Georgia Southern 77, Savannah State 9
STATESBORO, Ga. – The walls inside the Georgia Southern locker room were probably starting to feel like they were closing in when a lightning delay 30 minutes before the scheduled 6 p.m. kickoff sent both teams back to Bishop Field House and cleared the fans from the Paulson Stadium. By the end of the night, a record nine different Eagles found their way to the endzone a total of 11 times as Georgia Southern topped Savannah State 77-9 in the 2013 season opener at Paulson Stadium, marking the sixth time the Eagles scored over 70 points in the modern era and did so for the first time since 2001.
The Eagles registered their eighth-best efforts in both total offense and rushing offense Saturday night, with 651 total yards of offense on 79 plays and 576 yards of rushing on 68 carries. Georgia Southern quarterback Jerick McKinnon and junior running back Dominique Swope each had over 100 yards with Swope and William Banks each scoring two touchdowns. Redshirt freshman quarterback Kevin Ellison had 78 yards of rushing and transfer Torrance Hunt had 73 yards in his first game as an Eagle.
McKinnon scored the lone touchdown of the first quarter after escaping a Savannah State defender for a 66-yard run. The Eagle offense shook off the delay in the second quarter, scoring three touchdowns to take a 28-0 lead into the half.
The vaunted Georgia Southern triple option offense revved up in the second half for seven touchdowns. Banks scored his first touchdown, a 20-yard score, on the opening drive of the second half and the Eagles took advantage of a Tiger interception to set up Banks’ second TD with a two-yard gain for two of the Eagles three scores in the third quarter. Ellison scored his first career touchdown as an Eagle with a 12-yard scamper on a direct snap.
Savannah State, with most of its offensive production on kick return yardage through the first 40 minutes of the game, scored its first touchdown on a five-yard Kris Drummond reception from Zach Hutchenson late in the third quarter. The Tigers picked up their ninth point after a bad snap sent Ellison to the ground in the endzone for a safety.
Georgia Southern added 28 points in the fourth quarter as Hunt picked up his first touchdown in an Eagle uniform with a 34-yard run. Redshirt freshman Vegas Harley, who substituted in for Kevin Ellison, ran for a 30-yard touchdown on his first career carry. The Eagles punted once, on a drive in the fourth quarter, but came back on the next series and James Dean punched into the endzone on an 18-yard run for his second career touchdown. True freshman Chris Jordan’s two rushing yards were all he needed for his first career score.
Linebackers Edwin Jackson and Kyle Oehlbeck shared the lead with five total tackles each. Defensive end Lennie Richardson, who played for the Eagles in 2008 before joining the U.S. Army, had his first career sack against the Tigers. Georgia Southern recorded eight tackles for loss and three sacks on the night as well as three interceptions, including Steve Williams’ first career pick.
Charleston Southern 32, The Citadel 29
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Charleston Southern's Cameron Mitchell kicked a 29-yard field goal with six minutes left, and The Citadel failed to convert a fourth down from the Buccaneer 44 with 53 seconds remaining as CSU handed the Bulldogs a 32-29 defeat in the season opener at Johnson Hagood Stadium on Saturday evening.
After falling behind 16-0 to open the game, CSU took advantage of the first of two muffed punts to score with six seconds left in the first half to pull within two. Overall, the Buccaneers scored 32 of the final 45 points to hand the Bulldogs just their second loss to the crosstown rival in seven all-time meetings and their first defeat in a home opener since a 38-35 double overtime loss to the Bucs back in 2006.
The Bulldogs rushed for 293 yards with senior quarterback Ben Dupree accounting for 92 including a four-yard touchdown run to give the Bulldogs a 22-21 lead late in the third quarter. The rushing score was Dupree's 19th of his career, which is good for 11th in program history.
Darien Robinson entered the contest needing 31 rushing yards to become just the 11th Bulldog in school history to rush for over 2,000 yards and accomplished the feat, rushing for 55 yards on seven carries.
Aaron Miller handled a majority of the snaps behind center, gaining 74 yards and a touchdown on the ground and another 59 through the air. The touchdown was Miller's 11th of his career and gave the Bulldogs a 9-0 lead late in the first quarter. Terrance Martin added an eight-yard scoring run with five minutes left in the opening half to make it 16-0 before CSU staged its comeback.
Carl Robinson paced the Bulldog defense, collecting 14 tackles, while Cam Mobley added pressure up front with five tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack.
The Bulldogs opened the scoring in 2013 with two points after a 39-yard quick kick from quarterback Miller pinned the Bucs back on their own seven. The Citadel defense pushed the Bucs back to the three, including a quarterback hurry by Mark Thomas in the end zone, to force a CSU punt. A high snap over the head of the punter resulted in The Citadel's first safety since Sept. 18, 2010 against Presbyterian.
The Citadel kept the momentum going in the first quarter as Robinson took the first play of a late first quarter drive for a 36-yard scamper, putting him over the 2,000-yard mark. Two plays later, Miller made it a nine-point lead with his touchdown.
The Citadel defense played stout, holding the CSU offense to just three yards after 15 minutes, and built its lead to 16-0 when Martin capped an 11-play, 91-yard drive that spanned 5:39.
A breakdown in the Bulldog secondary gave the Bucs their first score on a 64-yard pass from Malcolm Dixon to Kevin Glears with 2:52 left in the half. CSU was stopped on its next drive, but a punt bounced off the chest of Vinny Miller and into the hands of CSU's Malcolm Jackson with just 12 seconds remaining in the half, leading to a 19-yard touchdown pass from Dixon to Donte Sumpter, cutting The Citadel lead to 16-14 heading into the half.
It was a tale of two halves for the Bulldog defense, who allowed just eight yards on the ground during the first 30 minutes. The Bucs came out in the second half and established a steady run game to collect 131 second half rushing yards, including 98 yards on 22 carried from Christian Reyes.
The teams exchanged third quarter touchdowns to tilt the score in each other's advantage. Zach Frazier gave the Bucs a 21-16 lead with 10:45 left in the third on a two-yard rush before Dupree collected a four-yard touchdown run that helped his team regain the lead at 22-21 after a missed two-point conversion try.
Just before the close of the third quarter, Frazier gave his team a seven-point lead at 29-22 on an 11-yard touchdown run, which was followed by a successful two-point conversion.
Aaron Miller took over the offense and led the Bulldogs down the field with big rushes of 10 and 27 yards, and the drive was capped by a four-yard touchdown run by Vinny Miller to even the game at 29 with 11:30 remaining.
CSU answered right back with a five-minute drive of its own, resulting in the game-winning field goal by Mitchell.
Two failed fourth down attempts by the Bulldogs on consecutive drives at the end of the game, including an incomplete pass from Aaron Miller to Dalton Trevino in the final minute, closed out The Citadel defeat.
The Citadel remains home next Saturday for its Southern Conference opener against No. 8 Wofford at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3.
Gardner-Webb 28, Furman 21
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. -- Juanne Blount rushed for 158 yards and scored a pair of third quarter touchdowns to lead Gardner-Webb to a 28-21 victory over Furman in the season opener for both teams Saturday evening at Spangler Stadium.
After Furman quarterback Dillon Woodruff scored on a 1-yard sneak to give the Paladins a 21-7 lead two minutes into the second half, the Bulldogs answered with 21 straight points, including Blount third quarter scoring bursts from 1 and 4 yards and a 5-yard touchdown strike from Lucas Beatty to Kenny Cook with 9:49 to go in the contest.
Gardner-Webb (1-0) secured the win by limiting Furman (0-1) to just 43 yards in total offense over the game's final two quarters.
"Gardner-Webb deserved to win the game," said head coach Bruce Fowler. "I thought they looked better conditioned than we were. We came out (in the second half), got a quick score, and it looked like it was going our way, but we gave up a big third down play and the momentum changed. When it came down to the time the game was on the line and you have to finish, they finished a whole lot better than we did...bottom line."
The Bulldogs ran 82 plays and registered 434 yards while the Paladins managed just 43 snaps and 213 total yards in the contest.
Furman grabbed a 14-7 halftime lead after brothers Terry and Gary Robinson found the end zone for the Paladins. Terry, a sophomore quarterback, took an option keeper 24 yards to help stake Furman to a 7-0 lead.
After Gardner-Webb tied it at 7-7, Woodruff threaded the Bulldog defense on a 70-yard hookup with Gary Robinson to make it 14-7 two minutes before intermission.
The momentum appeared to carry over into the second half for the Paladins, who were awarded the football at the Gardner-Webb 1 after Bulldog punter Jordan Day kicked the ball out of the end zone following a high snap from center. Two plays later Woodruff bulled his way into the zone for the score ana 21-7 advantage.
The Bulldogs bounced back on their next possession, using a 49-yard completion from Beatty to Deonte Swinton to the Furman 35. Four plays later Blount scored on a 4-yard run to ignite the comeback.
Woodruff, subbing for injured Paladin starting quarterback Reese Hannon, became the first true freshman to start a season opener for Furman since 1956. He connected on 7-of-16 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown but was intercepted twice.
Sophomore linebacker Cory Magwood, making his first career start, led all tacklers with 18 stops.
Furman plays at Coastal Carolina next Saturday in a 6:00 p.m. game.
Baylor 69, Wofford 3
WACO, Texas – The Wofford football team began the season with a 69-3 loss at Baylor on Saturday night at Floyd Casey Stadium. The Bears jumped out early with 28 points in the first quarter and added 28 more points in the third quarter.
The Terriers open at 0-1, while Baylor is 1-0. Wofford was led by Donovan Johnson with 77 yards rushing on 18 carries. Kevin Thomas and Mike McCrimon each had eight tackles. Baylor was led by Lache Seastruck with 111 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Bryce Petty was 18-of-23 for 290 yards and two touchdowns.
“We were not ready for Baylor,” said head coach Mike Ayers. “There are a tremendous team and very athletic. Their system allows them to do some very unique things that create problems for the defense. I thought they did a good job of scheming us. I was disappointed in us offensively. I thought we would keep the ball away from them long. We had way too many three-and-outs and way too many poor decisions. We did not do a good job. We have a ways to go and we are not where we need to be.”
The Bears had the ball first and in just 1:28 moved the ball downfield to take a 7-0 lead after an eight-yard run by Glasco Martin. On the first drive for the Terriers, James Lawson moved the offense into Baylor territory before turning the ball over on downs. Baylor had a 41-yard pass completion that set-up a 27-yard touchdown pass from Bryce Petty to Antwan Goodley for a 14-0 lead at the 7:01 mark of the first quarter.
Wofford was forced three-and-out and punted. The Bears drive began at midfield and eight plays later scored on a seven-yard run by Lache Seastruck for a 21-0 lead with 2:49 left in the first quarter. Michael Weimer entered the game on the third offensive series. His first pass attempt was intercepted by Chris McAllister and returned for a touchdown for a 28-0 lead. With the ball back, the Terriers gained three first downs before Weimer was sacked by Ahmad Dixon and fumbled. The Bears recovered and gained one first down before Tarek Odom sacked Bryce Petty and forced a fumble that Alvin Scioneaux recovered.
The Terriers had two first downs and moved the ball to the Baylor 36-yard line but were forced to punt. Starting at the 12-yard line, the Bears went 80-yards before settling for a 25-yard field goal for a 31-0 lead at the 6:04 mark of the second quarter. Evan Jacks took over and quarterback and the offense went three-and-out and punted. Baylor added to the lead in just five plays with a 23-yard touchdown run by Lache Seastruck for a 38-0 score with 2:52 remaining in the half. Wofford went three-and-out on the next possession. Baylor receiver Jay Lee was hit by Alvin Scioneaux and fumbled. Mike McCrimon recovered it with 56 seconds left on the clock. A first down reception by Jeff Ashley and a first down catch by Will Irwin, but a false start penalty prevented the Terriers from attempting a field goal. At the half, the Bears lead 38-0.
To start the second half, Donovan Johnson ran 27-yards for a first down. The Wofford drive continued with two first downs by Jonny Martin and another first down run by Donovan Johnson. Kasey Redfern ended the 15-play drive with a 22-yard field goal for a 38-3 score at 8:33 in the third quarter. Baylor answered with a 44-yard touchdown pass to Tevin Reese for a 45-3 lead with 7:28 on the clock.
Following a Wofford three-and-out, the Bears moved quickly to add a touchdown on a 19-yard run by Shock Linwood for a 52-3 lead with 4:09 left in the third quarter. A 70-yard touchdown reception by Corey Coleman pushed the score to 59-3 at the 1:24 mark of the third quarter. Donovan Johnson fumbled on the ensuing drive, which was recovered by Baylor at the 32-yard line. The Bears responded with a 13-yard touchdown run by Seth Russell for a 66-3 lead with 12 seconds left in the third. After trading punts, Wofford was three-and-out with 10:48 on the clock in the fourth quarter.
With the ball back, Baylor put together an 11-play drive that covered 57 yards that ended with a 43-yard field goal for a 69-3 lead with 4:00 remaining in the game. Evan Jacks ran for a first down, but the Terriers turned the ball over on downs with 1:13 left. The Bears ran out the clock for the victory.
Wofford had 233 total yards, with 173 on the ground. Baylor had 692 total yards, 389 of which were passing. Baylor had a 32 to 16 advantage in first downs. Wofford was 7-of-18 on third downs and 0-of-2 on fourth down. Baylor was 6-of-10 on third down. Each team had eight penalties. Wofford had a 34:59 to 25:01 time of possession advantage.
Montana 30, Appalachian State 6
MISSOULA, Mont. – Plagued by two turnovers and a blocked punt, No. 12-ranked Appalachian State University football dropped its 2013 season opener to No. 20 Montana, 30-6, on Saturday evening at jam-packed Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
In addition to the three miscues, Appalachian State was never able to get into a rhythm offensively, was haunted by Montana’s 9-of-15 third-down conversion rate and was without the services of senior quarterback Jamal Londry-Jackson for more than a quarter in the loss.
With Londry-Jackson out of the game due to a minor upper-body injury, backup quarterback Kameron Bryant nearly led the Mountaineers back from a 16-0 deficit. In the first significant action of his career, Bryant engineered field-goal drives to end the first half and open the second and had the Apps inside the red zone on his third series threatening to pull within one score. However, Bryant fumbled at the end of a 12-yard run and Montana recovered on its own three yard line to thwart the scoring opportunity.
UM punted after the turnover but on the very next play, Bryant threw the first interception of his career to give the Griz the ball back on the Appalachian 42. Six plays later, Montana punched it in to stretch the lead to 23-6 and effectively end the Mountaineers’ hopes for a comeback victory.
Appalachian was outgained, 497-328, which included Montana’s 246-123 advantage on the ground. The Grizzlies had two 100-yard rushers (Travon Van – 118 and Jordan Canada – 112) and benefitted from the return of quarterback Jordan Johnson (19-of-23, 251 yards, two TD) to the lineup. Johnson, who completed his first 12 passes of the evening, sat out the entire 2012 season due to personal reasons.
Bryant completed 8-of-12 passes for 116 yards to lead the Mountaineers offensively. Londry-Jackson managed just 89 yards – his second-lowest total in 20 career starts – in less than three quarters of action. Tony Washington led all receivers with 81 yards on six catches and Ricky Ferguson had a team-high 53 yards on the ground.
For the first time in 102 games, Appalachian State did not score a touchdown and failed to score at least 10 points – neither had happened since a 24-0 loss at LSU in 2005. The loss also dropped the Mountaineers to 0-10 all-time in games played west of the Mississippi River.
Defensively, freshman linebacker John Law and sophomore safety Kevin Walton shared game-high honors with 12 tackles apiece.
Appalachian State opens the home portion of its 2013 campaign next Saturday when it hosts North Carolina A&T at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
Georgia Tech 70, Elon 0
ATLANTA, Ga. -- Facing an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent in its season opener for the second consecutive season, the Elon football squad dropped a 70-0 game at Georgia Tech on Saturday, August 31.
"I thought we were ready and focused," said Elon head coach Jason Swepon. "We wanted to get off on a good start, but that just didn't happen. We just kind of struggled to get in a rythym and our defense was put in short-field situations. I think we have some good, young talent and this was a great eye-opening experience for them. Obviously, this one hurts."
Georgia Tech (1-0) began its first drive of the game at the Elon 30-yard line after recovering a fumble. The Yellow Jackets got in the end zone four plays later on a 14-yard dash around the right end by Deon Hill.
After deflecting an Elon (0-1) punt, Georgia Tech went 35 yards in six plays to up its edge to 14-0 on a one-yard dive by David Sims.
The Yellow Jackets went on to build a 42-0 lead at the half.
Making the first start of his career, junior quarterback Mike Quinn completed 17 of his 30 passes for 136 yards. Also seeing the first action of his career, red-shirt freshman B.J. Bennett rushed for a team-high 42 yards on 12 carries.
John Silas led the maroon and gold with seven total tackles.
Georgia Tech quarterback Vad Lee completed seven of his 11 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 49 yards and a score.
Elon will return home to Rhodes Stadium to face the West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats on Saturday at 6 p.m.