SALISBURY, N.C. --- Catawba scored the first 21 points in the opening six minutes and led 31-7 at the half, but had to hold off a late Tusculum rally as the Indians prevailed 31-28 in South Atlantic Conference football action at Saturday afternoon at Shuford Stadium.
The Catawba Indians (5-2, 2-2 SAC) took advantage of three first half turnovers including two in the opening quarter. Catawba running back Jyrea Martin ran for 159 yards and a touchdown while quarterback Kujuan Pryor passed for 185 yards and two touchdowns.
TU freshman signal caller Tre Simmons relieved starter Ivan Corbin at halftime and nearly orchestrated the comeback as he went 16-of-24 for 205 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing 12 times for 44 yards and a score.
Tusculum junior Justice Parham led the receiving corps with five receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown. He hauled in a 27-yard catch in the fourth quarter to push him over 1,000 receiving yards for his TU career. He becomes the 22nd Pioneer in school history to join the 1,000-yard club. He has 1,053 yards in his 14 outings in the Black & Orange.
TU's Cortney Jackson led the Pioneers on the ground with 75 yards on 11 carries. Maurice Gomillion hauled in a career-best six receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed seven times for 21 yards and a score.
Tusculum (4-5, 2-4 SAC) out-gained Catawba in total yardage 420-363 as the Pioneers recorded 30 first downs. But the Catawba defense forced four turnovers on the afternoon, while recording seven sacks. Catawba posted 263 yards in the opening half, but the Indians were shutout in the second half and held to 100 total yards as the Tribe held on for the win.
Catawba scored on its opening possession as Martin broke loose down the sideline for a 61-yard gain to the TU 3. He would punch it in from there for the touchdown 58 seconds into the contest. Clayton Crile's kick was good to make it 7-0 for the Indians.
Corbin was sacked and fumbled at the TU 28 and recovered by Catawba's Christian Campbell. Martin sprinted for a 44-yard run to the TU 28. Avent followed with a 28-yard TD strike to Evan Rojas as the Indians led 14-0 at the 8:26 mark of the quarter.
Tusculum would drive near midfield on its next possession, but Corbin would be intercepted by Izaiah Taylor who returned the pick 34 yards to the TU 14. On third down and 12, Avent scrambled and pulled off a 14-yard gain to the two-yard line. But on third and goal from the one, Daniel Parker plunged in for Catawba's third score of the day to take a 21-0 with 8:26 left in the period.
Later in the quarter with Tusculum punting, Catawba was whistled for offside on fourth-and-four to extend the drive. TU would covert on fourth-down and six thanks to a Corbin nine-yard dash to the CAT 28. Corbin later completed a 26-yard pass to Derrick Wright to the one-yard line as Maurice Gomillion ran it up the middle for his third TD run of the season. John-Aiden Pittman's kick trimmed the deficit to 21-7 with 1:29 left in the first quarter.
It would remain that way for most of the second quarter until the 2:33 mark when Pryor got behind the TU coverage and hauled in a pass from Avent and sprinted 81 yards for the touchdown as Catawba extended the lead to 28-7.
Tusculum would commit its third miscue of the half when Corbin was picked off by Daniel as the Indians took over at the CAT 34 with 1:44 remaining before halftime. Avent would be sacked on the first play of the drive by TU's Dajavon White. But Martin recorded his second long run of the game, this one covering 48 yards to the TU 24. Avent threw a pair of incompletions and was dropped for a six-yard loss forcing Catawba to call a timeout with two seconds left. Crile would connect on a 47-yard field on the half's final play as the Indians carried a 31-7 lead into the locker room.
TU had the opening possession of the second half and went to Simmons off the bench. The drive started ominously with a false start penalty. Gomillion opened with a seven-yard run and Simmons would connect with him on a 14-yard pass to move to the TU 41. Simmons ran for 12 yards, Gomillion followed with a seven-yard scamper and Simmons responded with 29-yard run to move to the CAT 11. Simmons capped off the drive with an 11-yard run to pay dirt as the Catawba lead stood at 31-14.
Tusculum would force a Catawba punt as Crile pinned the Pioneers at their own six-yard line. Simmons completed a 13-yard pass to Tyler Burke to the TU 21. Simmons added a nine-yard rush with a 15-yard face mask penalty tacked on. Jackson posted a 16-yard run to the CAT 39. Simmons completed a key third-down pass to Jac'Son Boone to move the ball to the CAT 27. But on second down with TU approaching the red zone, Simmons was sacked by Landen Johnson as the ball came loose and was scooped up by Catawba's Joe Camara who returned the fumble 10 yards to the CAT 44.
The Indians converted a fourth down and one yard play near midfield, but later in the drive, Jermaine Witherspoon posted his second interception of the season as he returned the pick 26 yards to the TU 37.
The Pioneers would convert the miscue into points as Simmons completed an 18-yard pass to former Catawba player Will Sweeper to the CAT 35. Simmons was sacked but followed with a seven-yard pass to Parham and an 18-yard toss to Wright. From the CAT 24, Simmons lobbed a perfect toss to Parham who hauled in his team-leading seventh TD grab of the year as the once 28-point lead was trimmed to 10 at 31-21 with 11:49 remaining in the game.
The Pioneers attempted an on-side kick but Catawba would come up with the ball. The Indians would get to the TU 22 before the drive was stalled. Crile came on to attempt a 39-yard field goal but his kick was blocked by TU's Jordan Taylor and caught in mid-air by Adrian Robinson. He returned the block 11 yards to the TU 26, but the Pioneers would be called for an illegal block in the back as the Pioneer possession would start at the 16 with 7:19 left.
Jackson opened the possession with a 15-yard run to the TU 31. Simmons found Jackson on an eight-yard pass to the 40 to set up fourth down and one, but Jackson was stopped for no gain by John Oxce as the Indians took over with 5:58 left on the scoreboard.
The Indians would milk two minutes off the clock and would settle for a Crile field goal try, but his kick sailed wide right.
Simmons opened with a 14-yard pass to Gomillion to the TU 34. After an incompletion, Parham made a spectacular catch in front of the TU bench as he got one foot in bounds as a first down at the CAT 39. On third-and-15, Parham hauled in a 16-yard pass from Simmons for another TU first down. Simmons would be sacked but consecutive 12-yard completions to Parham and Will Shellenback put the Pioneers inside the CAT 9.
Simmons went to Shellenback again in the end zone for an apparent touchdown with 1:24 left but the Pioneers were whistled for a penalty to negate the score. But on the next play, Catawba picked up three penalties including two unsportsmanlike conduct calls and a pass interference. After two incomplete passes, TU got into the end zone as Simmons found Gomillion open in the corner for a six-yard TD with 56 seconds to go. Pittman's kick made it a 31-28 game.
Tusculum attempted another on-side kick but Catawba gobbled it up as the Indians would run out the clock to secure the victory.
TU's Raynell Killian finished the game with eight tackles including seven solo hits, while Delonte Jones and Witherspoon added five tackles apiece.
Tusculum punter Andrew Cantrell averaged 44 yards on his four punts including three inside the 20-yard line. Crile, who entered the game leading the nation in punting average, had a 47.4 average on his five boots including two inside the 20.
Tusculum will close out the road portion of its second when the travel to Mars Hill next Saturday for a 1 p.m. kickoff at Meares Stadium.
