CLEVELAND, Miss. --- The NCAA postseason run for the
Tusculum football team has come to an end with Saturday's 27-19
loss to fourth-ranked Delta State Saturday afternoon in a second
round match-up at Parker Field at McCool Stadium.
The Statesmen improved to 10-1 on the season, and will face
fifth-ranked North Alabama, who defeated Valdosta State 37-10, next
Saturday in the Super Region Two final. The Pioneers end their
campaign with a school record nine wins at 9-4, while also halting
their four-game winning streak.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Statesmen got on the board
when Tom Santos connected on a 35-yard field goal
with 12:48 remaining in the half. The kick capped a nine play,
55-yard drive in 2:31.
Tusculum answered at the 10:20 mark with a 10-yard pass from
Harlon Hill Trophy national finalist Corey Russell
to Calvin Britt. Gareth Rowlands'
extra point attempt sailed wide left, as TC held a 6-3 lead. The
scoring drive came on five plays and covered 76 yards in 2:22.
Delta State would answer on its next possession with a 77-yard
drive in just under four minutes, as running back Blake
Barnes cashed in from 17 yards out to give the Statesmen a
10-6 lead, heading into the locker room.
Tusculum would drive get the football to open the second half and
drove into DSU territory as Russell completed a pass to
Ryan Tallent to the Statesmen 16-yard line, but
Dominic Spinks jarred the ball loose and was
recovered by Delta State's Robert Watts at the
15.
The Statesmen took the momentum and cashed in on a Santos 37-yard
field goal as at the 10:44 mark of the third quarter.
Russell and the Pioneers found a way to answer once again, as the
Speedwell, Tenn., native connected with Tallent on a 3-yard
touchdown pass. Rowlands' extra-point tied the game at 13-13 with
8:08 remaining in the period. The big play of the drive was 25-yard
completion to Tallent on third down and five to the DSU 39.
After exchanging punts, Delta State retook the lead at 20-13, on
Barnes second scoring run of the day, a five-yard scamper in the
final moments of the quarter.
What proved to be the winning score, DSU's Trevar
Deed rumpled in from 32 yards with 9:29 left in the game
to increase the Statesmen lead to 27-13.
DSU looked like it would seal the win on the ensuing kickoff as
Tusculum fumbled on the return and was recovered by Kyle Van Ness
at the TC21. But on the first place from scrimmage, the Tusculum
defense bowed up and Jeremy Thompson forced a
fumble which TC recovered at its own 18.
Tusculum's drive would stall, but TC faked the punt but John
Gregory's pass was incomplete setting up DSU in great field
position at the Pioneers 27 with 7:24 left in the contest.
DSU would drive to the three-yard line, but the Pioneer defense
held, including huge stops by Justin Scott, Jarvis
Littlejohn and Thompson, including a stop on fourth-down
and three at the DSU one.
With just under two minutes remaining in the game, Russell
engineered a memorable scoring drive that covered 99 yards in 3:09,
capped off by a 20-yard TD strike to Tallent with 1:37 remaining.
But on the ensuing PAT try, DSU freshman Robert
Hogan blocked the attempt from the middle of the pile as
TC trailed 27-19.
Tusculum executed the on-side kick, but DSU's Aaron
Williams recovered the kick to seal the win.
The two teams nearly combined for a 1,000 yards offe