MARS HILL, N.C. --- Deon Hicks hauled in a 21-yard touchdown pass from Kyle Dickey with 33.5 seconds remaining to rally Tusculum College to a 38-35 win at Mars Hill University, Saturday afternoon at the Ammons Family Athletic Center and Meares Stadium.

The Pioneers (6-5, 4-3 SAC) scored 15 unanswered points in the final two minutes to fight off a 35-23 deficit en route to securing sole possession of third place in the South Atlantic Conference. Tusculum rallied from a 1-4 start to the season to win its last four games and five of its final six to clinch the program's first winning campaign since 2010.

Mars Hill (4-6, 3-4 SAC) wraps up its season finishing in a four-way tie for fourth place in the league.

Senior quarterback Kyle Dickey established career-bests with 311 passing yards and four touchdowns. He orchestrated three fourth quarter scoring drives as Tusculum rallied from a 35-23 deficit with 3:29 remaining in the contest.

Senior Johnathan Diliberto was Dickey's top target on the day as he finished with seven receptions for a career-high 189 yards and two touchdowns. Hicks posted three grabs for 54 yards to wrap up his collegiate career. Dickey went 15-fof-25 with two interceptions and was sacked six times, while also rushing for 30 yards on 17 attempts, including several key runs in the fourth quarter.

Mars Hill quarterback Trent Miller threw for 285 yards and two touchdowns, while running back Jamel Harbison ran for 181 yards on 41 carries and two touchdowns. Miller went 15-of-32 through the air.

Mars Hill outgained Tusculum in total offensive yardage by a 513-465 margin, while dominating time of possession holding onto the football 19 minutes more than the Pioneers.

The Lions jumped out to its largest lead of the game at 35-23 when Miller found Lyle Allen in the end zone from eight yards out with 3:29 to go in the contest. But on the extra point, Mars Hill was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct moving the football back 15 yards on the ensuing kickoff.

TC took advantage and returned the ball to the Tusculum 43-yard line. Dickey called his own number on back-to-back plays scrambling for runs of 14 and 11 yards into MHU territory. On third down and 11, Dickey completed a pass to Diliberto across the middle of the field and sprinted in for a 28-yard touchdown with 2:08 remaining. Logan Cornelius' kick trimmed the deficit to 35-30.

Tusculum attempted an on-side kick, but was recovered by the Lions at the MHU 37. Following a pair of running plays that moved the football four yards to the MHU 41, the Pioneers used its final two timeouts of the game. On third down and six with 1:54 remaining, the Lions ran a play action pass as Miller went over the middle down field to a sprinting Lyle Allen, but the pass was deflected stopping the clock.

The snap on the ensuing punt was bobbled but MHU's Michael Ashley got the kick away but was downed at the TC 37 with 1:38 to go.

The Dickey to Diliberto combination worked for a 17-yard gain to get into MHU territory at the 46-yard line. Dickey looked to go to Diliberto again down the far sideline, but the Lions where called for pass interference as the Pioneers got the ball at the MHU 31.

Completions of eight and seven yards moved the ball to the 16-yard line, but on the next play Dickey was sacked for a loss of five yards as the clock continued to tick down. The clock stopped on an incomplete pass and on third down and 15, Dickey found Deon Hicks in coverage as he made an acrobatic catch and leaped into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown with 33.5 seconds left. With its first lead of the afternoon, Tusculum went for the two-point conversion as Dickey completed the pass to Diliberto as the Pioneers led 38-35.

Mars Hill took over at its 26-yard line with 26.7 seconds on the scoreboard and with all three of its timeouts left.

Miller completed a 21-yard pass Harbison across the middle and was stopped by Akeem Peoples as the MHU 47 as the Lions called its first timeout with 18.1 seconds remaining. Miller threw three incomplete passes but the third was broken up by Peoples. Following a timeout with 5.1 seconds left, on fourth and 10, Miller threw a Hail Mary down the far sideline for Keshaun Taylor, who went high into the air, but the pass was incomplete as the clock expired.

Mars Hill took the opening kickoff and marched 68 yards in nine plays as Marquez Williams capped the drive with a two-yard TD run. Tyler Stewart's kick gave MHU a 7-0 lead at the 11:12 mark of the quarter.

On TC's second offensive play, Dickey completed an 87-yard strike to Diliberto 44 seconds later to tie the game. The 87-yarder is the third longest passing completion in school history and the third 80-plus yard catch of his career as he owns three of the top-four pass completions in program history.

Tusculum fumbled on its next possession which was recovered by Mars Hill near midfield. The Lions took advantage of the miscue and later took the lead again following Harbison's three-yard scoring run at the 3:54 mark of the quarter and a 14-7 advantage.

Tusculum responded with a seven-play, 70-yard scoring drive that was set up by a 26-yard run by D.J. Haney. Dickey found senior tight end Wesley Powell in the left corner of the end zone, making a one handed catch with a MHU defender on his back to tie the score at 14-14 with 1:17 to go in the frame.

Mars Hill drove into Tusculum territory on its next possession, but the Pioneers' Deres Benn intercepted Miller at the TC 27.

TC running back Fernando Smith rumbled for runs of 20 and 10 yards, respectively to get across midfield to the MHU 43. But Trey Clark would pick off Dickey at the MHU 18 as the Lions took over from there.

Nine plays later, Harbison ran in from nine yards out to cap an 82-yard march as Lions regained the lead at 21-14 with 8:20 remaining in the second quarter. The big play of the drive was a 37-yard completion to Taylor to set up Harbison's touchdown.

Mars Hill would miss a 35 yard field, while Dickey was intercepted a second time for TC's third turnover of the half as the two teams headed to the locker room with the Lions holding onto a 21-14 lead.

Tusculum went three and out on its first possession of the second half, while Mars Hill faked a punt near midfield as Michael Ashley was stopped a foot short at the MHU 47.

The Pioneers got to the MHU 6, but Dickey was sacked on third down, forcing the Pioneers to settle for a Cornelius 28-yard field goal to trim the deficit to 21-17.

The score would remain that way until early in the fourth quarter as Mars Hill put together an 11-play, 65-yard possession as Miller found Chris Trimmings in the right side of end zone as the Lions led 28-17 with 11:58 left in regulation.

Dickey and the Pioneers answered with a scoring drive of its own as TC went nine plays and covered 52 yard in 3:17 as Haney rushed for 32 yards of its, including his five-yard touchdown plunge at the 8:39 mark of the quarter. On the second play of the drive, Dickey was sacked for a 10-yard loss, but MHU defensive tackle Christiaan Davis was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct following the play to extend the drive. Down 28-23, Tusculum went for the two-point conversion, but Dickey's pass to Powell was caught out of bounds.

The two teams recorded 25 first downs each as Tusculum went 8-of-12 on third down, while the Lions were successful 11-of-18 times on its third down tries.

Defensively, the Tusculum duo of Mike Mosah and Akeem Peoples recorded 10 tackles each, while D'Andre Johnson finished with nine stops and a tackle for loss. Senior defensive end Caushaud Lyons posted five tackles, including two for loss in his Tusculum finale.

- TC -