VMI 52, Davidson 24
LEXINGTON, Va. – The VMI Keydets saw their offense explode to its highest levels since 2008, sending them to a 52-24 win over the Davidson Wildcats in non-conference football action Saturday afternoon at VMI’s Foster Stadium. The game marked VMI’s home opener for the 2014 season.
The Keydets (1-2) took early command, scoring the game’s first 17 points and never seeing their lead fall below 14 the rest of the way. VMI rolled up 597 yards of total offense, its highest total since Nov. 22, 2008, and part of a 1,128-yard day of total offense as Davidson (1-2) added 531 yards of its own. The point total was VMI’s largest since Sept. 20, 2008 against Chowan and was the second-highest total the Keydets have recorded under Sparky Woods.
Aaron Sanders was VMI’s offensive leader as he caught 10 passes for 215 yards, the third-highest receiving yardage total in Keydet history. VMI also saw Jabari Turner rush for three touchdowns, the first Keydet to do so since Chaz Jones in September of 2011, while Al Cobb went 18 of 25 for 338 yards and a touchdown. Cobb led a passing attack that gained 394 net yards, just 28 off the all-time Keydet record set in 1986.
Despite the lofty offensive numbers, there were defensive highlights as well. Chris Copeland blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown, while Jon Strozyk grabbed an interception and added a fumble recovery. Darnell Ashton also chipped in a career-high 12 tackles to help VMI win its ninth home opener over the past 10 seasons.
The Keydets got on the board on their second possession. After four plays, Turner took a handoff and jetted 38 yards for a score. The point after put VMI up, 7-0, just over four minutes into the game.
That margin grew on VMI’s next drive, when Cobb found Sanders on a fly pattern down the left sideline. The pass was good for 49 yards, but was fumbled by the Keydet receiver. VMI was able to fall on the ball at the Davidson 21, however, leading to an overall gain of 60 yards on the play. Two plays later, Turner plunged in from a yard out and it was 14-0, Keydets.
That was the score at the conclusion of the first quarter, but the Keydets tacked on early in the second. A 50-yard Cobb to Burton pass, followed by a Davidson pass interference penalty, opened the door for a Dillon Christopher 24-yard field goal that gave VMI a 17-0 lead with 10:40 left in the half.
Davidson came back with an 11-play, 71-yard drive, however, and got on the board with Trevor Smith’s 23-yard field goal at the 7:08 mark, cutting the VMI advantage to 17-3.
That 14-point deficit lasted just one drive. Sanders and Deon Watts accounted for 68 yards of an 80-play drive, capped by Watts’ 12-yard touchdown grab that made it 24-3, Keydets with 3:33 remaining in the half. That would remain the score at halftime, as a last gasp Davidson drive went for naught.
At the half, the Keydets had already rolled up 321 yards of total offense. It would be more of the same in the second half, but Davidson was first on the board. The Wildcats used passes of 30 and 26 yards to William Morris, the latter of which was good for a touchdown. That cut the margin to 24-10.
The visitors tried a bit of creativity on the ensuing kickoff, using a short kick, but the short field position cost DC. A 19-yard completion to J.C. Garvin and an 18-yard grab by Burton set up Turner’s third touchdown, a two-yard run that pushed the margin back to 21, 31-10, with 10:04 remaining in the third.
The Wildcats quickly went three and out, but saw their ensuing punt try be blocked by Copeland. The ball skittered loose, was grabbed at the DC 3 and taken in easily for a touchdown, making it 38-10.
The Keydets scored once more in the third, doing so on a Deon Watts 1-yard run that had been set up by Strozyk’s interception, but Davidson did as well. Rogers scampered in from 15 yards out to account for the score after three quarters, 45-17.
Backup quarterback Hayden Alford engineered a long drive that ended early in the fourth quarter for VMI’s final points. It was a 10-play, 96-yard drive that included 30 yards receiving for Sanders. Burton hauled in a 26-yard touchdown to put VMI up, 52-17. The visitors added a late TD run by Rogers to account for the final margin.
Davidson was led by Morris, who shattered the previous Foster Stadium record with 16 receptions. Wildcat quarterback J.P. Douglas was 28 of 41 for 317 yards, while Rogers ran for 103 yards and two scores.
Western Carolina 35, Catawba 17
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina scored 21-straight points in the second half to pull away from upset-minded Catawba, claiming a 35-17 Family Weekend victory over the Indians in nonconference football action at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field.
Junior quarterback Troy Mitchell threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns, adding a rushing score in the third quarter that sparked the offense's three-consecutive TDs. Freshman tailback Detrez Newsome added two rushing touchdowns in the in the fourth quarter as the Catamounts claimed their second-straight seasonal victory.
Mitchell tossed first quarter strikes of 44 yards to Spearman Robinson and 56 yards to second-year receiver Willie Police for his first collegiate TD as WCU pulled out to an early, 14-0, lead.
Despite the explosive start and strong finish for the Catamount offense, it was the tenacity of the WCU defense that helped seize the day. WCU's defenders forced five turnovers - taking away three fumbles and two interceptions - while also limiting the Indians to a missed field goal attempt in their opening drive of the game.
With WCU leading by a touchdown, 14-7, the Catamount defense came up with a huge momentum swing on a turnover just before halftime. Catawba was midst a 13-play drive when quarterback Mike Sheehan connected with tight end Tyler Hamilton on a 21-yard gain, moving inside the Catamount five-yard line. However, defensive back Bryson Jordan was credited with knocking the football loose at the two-yard line to prevent Hamilton from scoring the would-be tying touchdown with Sertonuse Harris pouncing on the loose orb to thwart the scoring drive, preserving the one-score lead.
Western Carolina (2-1) led at intermission, 14-7, marking the third-straight game the Catamounts have led after two quarters of play.
Catawba (1-1) opened the second half with a grinding 12-play drive, moving inside the red zone down to the WCU 18-yard line. However, a penalty helped stall the drive and the Indians only managed a 39-yard Chad Hollandsworth field goal to trim the Catamount edge to four, 14-10.
Inspired by the defense bending but not breaking, Mitchell guided the Catamounts 70 yards in six plays, capped by his 19-yard scamper to pull-ahead, 21-10. Consecutive defensive stops coupled with Newsome rushing touchdowns of two and six yards gave the home squad a 35-10 lead as Western Carolina would hold on for the victory, 35-17.
Mitchell finished 16-of-27 for 223 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Senior Garrett Brown added his first completion of the season - and 11-yard strike to Newsome in the fourth quarter - while also rushing for 31 yards on five carries from scrimmage.
Newsome finished with 138 all-purpose yards including 21 on the ground, 49 on a team-high seven receptions and 68 on three kickoff returns. Junior Darius Ramsey collected a team-best 56 yards rushing.
Redshirt freshman linebacker Daniel Riddle led a strong defensive effort for the Catamounts, collecting a career-high 18 tackles including three stops for loss with a quarterback sack. He also forced a pair of fumbles in the win, jarring the football loose on his sack early in the fourth quarter. Riddle made his first collegiate start on Saturday, subbing for sophomore Tyson Dickson who was sidelined due to injury.
Redshirt senior Ace Clark and senior Christon Gill reached double-digit tackles with 12 and 10, respectively, while Harris added six stops to his two takeaways - an interception and fumble recovery - from his linebacker position.
For Catawba, Sheehan threw for 263 yards on 21-of-36 passing with a pair of touchdown passes. He did, however, toss a pair of first half interceptions for the Indians. Junior receiver Gary Williams finished with a game-high 94 yards receiving on seven receptions including a 20-yard score from Sheehan in the second quarter, his first receiving score of the season.
Chattanooga 42, Austin Peay 6
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. --- The 14th-ranked Chattanooga Mocs (1-2) rolled to a 42-6 win at Austin Peay (0-2) in Governors Stadium Saturday afternoon. Senior wide receiver Tommy Hudson led the way with his first career 100-yard receiving game.
Hudson had 167 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns on the day. He caught seven passes for 102 yards, including a 33-yard scoring strike from Jacob Huesman. Hudson also returned a punt 58 yards in the third quarter that put his squad up 35-6.
The Mocs offense came out firing. It marched 82 yards on its opening drive to take a 7-0 lead on a three-yard Keon Williams touchdown run.
On the ensuing Govs possession, Lucas Webb recovered a Darrien Boone fumble on the Austin Peay 33. Huesman wasted no time finding a wide open Hudson on a post route to make it 14-0.
The third quarter decided the game after a 21-6 halftime margin for the visitors. The defense did not allow a first down during the 15 minutes and the offense scored twice, sandwiching the Hudson punt return for the 42-6 margin of victory.
Williams scored twice, gaining 53 yards on 18 carries in two-plus quarters of work. Huesman ended up with 224 yards in the air completing 18 of 23 attempts. His long was a 42-yard touchdown aerial to Xavier Borishade. Huesman connected with seven different receivers.
Boone paced the Govs' offensive effort, hitting 15 of 20 passes for 124 yards and a scoring strike of his own. Austin Peay’s lone tally was a 45-yard pass from Boone to Javier Booker, who had six catches for 88 yards.
The Mocs defense was extremely stingy against the run. It allowed its host just 42 yards on 36 rushes, an average of just 1.2 yards per carry. The “D” gave up just nine first downs, zero in the pivotal third quarter burst.
Cedric Nettles was huge at safety with a team-high nine tackles and two of the team’s 10 that came for a loss. A.J. Hampton added six stops and recovered a fumble. Antonio Turner led the Govs defense, matching Nettles nine tackles.
The 180 yards of total offense the Mocs gave up today is the lowest total against a DI opponent since yielding 165 to Tennessee Tech in a 31-7 win on August 31, 2006. The last time the defense held its opponent to less than 10 first downs was eight at Furman on October 13, 2012.
Mercer 49, Stetson 0
DELAND, Fla. – The Mercer University football team exploded with a huge first half, before cruising to 49-0 victory over Stetson on Saturday evening at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium.
Mercer recovered a fumble on the opening kick-off of the game and never looked back, building up a 35-0 halftime lead in a contest that it led for all but 48 seconds. The Bears' offense rolled to a season-high 508 yards of total offense, as Alex Lakes paced the attack with a career-high 151 yards rushing and three touchdowns.
However, the Mercer defense did not need much help, forcing five turnovers to help pitch its first shutout of the season. The Hatters were held to 249 yards of total offense in the contest, as the Bears' defense racked up six tackles-for-loss and two sacks on the night.
The Bears jumped all over Stetson from the start, taking advantage of the early fumble recovery to grab a quick 7-0 lead moments later on a 12-yard score by Lakes. Mercer would move 79 yards in five plays on its next possession en route to a 21-yard touchdown run by Tee Mitchell, before Lakes capped off a physical 83-yard drive later in the quarter with a nine-yard scamper for a 21-0 advantage.
The offense continued to pour it on in the second quarter, as a 49-yard bomb from John Russ to Avery Ward set up Lakes' third rushing touchdown of the night. The Bears added another score in the final minute, after an incredible goal line stand by the defense.
Mercer stopped the Hatters on fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line and then proceeded to march 95 yards down the field in just over a minute for the final score of the half. Russ threw for 90 yards on the drive, including his 37-yard touchdown pass to JT Palmer that handed the team a 35-0 advantage at the break.
The Bears forced another turnover to keep the rout going in the third quarter. Payton Usher raced 40 yards on the play immediately following an interception by Alex Avant to push the lead to 42-0 with 6:30 left in the period.
Mercer's defense, who forced four of its five turnovers in the second half, came up with another interception on Stetson's ensuing possession, as Lee Bennett picked off Stetson quarterback Ryan Tentler to set up the final score. Two plays later, JeTarii Donald would run straight up the middle for 39 yards and the team's final touchdown of the game.
After ranking second in the FCS in rushing a year ago, the Bears once again used the ground game to dominate the contest. Mercer ran for a season-best 275 yards on the ground, as three players (Lakes, Payton Usher and Tee Mitchell) posted over 11 yards per carry in the game.
Russ used a big second quarter to finish 11-of-21 for 199 yards and a touchdown. Palmer once again led the receiving corps with five receptions for 77 yards and a score, while Avery Ward hauled in two catches for 61 yards.
Lee Bennett was the standout on the defensive side of the ball, posting a team-high seven tackles to go along with his first career interception. Tunde Ayinla added five tackles including 2.5 tackles-for-loss, while Nevin Harton intercepted his first career pass.
Wofford 42, North Greenville 27
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – In a game that featured two weather delays, the Wofford College football team defeated North Greenville 42-27 at Gibbs Stadium on Saturday night. With a one point lead in the third quarter, the Terriers came out after the second delay of the game and scored three straight touchdowns for a 42-20 lead on the way to the victory.
The Terriers are 1-1, while North Greenville is also 1-1. Wofford was led by Lorenzo Long with 138 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Evan Jacks was 6-of-9 passing with one touchdown and he also ran for 53 yards. Cole Higbie led the defense with ten tackles. North Greenville was led by Nelson Hughes with 33-of-43 passing for 370 yards, while Robbie Brown caught 13 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown.
The Terriers had the ball first and went three-and-out and punted. The Crusaders gained three first downs and capped the drive with a 23-yard touchdown pass from Nelson Hughes to Mason Sanders. North Greenville had a 7-0 lead with 9:57 on the clock in the first quarter.
On next drive for Wofford, the Terriers picked up three first downs before Ray Smith scored on a 26-yard run with 5:14 left in the first quarter to tie the game at 7-7. The Crusaders opened their next drive with a 58-yard pass to Robbie Brown. Brion Anderson intercepted Nelson Hughes in the endzone to end the scoring threat.
After a penalty backed up the Terriers to the 15-yard line, Evan Jacks scrambled and found a wide open Will Irwin for a touchdown. The 85-yard reception was the longest in school history and gave Wofford a 14-7 lead with 31 seconds left in the first half. The Crusaders then drove down the field and added points on a 33-yard field goal by Justin Gravely to make it a 14-10 game with 11:15 on the clock. At that point, the game was delayed for 45 minutes due to lightning in the area.
Once play resumed, the Terriers drove to the 20-yard line and had fourth-and-three. A false start penalty backed up Wofford and the fourth-and-eight run by Evan Jacks was one yard short. The Crusaders used a pair of big pass plays, including a 39-yard touchdown pass from Nelson Hughes to Robbie Brown, made it a 17-14 game with 1:22 left in the first half. The Terriers gained one first down, but Evan Jacks was intercepted on the final play of the half.
The Crusaders had the ball to open the second half. On third down, Drake Michaelson intercepted Nelson Hughes and returned it to the 10-yard line. Will Irwin ran the ball in from the nine-yard line, dragging along several defenders. Wofford had a 21-17 lead with 12:08 on the clock in the third quarter.
On the next drive by North Greenville, they gained three passing first downs before settling for a 40-yard field goal by Justin Gravely that hit the left upright and dropped over the crossbar. The Terriers had a 21-20 lead with 7:49 left in the third quarter. Wofford gained three first downs before additional lightning caused a delay. After a 72 minute delay, but with heavy rain still falling, the Terriers gained a pair of first downs. Lorenzo Long capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown run. Wofford had a 28-20 lead with 3:23 remaining in the third quarter.
North Greenville went three and out and punted. With the ball back, Wofford used a 46-yard run by Lorenzo Long to move downfield. Long ended the drive with a one-yard run for a 35-20 lead with 12:33 left in the game. The Crusaders picked up one first down, but Nelson Hughes fumbled and the ball was recovered by Tyler Vaughn at the 27-yard line. Lorenzo Long added his third touchdown of the day on a four-yard run for a 42-20 lead with 9:43 left on the clock. On the next drive by North Greenville, Nelson Hughes ran the ball in from one-yard out to cut the score to 42-27 with 6:21 left in the game.
Wofford gained two first downs, but had to punt back to North Greenville with 2:39 left on the clock. The Crusaders had one first down and lined up to punt with 1:38 remaining when the lights at the stadium went out. The game was called at that point, with Wofford earning the 42-27 victory.
Wofford had 452 total yards, with 337 on the ground. North Greenville had 447 total yards, 370 of which were passing. Wofford had a 24 to 21 advantage in first downs. Wofford was 4-of-7 on third downs and 0-of-1 on fourth down. North Greenville was 8-of-15 on third down and 0-of-1 on fourth down. North Greenville had ten penalties to six for Wofford. Wofford had a 29:39 to 28:43 time of possession advantage.
Presbyterian 10, Furman 7
CLINTON, S.C. -- Heys McMath connected with Kris Hurley on a 9-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter to lift Presbyterian to a 10-7 victory over FCS 12th-ranked Furman Saturday evening at Bailey Memorial Stadium.
The win, which came after a one hour and 47 minute delay due to lightning, marked the first victory by PC (2-1) over Furman (2-1) since 1979, halting a 15-game series losing skid to the Paladins.
Furman led 7-3 in the tight affair until DaRon Dickey set up the go-ahead score by swatting an option pitch by Paladin quarterback Dillon Woodruff and recovering the fumble at the Paladin 35. The Blue Hose used seven straight rushing plays to move the ball to the Furman 6. After a holding penalty erased a touchdown, the Blue Hose faced third-and-goal from the nine and converted when McMath avoided a heavy third down rush to connect with Hurley on a crossing route in the corner of the end zone for the go-ahead score with 8:15 to go.
The Paladins had two chances to erase the deficit, but were forced to punt on its next to last possession. On its final possession Furman converted a fourth-and-four play with a Woodruff 8-yard completion to Duncan Fletcher to the PC 36 before the drive ended with four straight incompletions.
The Paladins grabbed a 7-0 lead when Woodruff connected with Chad Scott on a 43-yard scoring strike at the 1:24 mark of the first quarter.
Furman had two other scoring chances in the first half but failed to convert a pair of field goal tries, getting the first one from 43 yards blocked and missing wide left on a 37-yard effort.
PC got on the board just before intermission, converting a fourth-and-two play with a 15-yard McMath pass to Hurley for a first down at the Furman 11 to set up Brett Wilson’s 20-yard field goal with seven seconds on the clock.
The Paladins managed only 78 yards total offense in the second half and finished with 214 total yards.
PC produced only four total yards in the first quarter and finished with 192.
Woodruff completed 10-of-24 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown and led Furman with 16 rushes for 41 yards.
McMath passed for 79 yards, completing 9-of-18 passes and a score.
Cory Magwood topped Furman defensively with eight tackles, and DeAndre Thornton, making his first career start at defensive tackle, had six stops and two of Furman’s four sacks.
The Blue Hose, who also tallied two sacks, were paced by Isaiah Lynn with eight tackles and a sack.