GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Freshman Bo Cordell passed for 366 yards and four touchdowns, and Ryan Tallent became the program's all-time receptions leader as Tusculum defeated Mars Hill 38-28, on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Pioneer Field.

Tusculum (3-6, 2-4 in South Atlantic Conference) records its seventh straight win over the Lions (6-3, 4-2 SAC) as the Pioneers won in its annual homecoming game. The contest was also Tusculum's Senior Day as 13 Pioneers played in their final home games.

TC scored two touchdowns in the final two minutes of the first half and the Pioneer defense recorded three interceptions in the second quarter, including two by junior Lyall Harrison (Durban, South Africa).

Tallent, a senior from Maryville, Tenn., finished the day with seven receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown. His score came on a seven-yard toss from Cordell with 1:50 remaining before halftime to put the Pioneers in the lead for good at 14-13. It was Tallent's 200th career reception, which tied him with former All-American Kevin Wolcott (2000-03). Not a bad day for Tallent, who accounted 150 all-purpose yards and was named Homecoming King as well.

Mars Hill running back Jonas Randolph (Daleville, Ala.) had a monster game as he rushed for a career-best 260 yards on 38 carries, including four touchdowns. Randolph established a new school single-season record with 1,618 rushing yards. He is 250 yards shy of the SAC season record with at least one game remaining. He also owns the records for most rushing touchdowns (16) in a single-season and most all-purpose touchdowns (16) in a season.

Both team combined for 850 yards offensively (MHC 439, TC 411), while each squad committed three turnovers each. But Tusculum took advantage of good field position all day. TC's average field position was at its own 40, while Mars Hill started on average from its 26-yard line. Mars Hill also went 0-for-3 on its fourth-down conversions.

On Mars Hill's opening possession, the Lions marched down the field as Randolph stormed in from 17 yards out at the 9:56 mark of the quarter. Michael Pinkerton's (Bogart, Ga.) kick sailed wide right as the score stayed 6-0.

Tusculum got on the scoreboard at the 4:24 mark of the period when Cordell (Cincinnati, Ohio) completed a 65-yard pass to Rashaad Carter (Stone Mountain, Ga.). Gareth Rowlands (Wales, Great Britain) added the kick as TC led 7-6. But Randolph and the Lions responded on the second play of MHC's next possession as Randolph rumbled up the middle for a 67-yard touchdown. Pinkerton made the extra-point for a 13-7 Mars Hill lead.

The Pioneers drove into MHC territory, but Cordell was intercepted for the second time in the quarter as defensive lineman Allen Walker (Columbia, S.C.) hauled in a batted pass at midfield in the final moments of the period. The Lions drove into Tusculum territory, and looked to have converted on fourth down, when Randolph ran to the TC 14. But the Lions were whistled for illegal procedure. MHC went for it again from the TC 27, but Jon Richt's pass was incomplete, turning the ball over on downs.

Later in the second quarter, the Lions looked to have the momentum again as MHC recovered a muffed punt close to midfield with 9:03 left before halftime. The Lions got to the TC 33, but quarterback Luis Cruz (Anaheim, Calif.) was intercepted by Harrison, who returned the football 23 yards, back to the TC 33.

Tusculum went four and out, but senior punter John Gregory (Ooltewah, Tenn.) pinned the Lions back to their own nine-yard line with a 56-yard punt. The Tusculum defense held the Lions to a three-and-out and took over with great field position at the MHC 35.

Five plays later, Cordell found Tallent in the end zone from seven yards out with 1:50 left in the first half. During the drive, Cordell completed three passes to Tallent, including a 26-yard pass play on third-down and 24 yards to go to set up the touchdown.

On Mars Hill's ensuing possession, Harrison picked off Cruz again, this time at the MHC 42 with 1:10 remaining before the intermission, setting up the Pioneers once again. Cordell went 5-for-6 passing on the drive, capped off by an eight-yard TD pass to Marcus Foster (Siloam, Ga.) with 26.8 seconds left in the period as the Pioneers took a 21-13 lead into the locker room.

Mars Hill took the opening possession and drove to the TC 30, but the Lions would turn the ball over on downs for the second time on the afternoon. The Tusculum offense answered as Rowlands converted on a 34-yard field goal at the 10:24 mark of the third quarter to up TC's lead to 24-13. The big play of the drive was a 55-yard completion to Foster getting the Pioneers to the MHC 14.

Randolph and the Lions answered with a 10-play, 71-yard drive, capped off by a Randolph one-yard TD with 6:04 left in the quarter. Richt (Watkinsville, Ga.) completed a 30-yard pass to Demetrius Smedley (Decatur, Ga.) to extend the scoring drive for the Lions.

The Pioneers would answer with a 10-play, 71-yard themselves as junior quarterback Collin Wigely (Newport Beach, Calif.) plunged in from one-yard out at the 1:49 mark to give Tusculum a 31-20 advantage. Wigely's score was set up by a 23-yard reception by senior tight end Jarrell NeSmith (Russellville, Ala.) to the MHC 1.

Tusculum would score on its fifth consecutive possession and third of the second half as NeSmith caught a pass in the flat and sprinted 47-yards up the near sideline with 12:53 left in the game. Rowlands' kick made it 38-20.

Mars Hill added a late touchdown as Randolph scored his fourth TD of the day, this one from 10 yards out with 2:21 remaining. Richt completed a pass to Rudy Cabral (Fairview, N.C.) for the two-point conversion to provide the final margin (38-28).

NeSmith finished the game with five catches for 92 yards, while senior Nate Binder (Maidstone, Ontario, Canada) added five grabs for 42 yards.

Randolph's rushing performance is the 10th-best in South Atlantic Conference history, while marking the fourth time this year he has rushed for over 200 yards in a game.

Antonio Johnson (Olive Branch, Miss.) and Zachary Norman (Greenwood, S.C.) each record eight tackles on the afternoon, while Johnson also finished with an interception, his second in as many weeks. Junior Allen Thomas (Atlanta, Ga.) added seven tackles, while senior Javon Forsett (Cedar Hill, Texas) posted six stops, including a tackles for loss and a pass break-up.

Leading the Lions defensively was Maurice Harris (Hendersonville, N.C.) as he finished with eight tackles, including three sacks. Darin Baldwin (Florida City, Fla.), Marzarius Samon (Jacksonville, Fla.) Josh Baker (Skyland, N.C.), Zach Johnson (Newland, N.C.) and Antwon Murchinson (Fayetteville, N.C.) each finished with seven stops in the loss.

Gregory averaged 49 yards on his four punts, all pinning the Lions inside their own 20. Three of those kicks were for 56 yards.

Tusculum will close out the regular-season next Saturday as they face in-state rival Carson-Newman for a 1 p.m. contest at Burke-Tarr Stadium. Mars Hill will host Wingate next week for its regular-season finale.

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