Football's Upset Bid at Carson-Newman Falls Short

Morman equaled a school record with 13 receptions in loss

JEFFERSON CITY, TN -- Carson-Newman won a see-saw affair with Catawba by the score of 41-31 in South Atlantic Conference football action on Saturday afternoon at Burke-Tarr Stadium.  Alex Good led the Eagles, passing for 188 yards and four touchdowns, while running for 179 yards and two scores as C-N improves to 5-2 overall and 3-0 in the SAC.  The Catawba Indians fall to 3-3 and 0-3.

Reggie Hubbard caught five of Good’s passes for 139 yards and two scores.  The Eagles out-gained Catawba 547 to 451 in total yards.  Patrick Dennis (Durham, NC/Cedar Ridge HS) threw for 311 yards for Catawba and three scores off the bench.  The favorite target was Eric Morman (Rockingham, NC/Richmond Co. HS), who equaled the school record with 13 catches, totaling 128 yards.

The Indians held a 10-7 lead at the half.  On its opening drive, Catawba moved to the Eagle 30 before stalling.  After holding C-N on a three and out, the Indians marched back down the field and got on the board on a 27-yard field goal by Thomas Trexler (Wilmington, NC/New Hanover HS) at the 5:39 mark of the opening quarter.

Catawba kept the Eagles from scoring on its next two possessions as L.J. McCray (Charlotte, NC/Harding HS) intercepted a pass and Brandon Sutton (Snow Hill, NC/Greene Central HS) blocked a field goal try.  It marked the fifth straight game that the Indian special teams have blocked a kick.

The Carson-Newman defense came up big following the blocked kick as Mario Russell stripped Antonio Hall (Greensboro, NC/NE Guilford HS), giving the Eagles the ball at the Catawba 40.  Six plays later Good dove in from a yard out to give C-N a 7-3 lead with 10:43 left before the half.

Catawba answered that drive with a score of its own.  Three plays into the drive, quarterback Cameron Sexton (Laurinburg, NC/Scotland Co. HS) left the game with a concussion and Dennis led the Tribe the final 34 yards to retake the lead.  Dennis converted two third downs, the last coming a 12-yard scoring strike to Morman with 5:47 before the break.

Carson-Newman grabbed the lead on its first possession of the second half, going to the air.  After Good completed a 39-yard pass to Hubbard, he connected with Doug Belk on third down for a 35-yard score.  Sutton blocked the PAT to keep Catawba within a field goal at 13-10.  The Eagles were driving for a two-score edge, but Terrence Porter (Roanoke Rapids, NC/Roanoke Rapids HS) knocked the ball from Good at the Catawba five and Sutton recovered.

Colby McCanna (Laurinburg, NC/Scotland Co. HS) bailed Catawba out of bad field position with a 53-yard punt and after the defense held, the Indians drove to retake the lead.  A 41-yard pass from Dennis to Gerron Bryant (W. Palm Beach, FL/Boynton Beach HS) on third down set Catawba up at the Eagle 20.  Three plays later, Dennis tossed a swing pass to Brandon Bunn (Virginia Beach, VA/Fork Union), who broke a tackle at the 10 and scored to give Catawba a 17-13 edge.  It marked Bunn’s seventh touchdown of the season.

Carson-Newman went back on top on the ensuing possession.  Hubbard caught a 23-yard pass from Good to cap the 66-yard drive.  The Eagles went up 27-17 with 9:05 left on a 12-yard pass from Good to Buck Wakefield.  Reggie Melton set up the score with a 53-yard run.

Catawba answered quickly.  After a 41-yard kickoff return by Hall just across midfield, Dennis guided the Indians to a score in six plays.  He capped the drive with an eight-yard pass to Bunn.  Jaspen Gray (Advance, NC/Davie Co. HS) provided a huge play as he recovered a loose ball on the ensuing kickoff.  Dennis hit Bryant to the Eagle three and Hall carried over from there to give the Indians a 31-27 edge with just over five minutes remaining.

Good delivered again throwing a 48-yard pass to Hubbard with 3:51 left.  Catawba marched into Eagle territory, but Dennis was stopped a yard-short on a fourth-down scramble.  Good would score two plays later from 55-yards out with 1:57 left.

Sexton completed 11-of-16 passes for 77 yards before leaving the game early in the second quarter.  Freshman Cory Johnson (Fayetteville, NC/Britt HS) led the defense with 10 tackles.  The loss marks the first time since 1986 that Catawba has lost its first three SAC games.