GREENWOOD, S.C. --- Rogan Wells threw for 417 yards and two touchdowns and TJ Jones ran for three scores as Tusculum University piled up 643 yards of total offense in a 47-7 win over Erskine College Saturday afternoon at Babb Stadium.
Wells, who sat out most of the fourth quarter, connected with Tyler Ajiero on touchdown passes of 33 and 53 yards, the latter on the final play of the first half as the Pioneers (2-1) took a 33-0 lead into halftime. The All-American graduate transfer from Valdosta State went 21-for-40 through the air, connecting with 10 different receivers, and also ran for a touchdown.
Jones scored on runs of 4, 3 and 7 yards to become the first Pioneer with three rushing touchdowns in a game since Lor'renzo Pratt against Carson-Newman on Oct. 27, 2018. Jones ran for 63 yards on 12 carries as part of a 153-yard performance on the ground by the Pioneers.
Tusculum's 643 total yards are the fourth-most in a single game in program history, and the most since amassing 665 yards against Mars Hill on Nov. 16, 2013. The 643 yards of offense are the most ever for the Pioneers in a road game.
Meanwhile, the Tusculum defense stopped Erskine on downs three times at the one-yard line before the Flying Fleet finally broke through on a two-yard run by backup quarterback Lance Brownlee with 1:37 left. The Pioneers held the Flying Fleet to 187 yards of total offense and just 72 yards rushing on 46 attempts.
Craig Pender, who was averaging 299 passing yards per game for the Flying Fleet, completed just 8-for-21 for 90 yards before being relieved by Brownlee, who was 2-for-6 for 30 yards.
The game was agreed upon just three days prior to kickoff, after both Erskine and Tusculum's scheduled opponents were forced to back out of their respective games. Erskine (1-3) reinstated football in 2018 and is playing its first varsity season since 1951.
Tusculum took the opening kickoff and drove 81 yards in nine plays, with a four-yard run from Jones giving the Pioneers a 6-0 lead with 12:08 left in the first quarter. After stopping the Flying Fleet on fourth-and-7 at their own 45, the Pioneers needed just two plays to take a 13-0 lead as Wells hit Ajiero for 33 yards with 8:47 to go in the first.
The Pioneers forced a Flying Fleet punt and a 21-yard return from Tory Ponder set up a short field, which resulted in a four-play, 35-yard drive that ended on a Jones seven-yard run for a 20-0 lead with 8:52 gone in the first quarter.
Erskine responded with its first sustained drive of the game, covering 69 yards in 12 plays, but Joslyn Mira forced a fumble by Rashad Luckey on fourth-and-goal at the 2 which the Flying Fleet could not advance. Tusculum would then march the length of the field in 11 plays, but a third-down pass from Wells was picked off in the end zone by Erskine's Jamal Barron.
Unfazed by the turnover, the Pioneer defense forced another punt and the offense needed just five plays and 40 yards to go up 27-0 on a 12-yard run by Wells with 7:44 left in the first half.
Late in the half, Tusculum forced another Erskine punt and took over at its 44-yard line with 15 seconds left. After a short pass to Jones and an deep incompletion left two seconds on the clock, Wells heaved a pass down the right side for Aijero, who made the catch at the 15 and dove into the end zone with no time remaining to send Tusculum to the locker room with a 33-0 lead.
Midway through the third quarter, Erskine gained possession on downs near midfield and drove to the Tusculum 1, but a fumble off a bad snap cost the Flying Fleet 17 yards on third down and a fourth-down pass to Senika McKie was caught out of bounds in the end zone.
A long completion from Wells to Jarvis Jones flipped the field, and TJ Jones punched it in from three yards out to extend Tusculum's lead to 40-0 with 4:55 to go in the third quarter. The Pioneers' final touchdown came in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, as a 47-yard catch and run by Maurice Gomillion was followed by Gomillion scoring untouched from two yards out for a 47-0 lead with 14:20 left.
Erskine had another chance from the 1 midway through the fourth, as a play ruled a catch and fumble by the Pioneers set up the Flying Fleet at the Tusculum 5. Three rushes left Erskine facing fourth down from the 1, and an incomplete pass kept the Fleet scoreless.
Erskine finally broke through with 1:37 left as a 13-play, 65-yard drive extended by a pair of third-down conversions and a penalty was capped by a 2-yard keeper by Brownlee. Tusculum nearly scored on the final play of the game, as quarterback Carter Everett hit Javon Brown down the middle for 59 yards to the Erskine 3.
Wells gained 38 yards on five carries for the Pioneers, with Alvin Barriner collecting 22 yards on six attempts and Gomillion rushing eight times for 33 yards and a score. Raphael Williams had five catches for 49 yards for the Pioneers.
McKie was the leading receiver for Erskine, making four grabs for 38 yards. Collin Whitfield ran for a team-high 48 yards on 10 carries for the Fleet, with Quay Chambers rushing 11 times for 47 yards.
Witherspoon led the Tusculum defense with seven tackles, while Jacques Jean-Baptiste and Nelson Louis each recorded two of the Pioneers' seven sacks. Jaelan Harfield and Barron each had seven tackles for the Fleet, with sacks credited to Carter Vest and Isaac Stenhouse.
Andrew Cantrell punted four times for an average of 35.8 yards for the Pioneers, with two punts inside the 20. Ponder averaged 12.8 yards on five punt returns.
Tusculum was successful on 7-for-15 on third down while Erskine was 4-for-17. The Pioneers ran 78 plays to 73 for the Fleet, alrhough Erskine had the advantage in time of possession by holding the ball for 33:04.
The Pioneers will play their 2021 spring home opener on Saturday, April 3 when Limestone University visits Pioneer Field for a 4 p.m. start. The Saints are 1-1 overall and 1-0 in the South Atlantic Conference.
