GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum's Torrey Slaven passed for 295 yards and four touchdowns, while the Pioneer defense tallied eight sacks in a 38-20 South Atlantic Conference win over Wingate Saturday afternoon at Pioneer Field in the season-finale for both teams.

Slaven went 36-for-44 on the day, establishing a Tusculum single-game record for completion percentage at .818. He completed passes to 10 different receivers, including senior Rashaad Carter as he capped his collegiate career with 11 receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown.

Junior running back Brian Marshall recorded a career day with 134 all-purpose yards, including 79 rushing yards on three carries, including a 48-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Wingate quarterback Cody Haffly capped his outstanding collegiate career, passing for 310 yards and three touchdowns. The two-time Harlon Hill Trophy regional finalist was harassed for most of the afternoon, being sacked eight times, including a TC single-game record four times by senior defensive end Terrence Smith. Smith, the reigning SAC Defensive Player of the Week, finished with eight tackles, including four for loss and forced a fumble in the first quarter to set up Tusculum's second score.

Tusculum jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the opening frame, sparked by rookie tight end Wesley Powell's first collegiate touchdown. Slaven found the 6-10, 255-pound Eclectic, Ala. product in the back of the end zone for the score. Freshman Logan Cornelius knocked home the extra point for a 7-0 lead at the 5:40 mark.

Wingate drove across midfield on its next possession, but Haffly was hit in the backfield by Terrence Smith, causing a fumble, which was recovered by TC's Brian Alexander at the WU 41. A pair of unsportsmanlike penalties moved the Pioneers inside the red zone, where Slaven found Mykelle Jones from 11 yards away and a 14-0 lead at the 3:05 mark of the period.

Wingate answered on its next drive, utilizing a pair of 15-yard penalties against Tusculum, and capping the drive with a nine-yard scoring pass from Haffly to Chris Bowden to trim the deficit to 14-7 heading into the second quarter.

Neither team dented the scoreboard in the second quarter, with both teams fending off scoring threats. Tusculum drove all the way to the Wingate one-yard line, but the Bulldogs held and forced Tusculum to attempt a field goal, which Cornelius pulled left. Wingate drove into Tusculum territory, but the Bulldogs fumbled at the TC 16, which was forced by Luke Harris and recovered by LiRonta Archie.

The Pioneers posted a pair of scores in the third quarter on a pair of TD passes from Slaven. On fourth-down and nine from the WU30, Slaven converted on a 24-yard pass to Carter to the WU 6. Fred Jones would take a six-yard swing pass and punch it in from there for a 21-7 Tusculum lead.

After a four-and-out by Wingate, Tusculum opened its next possession with three running plays from rookie B.J. Spradlin, including a 32-yard scamper to the WU 38. Tusculum would be penalized 10 yards for holding and Slaven would be sacked by Nick Napolitano for a seven-yard loss to the WU 43. But on third down and long, Slaven complete a 33-yard pass to Carter to the WU 10. Slaven would call Carter's number again as he lobbed pass to the right corner of the end zone where Carter out-jumped the Wingate defenders for the 10-yard score for his eighth touchdown of the season (T4th in TC history) and 23rd of his career (2nd in TC history).

Trailing 28-7 in the third quarter, Wingate answered with a 12-play, 83-yard drive, capped off by Haffly's 12-yard scoring strike to Bowden in the middle of the end zone with 43 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Early in the fourth quarter, Marshall took a pitch to the right sideline and sprinted 48 yards to pay dirt and a 35-14 lead with 13:09 remaining in the contest.

The Tusculum defense held the Bulldogs at bay on their next two possessions, including a sack by Aaron Morgan on fourth down at the WU 33 with 9:04 left on the clock, Marshall busted a 30-yard run to the WU three-yard line. The offense would stall near the goal line, but Cornelius connected on a 19-yard field goal and a 38-14 lead with six minutes left. Haffly added a seven-yard TD pass to Josh Clawson on its next possession, but that would be as close as Wingate would get.

The Pioneers out-gained the Bulldogs offensively by a 474-334 margin. Tusculum also won the time of possession battle (34:35-25-25), while limiting Wingate to just 24 rushing yards on the afternoon.

Bowden finished the game with 134 receiving yards on eight catches, including a pair of touchdowns.

Harris led the Pioneers with his 10-tackle performance, followed by Terrence Smith's eight hits. Brian Alexander, Dustin Lane and senior Justin Arrington finished with five tackles each, while Darien Crank and senior Boomer Brown added four apiece.

Wingate's Jarvis Smith led all tacklers with 16 stops, including two for loss, while Richie Kasazian and Jared Seats added 11 and nine tackles, respectively.

Tusculum snaps a three-game losing streak, while also posting its first win over the Bulldogs in three seasons.

Terrence Smith wraps up his Tusculum career with 19 sacks, which are tied for second most in school history. He has also accounted for 42 tackles for loss, which are fifth in TC history.

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