yard line. The Mountaineers subsequently moved within field-goal range but on third-and-10 from the 27, MSU’s Josh Ellison nabbed a blind-side sack of Edwards for an eight-yard loss that forced the Mountaineers to punt instead of adding to their slim lead.
Sam Martin’s (Fayetteville, Ga./Starr’s Mill) punt pinned the Cowboys at their own five yard line but they proceeded to march 95 yards in 10 plays and capped the seven-minute-and-55-second drive with a two-yard touchdown dive by Fourroux to regain the lead. Running back Todd Pendland took a direct snap and converted the two-point-conversion attempt to make it 35-28, McNeese.
Once again, the Appalachian offense responded and, highlighted by a 26-yard run from Devon Moore (Mebane, N.C./Cedar Ridge), drove 62 yards to knot the game at 35-35 with 2:05 to play. Cedric Baker’s two-yard touchdown dive sealed the six-play drive.
However, 2:05 proved to be too much time to give the McNeese offense. The Cowboys converted a fourth-and-seven play with a 12-yard completion from Fourroux to Pendland and moved to the two yard line on a 27-yard connection from Fourroux to Corday Clark. After one attempt to punch it in the end zone, Lewis came on to punch a knuckleball threw the uprights for the 18-yard game-winner.
The story of the game was the Apps’ inability to corral McNeese on third and fourth downs. MSU converted 10-of-16 opportunities on third and fourth down on the afternoon, including 6-of-9 in the second half.
The other storyline was the Mountaineers squandering a pair of scoring opportunities in the first half to leave a potential 10 points on the field. Jason Vitaris (Seneca, S.C./Seneca) hit the right upright on a 22-yard field-goal attempt in the first quarter and Brian Quick (Columbia, S.C./Ridge View) fumbled on the one yard line while stretching for the goal line with 32 seconds to play in the half.
The highlights for ASU included the play of Edwards and Moore. In his first game after injuring his right foot in a lawn-mowing accident on Aug. 5, Edwards amassed 307 yards of total offense ? 235 on 19-of-25 passing and 72 on 13 rushes, including two scores. Moore added a career-high 155 rushing yards on 23 carries (6.7 avg.).
However, Appalachian’s 493 yards of offense was overshadowed by the Cowboys’ 522 total yards. Fourroux and Pendland did the lion’s share of the damage with Fourroux throwing for 341 yards and three touchdowns and Pendland racking up 248 all-purpose yards (127 rushing, 121 receiving) and three scores (one rushing, two receiving. Clark chipped in with 137 yards on six receptions.
Facing an 0-2 hole for the first time since 2003, Appalachian has a bye next Saturday before opening Southern Conference play on Sept. 26 at home versus Samford. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m.
Gardner-Webb 27, Western Carolina 20
Final Stats
Cullowhee, N.C. - Redshirt junior Marquel Pittman caught nine passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns, but it was not enough as a late Gardner-Webb drive thwarted Western Carolina's comeback attempt as the Bulldogs escaped E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field with a 27-20 victory Saturday night. GWU quarterback Stan Doolittle orchestrated a 12-play, 79-yard drive that consumed 4:16 off the fourth-quarter clock, capping the game-winning drive with a one-yard plunge behind his offensive line to provide the final tally.
WCU junior kicker Blake Bostic connected on a pair of field goals for WCU in the losing effort, splitting the uprights from 30 and 27, respectively, with the latter knotting the game at 20 with six minutes remaining in regulation.
"I thought the defense spent too much time on the field. Even though we had a couple of drives offensively in the second half, we weren't consistent enough to keep the defense off the field. Our defense struggled all night letting the offense convert on third down," said second-year head coach Dennis Wagner during post-game press conference.
He added, "The kids didn't quit; they kept fighting and they played hard. I'm not going to tell them that it's okay to lose. It's unacceptable. Our backs are against the wall. Our wins are going to come harder than they have so far."
Even after the go-ahead score by Gardner-Webb, the Catamounts had a chance in the waning moments of the game, opening their final drive with 1:55 showing on the game clock. Yet, a sack on first down and incomplete passes on second and fourth, respectively, handed the ball back to GWU on downs and allowed the Bulldogs to run out the clock.
Pittman was held to three catches for 33 yards in the opening 30 minutes. However, after halftime, the Maxton, N.C., native hauled in six passes for 80 yards including both scores and a two-point conversion.
Leading 13-0 at halftime, Gardner-Webb (2-0) pushed across its fourth unanswered score of the game on a three-yard plunge by Philip Peoples late in the third quarter to pull ahead, 20-0. However, the Catamounts answered just 40 seconds and two-plays later as Jaynes moved the offense 61 yards in two plays, capped by a seven-yard strike to Pittman.
It was the "Canton Connection," of former Pisgah High School teammates - Jaynes and redshirt sophomore receiver Josh Cockrell - for a 54-yard strike that enabled WCU's first score of the season. The Jaynes-to-Pittman score helped the Catamount offense end its eight-quarter scoreless drought which dated back to the second half of the 2008 season finale against Appalachian State.
Jaynes finished 21-of-32 with two touchdown passes and an interception on the night.
Trailing 20-6 and needing a strong defensive push to begin the comeback, the Catamounts got what they needed. Following the score, the defense forced three-consecutive, three-and-out series by the Gardner-Webb defense. The WCU offense converted those stops into points.
After the first stop, Jaynes guided the team down for a 30-yard Bostic field goal to close the gap to 11, 20-to-9. A second-consecutive three-and-out by Gardner-Webb was turned into Pittman's second TD, capping a nine-play, 66-yard scoring drive. Freshman George Richardson was key on the drive, catching a pair of passes for 23 yards. Trailing by five, the Catamounts went for two to make it a one-possession game with Jaynes finding Pittman on the same play as the touchdown to pull WCU within a field goal, 20-17, with just under 10 minutes remaining in the game.
A third defensive stop ignited the crowd and WCU sidelines, with the offense managing to tie the game on Bostic's second field goal, a 27-yarder through the goal posts on the north end of the field.
However, Doolittle and the Bulldog offense got back on track after the three-straight, three-and-outs, chewing up yardage and clock on what proved to be the game-winning drive.
In addition to Pittman's 113 yards, Cockrell finished with 65 yards on three catches, while Richardson equaled that total for 39 yards and added five rushes for 19 yards. Senior DB Antoine George and sophomore linebacker Ricky Schwarz each accounted for nine tackles for WCU defensively, with senior Chris Collins tallying eight total stops including a game-high three tackles for loss and a sack.
For Gardner-Webb, Doolittle finished 23-for-40 for 265 yards and a touchdown pass to Tyson Petty and added one TD rush. Peoples rushed for 43 yards on 15 carries including a touchdown to lead the Bulldogs.
Western Carolina (0-2) will open its Southern Conference season next weekend, traveling to Statesboro, Ga., to face the Georgia Southern Eagles at 7:00 pm at Paulson Stadium.
No. 21 South Dakota State 44, Georgia Southern 6
Final Stats
BROOKINGS, S.D. - Georgia Southern found itself down only by 10 at halftime but South Dakota State pulled away in the second half and handed the Eagles a 44-6 defeat Saturday night (Sept. 12) at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium. The Eagles dropped to 1-1 overall while the 21st-ranked Jackrabbits won their season-opener.
The loss also marked the first time Georgia Southern was held to less than seven points since the second round of the 1995 playoffs, a 45-0 loss at Montana.
Georgia Southern took the opening kickoff and drove into SDSU territory. Lee Chapple converted his first three pass attempts, extending his streak to 18 consecutive completions dating back to the Albany game, but missed on his fourth attempt of the drive. The Eagles eventually had to punt, and despite a muffed return the Jackrabbits were able to recover.
The Eagles defense held on third and short. Sophomore Kyle Harris converted his first career field goal when he nailed a 44-yard attempt with 6:58 remaining in the first quarter.
GS responded with another drive into Jackrabbit territory. Facing fourth-and-long, Adrian Mora converted from 46 yards out, improving on a career-high he set the previous week to tie the game at 3-all.
The Eagles were able to overcome an interception in the second quarter when Brent Russell forced a fumble which K.R. Snipes recovered. However, Chapple was hit and fumbled on the next drive and the Jackrabbits recovered inside the Eagles 20. Kyle Minett scored from two yards out making it 10-3 with just over 10 minutes remaining in the half.
Chapple tried to hit J.J. Wilcox deep across the middle but was hit when he threw and Conrad Kjerstad came up with an interception. He returned it 40 yards putting the ball on the GS 13. J.B. Shippy recorded a sack on first down and the defense forced two hurried passes. SDSU had to settle for a Harris 37-yard field goal and 13-3 lead which would be the halftime score.
SDSU took the second half kickoff and returned it just into GS territory. Ryan Crawford's 4-yard pass to Mike Steffen capped the seven-play touchdown drive, putting the Jackrabbits ahead 20-3.
After a 3-and-out by the offense, SDSU converted on third down when Crawford and Steffen connected again on a 62-yard touchdown pass with nine minutes left in the quarter.
Mora kicked a 36-yard field goal with just over four minutes left in the third, cutting the deficit to 27-6. The Jackrabbits came right back with a 5-yard TD run by Minett and 34-6 lead.
Early in the fourth quarter Harris connected on a 40-yard field goal, his third of the game. Thomas O'Brien found Sam Kavanagh on a 5-yard touchdown for the final margin.
It also marked the largest margin of defeat for the Eagles since a 62-14 loss at Florida in the second game of the 1996 season.
"I thought in the first half defensively we played well, holding them to two field goals and having them miss one. They were a better football team than us tonight, that showed in the second half," said head coach Chris Hatcher. "At times we played hard and executed well. Going into the game I thought they would be one of the best defenses we would face all year. They have a great defensive line... It's only one game and it's a long season. We'll see how we respond come Monday."
Chapple completed 25-of-39 passes for 174 yards but threw two interceptions. Kyle Collins completed 6-of-15 passes for 58 yards and threw an interception.
Freshman Darreion Robinson rushed for 47 yards and caught a game-high nine passes totaling 14 yards. Mitch Williford hauled in six passes for 59 yards.
Dion DuBose paced the defense with nine tackles. Russell added a personal-high eight stops and Derek Heyden also recorded eight tackles.
Crawford completed 15-of-21 passes for 180 yards and two TDs. Minett rushed for a game-high 128 yards and scored twice.
Derek Domino recorded a game-high 11 tackles as the Jackrabbit defense had 10 players get in on nine sacks.
The Eagles return to Paulson Stadium next Saturday (Sept. 19) to open Southern Conference play against Western Carolina. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.