JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. --- On a day where numerous school records were shattered, No. 14 Carson-Newman College defeated visiting Tusculum College 70-35 at Burke-Tarr Stadium in South Atlantic Conference football action.
The Eagles (9-2, 7-0 SAC) record their ninth straight victory and all but clinch a first round bye in the upcoming NCAA Division II Playoffs. The Pioneers end their season at 3-7 overall (2-5 in SAC).
Both teams combined to record 1,300 total offensive yards on the afternoon as C-N posted school single-game records with 803 total yards, including 671 yards on the ground. Senior running back Buck Wakefield, who rushed for 303 yards last week against Wingate, surpassed that marked with a C-N record 332 yards (2nd most in SAC history) and five touchdowns.
Tusculum freshman quarterback Bo Cordell established a new school single-season record with 524 passing yards (2nd most in SAC history, 1st by a freshman in SAC history), surpassing the previous best of 478 yards he threw for earlier this year in a win at Urbana University. Cordell went 37-for-57 on Saturday, including two touchdowns. Cordell also established a school single-game mark with 484 total offensive yards.
TC senior receiver Ryan Tallent led all receivers with 10 catches for 141 yards as he finishes his career with a school record 3,838 all-purpose yards, surpassing the previous record set by former All-American Eric Claridy (3,820, 1992-95). Tallent ends his Pioneer career with a TC record 214 receptions for 2,341 receiving yards (2nd in TC history).
Cordell completed passes to eight different receivers, including senior tight end Jarrell NeSmith who posted nine receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown. Senior Nate Binder also hauled in three grabs for 107 yards, including a 56-yard TD reception.
The Eagles recorded 83 offensive plays on the day, including 77 rushing carries. Senior quarterback Alex Good accounted for five touchdowns on the afternoon. Good rushed for 128 yards on 19 carries, including three touchdowns, while also passing for two scores, covering TD receptions of 68 and 64 yards.
Three Pioneers finished with double-figure tackles, led by Zachary Norman's career-high 16 stops, including eight solo hits. Miles Washington accounted for 12 tackles, while David Little tallied a career-best 10 stops.
Other Tusculum single-game records falling in the contest include: passing yards (524), kickoff returns (11), kickoff return yards (372) and all-purpose yards (866).
C-N jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the opening five minutes of the game as Good ran in from 33 yards for the first score of the afternoon. After a three-and-out by Tusculum, Good completed a 64-yard TD strike to Charles Dobson at the 9:34 mark of the quarter.
Tusculum answered when Marcus Foster returned the ensuing kickoff 64 yards to the C-N 24. Three plays later, Cordell found NeSmith in the end zone from eight yards out at the 8:14 mark. Gareth Rowlands kick cut the deficit to 14-7.
Later in the quarter, the Eagles put together an eight-play, 69-yard drive that was capped off by a Good three-yard TD run. Carlos Lopez added the extra point for a 21-7 C-N advantage.
In the second quarter, Tusculum trimmed the deficit to a touchdown as Cordell completed a 63-yard reception to Tallent, who was stopped at the C-N 1 by Mario Russell. Junior Collin Wigely would plunge in from there for his fifth touchdown of the season as TC trailed 21-14 with 10:13 left in the half.
Wakefield recorded a 43-yard run and Good capped off the seven-play, 82-yard drive with his third TD of the half, this one from 10 yards out with a 8:02 remaining before the intermission.
Tusculum special teams proved to be that as Deonte' Gist set the Pioneers up in great field position with his 42-yard return to midfield. After a five-yard penalty on Tusculum, Cordell completed a 56-yard scoring toss to Binder at the 7:26 mark of the period to make the score 28-21.
TC looked to have the momentum following the ensuing kickoff as Pioneer freshman Hunter Adams recovered the on-side kick. But TC couldn't capitalize as Cordell was sacked twice by Zeke Andrews on consecutive plays for a total loss of 17 yards to the TC 27. The Eagles finished off the half with a pair of touchdowns, including a 68-yard TD toss from Good to Reggie Hubbard and a four-yard TD run by Wakefield.
With less than a minute left in the half, the Pioneers drove to the C-N 5, but on the final play of the second quarter, Cordell was intercepted in the end zone by Jermel Demps. On the interception return, NeSmith stripped the ball away from Demps, but was unable to recover the miscue for a TD as NeSmith's leg was barely out of the back of the end zone when he came up with the recovery as time expired.
The start of the second half was a wild one. Tusculum opened the third quarter with yet another on-side kick, but the ball rolled out of bounds at the TC 38. Wakefield wasted little time as he sprinted down the far sideline for the score and a 49-21 lead. But Gist returned the ensuing kickoff for a 91-yard touchdown, the fourth longest return in Tusculum history as TC trailed 49-28.
C-N answered with a nine-play, 73-yard drive as Wakefield scored from 33 yards out for his second score of the quarter and third of the game. Tusculum answered that score with one of its own as Cordell went 6-for-6 on the drive, completing four straight tosses to NeSmith. Tallent finished off the drive with a one-yard touchdown at the 7:21 mark of the quarter.
But Carson-Newman and Wakefield would add two more touchdowns to close out the scoring and the game.
On the afternoon, Tallent accounted for 209 all-purpose yards (12 rush, 141 receiving, 56 kickoff return). Marcus Foster finished with five kickoff returns for 160 yards, the second most in school history. Gist accounted for three returns for 156 yards (T3rd in TC history).
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