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Davidson drops tough one to Valpo 42-35
DAVIDSON, N.C. – Despite 114 yards receiving and two touchdowns from William Morris, Davidson suffered a 42-35 setback to Valparaiso in Pioneer Football League action Saturday at Richardson Stadium.
With the score tied 35-35, the Crusaders Griffin Norberg scored the game-winning touchdown on a 12-yard reception from Ryan Clarke with 1:55 remaining. Clarke finished the day 18-of-32 with five touchdown passes and two interceptions, both by William Curran.
Shortly after Davidson took a 35-28 lead on Morris’ second touchdown reception, a 29-yard grab, Valpo’s Jarrett Morgan scampered 89 yards on the ensuing kickoff to tie the score.
Derek Jones, also had a pair of touchdown receptions for the Wildcats, both coming in the second half, to tie the game on separate occasions.
In addition to Morris, Taylor Mitchell finished the day completing 19-of-35 passes for 196 yards with three touchdowns. Austin Wells picked up 57 yards off 17 carries. Defensively, Chris Woods led the ‘Cats with 10 tackles.
Frank Catrine led the Crusaders with 135 yards receiving off nine catches with a long of 50 yards. Running back Brandon Hall tallied 98 yards on 28 carries.
After a Valparaiso touchdown on its first series, Davidson took its first lead of the season as it scored back-to-back touchdowns to go up 14-7.
With 6:28 left in the opening quarter, Davidson made the most of a Valpo fumble as David Rogers scored from three yards out.
The Wildcats carried a 14-7 lead into the half thanks to a 37-yard touchdown pass from Mitchell to Morris, which capped a 12-play 93-yard scoring drive.
Davidson will return to Richardson Stadium next Saturday, Oct. 10 to host Kentucky Wesleyan at 1 p.m.
Temple downs 49ers with big second half
THE POINT AFTER:
Temple 37 at Charlotte 3
49: Zach Duncan
Captains: Richard Murphy, Kalif Phillips, Caleb Clayton-Molby, Larry Ogunjobi
Flag Carriers: Jarred Barr, Terrance Winchester, Keaston Sinicki
Temple is the 49ers first FBS opponent that was receiving votes in the national polls.
RB Kalif Phillips (125 yds) is the first 100-yard rusher allowed by Temple this year and the first since Penn State’s Akeel Lynch, Nov. 15, 2014 to rush for 125 yards against the Owls.
Kalif Phillips has rushed for 100 yards in the last two games. His school-record is five straight game with 100+ yard, set during the final five games of 2014 (The Citadel; JMU; Coastal Carolina; Wesley College; Morehead State)
Charlotte had a season-high 223 yards rushing, the most allowed by Temple, this year. The 49ers averaged a season-best 5.1 yards per carry.
Charlotte had its top two running plays of the season against Temple:
Phillips for 39 yards; Andrew Buie for 31 yards.
Charlotte had 7 plays of 15 or more yards vs. Temple. In the previous two games (Middle Tennessee and Florida Atlantic) combined, Charlotte had five such plays.
Lee McNeill had three passes of 15 or more yards vs. Temple. Charlotte had one such play in the previous two games.
Charlotte had four rushing plays of 15 or more yards vs. Temple. They had four combined in the previous two games.
DaQuavius Reid tied a school-record with fumble recoveries in two consecutive games. Reid recovered a fumble in the last 2 games: v. FAU; v. Temple. Branden Dozier tied the record in 2014 and Terry Caldwell and Devon Johnson both established the mark in 2013.
S Branden Dozier led the 49ers with a career-high 13 tackles, matching the 49ers season-high set by Nick Cook at Middle Tennessee.
Three different players are within striking distance of the career record for tackles (Nico Alcalde, 120). Larry Ogunjobi (118), Tank Norman (117) and Branden Dozier (113) have all cleared 100 career tackles this year and are bearing on the career mark.
Ogunjobi has 8.5 TFL this year, just 3.0 shy of his single season mark of 11.5 set in 2014.
Ogunjobi blocked a PAT – which as the second blocked PAT in school history. (Nico Alcalde, 2013)
Chris Montgomery made his first collegiate start, stepping in at slot receiver in place of Austin Duke, who has been battling back pain. Duke had two catches for 16 yards and Montgomery had one catch for eight (and two rushes for 18 yards).
With 131 passing yards, Lee McNeill surpassed his total from the previous four game combined (116).
After 5 games, ILB Nick Cook leads the 49ers with 30 tackles, followed by Ogunjobi and Dozier with 28 each and Norman with 26.
With 44 tackles for loss, the 49ers are averaging 8.8 TFL per game.
The 49ers are 0-3 in night games this year and 1-5 all-time in games starting at 6 pm or later.
The 49ers are 1-6 all-time in October.
The 3 points scored by the 49ers is the fewest in program history and this is the first game that Charlotte has been held without a touchdown.
Charlotte has been held without a passing TD for three straight games and have not scored an offensive TD in the last two games.
Pittman leads Bulldogs to win
Wingate, N.C.—-Wingate University sophomore running back Lawrence Pittman (Charlotte, N.C.) had 34 carries for 149 yards and one touchdown, boosting the Bulldogs to a 17-12 NCAA Division II victory over Limestone College Saturday. The Bulldog defense held the Saints to one third-quarter touchdown in the victory.
Hurricane Joaquin has made its presence felt in the Carolinas all week long and it was no different in Saturday’s game at Irwin Belk Stadium. On a very chilly, windy and wet fall afternoon, the Bulldogs overcame multiple mistakes in the first quarter in order to finish strong and come out victorious in a tight contest.
The Bulldogs offense committed three turnovers in the first quarter alone, with two fumbles and one interception that was returned for a touchdown. Head coach Joe Reich was very impressed with the poise and composure of his team to still come out with the win, despite the early mistakes.
“That’s a sign of a mature team,” Reich says. “…a team that can make some mistakes early, but still have enough to overcome it. The team knows we didn’t play our best, but anytime you can come out with the win in a college football game against a well-coached team is a big thing. I was happy that we were resilient enough to overcome some adversity and get it done.”
The early adversity was uncharacteristic for the Wingate offense as Pittman coughed up two fumbles on back-to-back drives. The Mallard Creek High School product still finished the game with a career-high in carries at 34. Pittman has been a productive, consistently good back all season and Coach Reich was pleased with the composure he kept throughout the game to still make an impact.
“I was very impressed,” Reich says. “He (Pittman) came out and had a couple of early fumbles, but he was very resilient.” Reich also mentioned the focused attitude that Pittman possesses every game. “One thing about Lawrence is he always looks the same.” Reich says. “Whether he is happy or sad, he’s got that ‘stone face’ and that’s the way he looks. He was able to stay in that mode all game and ended up having a good performance.”
The Wingate offense collected solid games from some notable players. Redshirt senior running back Mycah Gaylord(High Point, N.C.) grinded out some tough, key yards for the Bulldog offense with 11 carries for 29 yards. Junior wide receiver Jordan Berry (Irmo, S.C.) had three receptions for 32 yards, along with some crucial first down catches. The Bulldogs finished with 253 yards of total offense, with 213 yards from the ground game.
For both teams, it was evident though pre-game until the end of the fourth quarter that the running game was going to make the difference in the outcome based on the brutal weather conditions. Wingate defensive coordinator Rashaan Jordan knew his defense was going to need to make significant adjustments to their game. “The biggest thing was we wanted to get them to understand about the footing,” Jordan says. “That’s the biggest thing when you get into really bad weather. You have to plant your feet differently and make sure every step you take is really secure. Other than that, we knew this was going to be more of a running game than passing game for them (Limestone). We knew they were going to run the ball a lot with redshirt sophomore quarterback Bo Whitney (Union, S.C.).” The Saints signal-caller rushed 16 times for 127 yards
The Wingate defense has been stellar in its first five games of the season. Coming into this afternoon’s game, the defense posted a shutout in three straight games and again today had another impressive performance. Coach Jordan mentioned how vital the performance on defense was going to be in order to keep the whole team in the game and earn the victory.
“We really like to try to tell them that it’s about mental, physical and emotional toughness,” Jordan says. “On defense, there is no limit to the number of points that can be put on the board. We really preached to them that this is your opportunity to play. When you came to college to play football, the only way to play is to be on the field. You need to be excited about that, so that if you do get into these tight games, it’s not all about what happens on the other side of the ball. You realize our (defense) gives us the chance to help the team be successful.”
Redshirt junior defensive end Andre Foulks (York, S.C.) had a huge performance this afternoon with a career-high 10 total tackles. Redshirt freshman linebacker Robert Wallace (Covington, Ga.) and redshirt freshman defensive back Kameron Johnson (Durham, N.C.) collected eight tackles each.
The Wingate Bulldogs are now the only remaining undefeated college football team in the state of North Carolina; FBS, FCS, D2, D3 and NAIA combined. Reich says that the attitude of his team is still mature and they treat this game as just another win. “It’s still business as usual,” Reich says. “Certainly we have some confidence coming out of the Catawba game. This team is mature enough to know that we didn’t play our best today and we need to improve. This team understands that and we’ll get back to work at practice this week.”
Pittman spoke after his big game and discussed the overall vibe of the locker room after extending their undefeated streak. “We all have a positive attitude,” Pittman says. “We know that if we keep putting in the work, keep doing a great job in practice and continue to get better every day, then we will have a lot of success.”
Pittman also spoke about his two fumbles after the game and how his team needed to keep grinding in order to come out with the win. “We knew that we were going to have to run the ball a lot this game,” Pittman says. “We put the ball on the ground, but we just kept pushing it and got better as the game went on.”
Wingate football will hit the road next Saturday and travel west to Greeneville, Tenn. to take on the Tusculum College Pioneers. The undefeated Bulldogs will seek to continue their success in a key South Atlantic Conference game. Kick-off will commence at 2:30 p.m. Limestone returns home to entertain Catawba for homecoming the same day. Kick-off is slated for 7 p.m.
Catawba rallies past Newberry
SALISBURY, N.C. — Catawba rallied past visiting Newberry to grab 17-13 win in South Atlantic Conference football action on Saturday afternoon at a soggy Shuford Stadium and Kirkland Field. The Catawba Indians up their record to 3-2 overall and 2-1 in the SAC, while the Wolves fall to 3-2 and 1-1.
The Indians trailed late in the third quarter when quarterback Mike Sheehan (Wilmington, N.C./Laney HS) kept for a 60-yard run to the Newberry 17. The run came on the first offensive play after the Wolves had went up 13-3. Three plays later, Sheehan completed a third-down pass to Keyon West (N. Augusta, S.C./N. Augusta HS) for 16 yards to cut the deficit to 13-10 with 55 seconds left in the quarter.
After holding Newberry three-and-out, Carlos Tarrats (Jacksonville, Fla./Raines HS) returned a punt 21 yards to set Catawba up at their own 44. On a third-and-11 from his own 43, Sheehan completed a short pass to Gary Williams (Southport, N.C./S. Brunswick HS), who turned it into a 44-yard gain to the Newberry 13. Cary Littlejohn (Columbus, N.C./Polk Co. HS) finished off the drive with two runs, scoring from two yards out with 11:15 remaining.
Newberry could muster only one first down on its final three possessions after Catawba took the fourth-quarter lead. Michael Peppers (Clemson, S.C./Daniel HS) stopped Zach Blair on a fourth-down scramble to snuff out the final chance for the Wolves.
The teams finished dead even with 297 total yards. The Wolves ran for 236 yards with Romelo Doctor and Braxton Ivery going over 100 yards. Doctor carried 27 times for 143 yards, while Ivery picked up 108 yards on 16 carries.
Sheehan led Catawba thanks to his long run, finishing with 88 yards on eight carries. He also completed 7-of-12 passes for 95 yards and a score. Littlejohn ran for 70 yards on 16 carries.
Neither team could reach the end zone in the first half, settling for a pair of field goals. Chad Hollandsworth (Kernersville, N.C./E. Forsyth HS) put Catawba on top from 19 yards out, capping an opening drive that covered 71 yards over 17 plays and ate up 7:40 of the clock. Newberry pulled even on a 20-yard field goal from Ryan Janssen with just 1:01 left in the half.
The Wolves took the lead midway through the third quarter on a 25-yard kick from Janssen. Newberry went up 13-3 on Doctor’s 3-yard run with 2:31 to go in the quarter. He totaled 31 yards on seven carries in the nine-play drive. Catawba then got the big run from Sheehan and rallied for the win.
Williams led the Catawba receiving corps with 66 yards on three catches. Cole Watson made four catches for 36 yards to lead Newberry. Ivery completed 5-of-7 passes for 38 yards, while Blair went 2-for-7 for 23 yards.
Catawba heads to Limestone next Saturday for a first-ever meeting with the Saints at 7 pm.
Turnovers hurt as Golden Bulls fall to Bowie State
Charlotte, N.C. — Plagued by six turnovers, including three fumbles and three interceptions, the JCSU football team fell to Bowie State 34-21 on a dreary and drenched Saturday afternoon at the Irwin Belk Complex in Charlotte, N.C.
Bowie State gained the early 7-0 lead after Jordan Garrison hauled in a 15 yard pass from Matthew Goggans. The scoring play capped a 10-play 61 yard drive for the Bulldogs. The BSU lead would swell to 14-0 after Goggans threw another touchdown pass, this one a 23 yarder to Nyme Manns with 11:57 remaining in the second quarter.
JCSU would respond immediately on the ensuing kickoff when Carlo Thomas (East Orange, N.J.) found a crease and raced 77 yards on the kickoff before being forced out at the Bulldog 10-yard line. Three plays later Tromecio Summers (Charlotte, N.C.) punched it in from one-yard out for the score. Erik Amaya (Kannapolis, N.C.) was true on the point after attempt to trim the BSU lead to 14-7 with 10:23 to play in the first half.
The JCSU defense would come up big on the next Bowie State drive, when
JeJuan McCalston (Covington, Ga.) picked off the Goggans pass at the BSU 47 to thwart the drive. JCSU however could not capitalize on the turnover and had to punt. BSU jumped ahead 20-7 on their next drive, going 52 yards in five plays capped by a nine yard reception by Kerrick Pollock. The subsequent point after attempt was no good.
After a JCSU punt, the Golden Bulls defense forced a Goggans fumble on the first BSU play. JCSU’s James Hardman-Santiago (Flint, Mich.) pounced on the loose ball, giving JCSU the ball with 1:50 remaining before the half. JCSU wasted no time as quarterback Jordan Lane (Charlotte, N.C.) tossed his first collegiate touchdown pass, a 24-yarder to a divingRoderick Carter (Miami, Fla.) in the back corner of the end zone. Amaya’s kick was good, drawing JCSU to within 20-14.
The Golden Bulls defense would come through big again. On the first play of the BSU drive, Goggans was flushed out of the pocket by Daron Wright (Atlanta, Ga.). Wright then jarred the ball loose and teammate Javard Gaines (Hackensack, N.J.) scooped it up and raced 40-yards for the touchdown. The point after gave JCSU the 21-20 lead with 39 seconds left before halftime. The Bulldogs then ran the clock out in the first half, with JCSU carrying the one-point advantage into the break.
Neither team was able to scratch across any points through most of the third quarter, but the Bulldogs finally found pay dirt, reclaiming the lead at 27-21 when Heleaince Gates scooped up a JCSU fumble and raced 42 yards for the score.
In the fourth quarter, JCSU held Bowie State in check and had a chance for a game-winning drive late in the game, but Lane’s pass was picked off by BSU’s Anthony McDaniel at the JCSU 14-yard line. Two plays later, BSU was in the end zone, this time on a 10-yard run from Stephen Willis. The successful point-after attempt made it 34-21 with 1:44 to play.
Bowie State would seal the game after Quinton Jordan stepped in front of a Jordan Lane pass, ending the Golden Bulls hopes of a late comeback.
Individually, JCSU’s Desean Binyard (Winston-Salem, N.C.) finished with 44 yards on seven carries. Teammates Jamal Francois and Tromecio Summers each finished with 37 and 35 yards rushing, respectively.
Receiver Roderick Carter finished with five receptions for 64 yards, including a touchdown grab. Quarterback Jordan Lane went 8-for-21 for 65 yards and one touchdown toss. Lane threw three interceptions on the afternoon.
BSU quarterback Matthew Goggans was limited to 177 yards, the first time this season he has been held under the 300-yard mark. He finished 17-for26 while tossing three touchdowns, being intercepted once.
The loss drops JCSU to 1-4 overall, 0-2 in CIAA play while Bowie State improves to 4-1, 2-0 in league action.
JCSU hits the road on Oct. 10, traveling to Winston-Salem State. Kickoff from Bowman Gray Stadium is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
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