EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry Football Team (5-1, 4-1 SAC) defended home turf for the ninth consecutive contest Saturday afternoon as the Wasps took down No. 22 nationally-ranked Carson-Newman University (3-2, 2-2 SAC) inside Fred Selfe Stadium. E&H posted 14 unanswered points to come from behind and defeat the Eagles by a 19-13 final. It is the second consecutive year that Carson-Newman has visited Fred Selfe Stadium as a nationally-ranked team and come away with a loss.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Emory & Henry 19, No. 22 Carson-Newman 13
LOCATION – Emory, Virginia
VENUE – Fred Selfe Stadium at Nicewonder Field
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (5-1, 4-1 SAC); Carson-Newman (3-2, 2-2 SAC)
How It Happened
The Wasps took control on the first possession of the game as they slowly chewed clock and moved the football down the field. E&H strung together 15 plays for 57 yards over 9:31 of possession to reach the Carson-Newman three yard line. The Eagles defense stiffened with their backs to their end zone, and the visitors were able to force fourth down. Senior kicker Trace Butcher (Dacula, Ga.) drilled a 25-yard field goal to put the home team on top 3-0.
The Emory & Henry defense set the tone all afternoon as the Wasps swarmed to the ball and kept the Eagles contained. The teams exchanged punts over the following two possessions, and Carson-Newman was forced to punt once more on their turn with the pigskin after losing four yards on their three plays from scrimmage. The Eagles attempted to punt the ball away once more, but the Wasps had other ideas. Redshirt freshman linebacker Greg Mason (Fredericksburg, Va.) broke through the line and blocked the attempted punt off of the foot of Carson-Newman punter Grayson Campbell. The ball rolled out of bounds through the end zone before anyone could recover it for a safety, and the Wasps held a 5-0 lead.
After an E&H three-and-out, the Eagles were finally able to move the ball and generate some offense. Carson-Newman went 56 yards in 14 plays over 8:35 of game clock as they reached the Wasps' nine yard-line. The Emory & Henry defense came to life in the shadow of its own goal line to limit the Eagles to a 26-yard field goal by Bennett Smith to trim the deficit to 5-3. Neither team could break through over the final 3:57 and the score held heading into the locker rooms at the half.
Carson-Newman received the ball to open the second half and was able to move down the field again, this time with a seven play 40 yard drive to reach the E&H 35 where the drive stalled. Smith converted from 52 yards out on his second field goal of the afternoon to give the Eagles their first lead of the day at 6-5.
Emory & Henry went three-and-out again on its first possession of the second half and the Wasps were forced to punt the ball back to the visitors. Carson-Newman capitalized on their second possession of the stanza as quarterback Zane Whitson found wide receiver Jeremiah Carroll from 50 yards out for the first touchdown of the game from either team to run the Eagles' advantage out to 13-5.
The Wasps had an immediate response on the following possession as senior quarterback Charles Mutter, III (King George, Va.) found senior wide receiver Cam Peoples (Reidsville, N.C.) three times for a combined 53 yards to put E&H in scoring position. The drive would stall again and the home team was forced to settle for another field goal from Butcher, this of a 36-yard variety, to reduce the gap to 13-8.
The Emory & Henry defense stood strong on the ensuing possession, forcing yet another three-and-out. The Wasps' offense kicked into gear when junior quarterback Cole Lambert (Abingdon, Va.) was forced into action in relief of Mutter and completed a pair of passes to Peoples for a combined 50 more yards to put the Wasps inside the red zone. Junior running back Rudolph Paul (Douglasville, Ga.) capped off the drive as he plunged into the end zone from 12 yards out. Lambert found senior running back Jordan Jackson (Richmond, Va.) through the air for the two-point conversion and the Wasps leapfrogged into the lead at 16-13.
The teams were kept off of the scoreboard over the following three possessions as the Wasp defense continued to have an outstanding day on the field. Emory & Henry sealed the deal in the final five minutes of action as the Wasps ground down the clock, moving 55 yards in eight plays while using up 3:41 of gametime and forcing the Eagles to use a pair of their timeouts. Butcher nailed his third field goal of the afternoon from 47 yards out and E&H held a 19-13 lead heading down the stretch.
The Emory & Henry defense fittingly put the icing on the cake as the Wasps surrendered just four yards on the Eagles' last ditch final drive of the game, forcing a turnover on downs to give E&H the six-point victory over the 22nd-ranked team in the country.
Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
Mutter was 5-for-13 through the air for 74 yards while rushing 10 times for 63 yards. Lambert went 3-for-4 for 54 yards in relief. Jackson rushed for 90 yards on 27 carries and Paul finished with 37 yards on seven attempts with the lone touchdown of the day for the Wasps.
Peoples led the receiving corps with a whopping 114 yards on seven catches while redshirt sophomore wide receiver Parker Prioleau (Radford, Va.) added 14 yards on one reception.
Defensively, senior linebacker A.J. Burgess (Roxboro, N.C.) finished with nine tackles, .5 tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry. Redshirt freshman defensive back Emmanuel Lusca (Winchester, Va.) posted a career-high nine tackles while senior defensive back Tyreon Porter (Charlotte, N.C.) registered seven stops and had the game-clinching pass breakup to force the turnover on downs. Senior defensive back Jarrell Harrison (Virginia Beach, Va.) and senior linebacker Kasey Branch (Waynesboro, Va.) had six tackles each. Junior defensive lineman Ean Rhea (Glade Spring, Va.) recorded three tackles, 1.5 for loss, and had one sack to increase his SAC-leading season total to 6.5.
Carson-Newman Individual Leaders
Whitson threw for 58 yards on 3-for-9 passing while carrying the ball 11 times for 33 yards.
Don Bradley recorded 27 yards on six carries and Jaden Griffin went for 20 yards on six attempts. Carroll led the Eagles with 50 yards receiving on his lone catch of the afternoon..
Terry Lemon led the defensive effort for C-N with nine tackles. Martavis Mason had eight stops while Cruz Temple had seven tackles.
A Deeper Look
Emory & Henry finished with 312 yards of total offense on 65 plays, including rushing for 184 yards on 48 attempts and passing for 128 net yards. The Eagles managed just 164 yards on 42 plays from scrimmage.
The Wasps were 7-for-16 (44%) on third down, compared to just 18% (2-for-11) for the Eagles.
Both squads took care of the pigskin, as the lone turnover of the contest came on the failed fourth-down conversion by the Eagles late in the fourth quarter.
E&H controlled the time of possession as they held the ball for 35:35 of gameplay, compared to 24:25 for Carson-Newman.
Up Next
Emory & Henry hits the road next Saturday, October 11 when the Wasps travel to take on the Lions of Mars Hill University. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. from Meares Stadium in Mars Hill, North Carolina.
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