SALISBURY, N.C. --- Tusculum University forced four turnovers, including three interceptions in which two were returned for touchdowns as the Pioneers routed host Catawba College 50-17 Saturday at Shuford Stadium in South Atlantic Conference football action.
Tusculum (3-1, 1-1 SAC) amassed 509 yards offensively led by quarterback Tre Simmons who rushed for a career-high 122 yards including a 44-yard touchdown. He also went 16-of-28 for 156 yards and a TD, his eighth of the season.
The Pioneers 37-point win over the Catawba Indians (1-3, 0-2 SAC) is the largest margin of victory in the history of the series which began in 1996.
The Pioneers rushed for 351 yards in the game, its first 300-yard rushing game since running for 366 yards in TU's last win at Catawba in 2019.
Ryan Dolce forced a fumble and returned an interception for a 72-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
Twin brothers Andrae and Adrian Robinson became the first Tusculum siblings to each record an interception in the same game in program history. Both picks came in the fourth quarter including Andrae, whose pick-six went a school-record 97 yards.
The Pioneers also established a team single-game record with 175 interception return yards, which surpasses the previous mark of 126 against Lenoir-Rhyne in 2004.
Both teams had turnover issues early in the game. Dolce forced a fumble and was recovered by Andrae Robinson at the CAT 27. But TU would give it back five plays later when Simmons was intercepted by Stephens just shy of the goal line.
The Pioneers forced a three-and-out and the Catawba punt was returned by TU's Eddie Watson for 34 yards to the CAT 23. TU's Mekhai Johnson would punch it in from two yards out. Tusculum's two-point conversion try came up short as TU led 6-0 at the 6:34 mark of the opening quarter.
Catawba's Kujuan Pryor had the answer for the home team with his 95-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. Clayton Crile's extra-point made it a 7-6 lead for the Indians.
The teams would go three-and-out on their next possessions. The Pioneers would retake the lead for good when Cortney Jackson ran to the left for a 67-yard touchdown. Juan Villasenor's kick made it a 13-7 Tusculum lead with 59 seconds left in the quarter.
After another three-and-out by Catawba, Tusculum went to ground game as Johnson rumbled for a 37-yard gain, followed by a 34-yard scramble from Simmons to move to the CAT 6. Two plays later, Simmons found Kemani Brown for a five-yard TD pass to move the lead to 20-7.
Catawba responded with a 10-play drive which stalled at the TU 36. Crile came aboard and connected on a school-record 53-yard field goal to trim the deficit to 20-10 with 8:25 remaining in the half.
Tusculum marched to the CAT 1 on their next possession, but negative rushes for minus-three yards and a sack on third down, forced the Pioneers to settle for a 30-yard field goal by Villasenor.
Tusculum's Trejen Fox-Birdwell came up with a sack late in half on third down as TU called a timeout with 1:23 on the scoreboard. The ensuing punt by Catawba was blocked by TU's Daryl Smith as the Pioneers took over at the CAT 9. Tusculum would be unable to punch it into the end zone, but Villasenor connected on his 21-yard field goal as the Pioneers went into the locker room leading 26-10.
Tusculum took the opening possession of the second half and went 73 yards on 15 plays before Villasenor hit his third straight field goal, a 19-yarder as TU led 29-10.
Dolce picked off Jacobs and rumbled 72 yards up the sideline for the touchdown and a 36-10 advantage with 5:45 left in the third quarter.
Simmons scored on his 44-yard run midway in the fourth quarter before Andrae Robinson's 97-yard interception return for a TD capped the scoring for the Pioneers.
Johnson finished the game with 92 rushing yards on nine carries, Jackson rushed for 79 yards and Maurice Gomillion had nine carries for 57 yards.
Villasenor went 3-for-4 on field goals and 5-of-5 on extra points to finish with 14 points, which are tied for the third-most by a Pioneer kicker.
Tusculum punter Andrew Cantrell averaged 44.5 yards per punt on his two attempts including a long of 52 yards.
Dolce finished the game with six tackles and a quarterback hurry, while Chris Stevenson tallied six stops. Andrae Robinson and Trey Trawick had five hits apiece while the trio of Jordan Smith, Jamichael Wilson and Fox-Birdwell had four tackles each.
The Pioneers will make their first-ever trip to Barton College next Saturday for a 2 p.m. kickoff in Wilson, North Carolina.
