WILSON, N.C. --- The Tusculum Pioneers overcame a 13-point deficit and turned away a pair of potential go-ahead field goals in the final two minutes including a 50-yarder with 18 seconds left as TU held on for a thrilling 14-13 win at Barton College Thursday night in South Atlantic Conference football action at Truist Stadium.
The game, originally scheduled for Saturday, was moved up 48 hours due to the projected path of Hurricane Ian.
Tusculum (4-1, 2-1 SAC) is off to its best start since the 2010 season and remain undefeated on the road going 3-0. Barton drops to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in league play.
Tusculum trailed 13-0 at halftime but the Pioneers would score the final 14 points of the game including Mekhai Johnson's one-yard touchdown with 13:12 remaining which proved to be the game-winner. The 13-point deficit is the sixth-largest comeback in recorded TU history.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Barton converted on third down twice and drove to the TU 30 with 2:08 remaining. BC kicker Jackson Brooks attempted a 47-yard field goal to put the Bulldogs back in the lead. His kick was on line, but went just under the cross bar.
Tusculum took over but went three plays for minus-five yards and only used 1:07 off the clock as Barton used two of its timeouts. Andrew Cantrell's punt went out of bounds at the 50 yard-line as the Bulldogs took over with 1:01 remaining.
After a pair of incomplete passes, BC quarterback Jaquan Lynch scrambled for 16 yards and went out of bounds at the TU 34. Lynch's next two passes went incomplete and on third-and-10, Lynch would rush out of bounds at the TU 33 to give Brooks another chance at the win. His 50-yarder was long enough, but went wide left as Tusculum held on for the one-point victory.
The Bulldogs outgained the Pioneers in total offensive yardage by a 345-297 margin. Barton churned out 205 rushing yards led by Jordan Terrell's 171-yard effort on 28 carries including an 81-yard touchdown the Bulldogs' opening drive.
Johnson led the Pioneers offensively as he ran for 78 yards on eight carries and a touchdown. He also hauled in three catches for 23 yards. TU quarterback Tre Simmons went 16-of-30 for 187 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Lynch finished the game going 14-of-28 for 140 yards and a touchdown, while also running for 40 yards on 12 attempts.
Tusculum linebacker Wesley Scott had an outstanding game as he posted a season-high 14 tackles including a career-best three for loss. Jermaine Witherspoon added 11 tackles including seven solo hits with a pass break-up. Ryan Dolce had eight stops including one for loss, while Xavier Clemmons and Joslyn Mira finished with five tackles each including two apiece behind the line of scrimmage.
Andrae Robinson, the reigning SAC Defensive Player of the Week, accounted for five tackles including two key pass break-ups late in the game to preserve the Tusculum victory.
Barton linebacker Shane Perry tallied 14 tackles including two for loss and recovered a fumble. Jay Wheeler added eight tackles, while the trio of Matt Smith, Joseph Ledbetter and Alex Gowda had six tackles apiece. Ledbetter also made three tackles for loss, while Perry and Gowda tallied two tackles each behind the line of scrimmage.
For Terrell, 95 of his 171 rushing yards came on the opening three plays of the game, including his 81-yard scamper at the 9:04 mark of the first quarter. Brooks' extra-point made it a 7-0 lead for the home team.
On TU's next possession, the Pioneers would be forced to punt but the snap went over Cantrell's head. Cantrell was able to recover and got off a 13-yard punt to put the Bulldogs at their own 30.
Barton converted on third-and-10 twice and on fourth down to cap a 15-play, 70-yard drive which was capped off by a 17
Barton went 70 yards on 15 plays while using 8:35 off the clock, culminating with a Kameron Johnson 10-yard reception from Lynch for a 13-0 lead at the 13:18 mark of the second quarter. But Brooks extra-point was blocked by Tusculum defensive lineman Dajavon White and was picked up by TU's Lanadrick Bradley as came up 30 yards short of converting the defensive PAT.
Tusculum's offense moved the ball into Barton territory on its next two possessions, but committed a pair of turnovers to halt the momentum for the Pioneers. Johnson rambled 47 yards to the BC 9, but on the next play, Barton's Dionte Osbey forced a fumble and was recovered by Perry at the BC 15.
The Tusculum defense forced a three-and-out and after a punt, took over at the 50. The Pioneers got across midfield to the BC 44, but a holding penalty erased a long gain and Simmons was intercepted by Connor Stanley at the BC 25.
Late in the half, the Pioneers were pinned deep in their own territory. Cantrell got off a 51-yard punt as Barton took over at the BC 48 with 1:10 left. But on the first play from scrimmage, Lynch was intercepted by Montreal Henry at the BC 44.
Simmons scrambled for no gain on the first play, but was hit late out of bounds and Barton penalized 15 yards, moving the ball to the BC 29. Simmons completed passes of 8 and 15 yards to Johnson which the later coming with six seconds remaining from the BC 4. Tusculum called a timeout to set up the play, but the game clock started prematurely as Simmons' pass to the back of the end zone was incomplete. The play took four seconds, but with the early clock start, time ran out of the half as TU missed a prime scoring opportunity.
Barton would have to punt on its first possession as Tusculum took possession from the BC 49. After a loss of two yards on the first play, Simmons completed a 25-yard strike to Tyler Burke and followed with a 26-yard TD pass to Justice Parham for his 15th career touchdown. Juan Villasenor's extra point made it a 13-7 game with 11:47 left in the third quarter.
The teams would exchange punts on their next possessions including a 52-yarder by Cantrell as BC took over at their 22 with 8:44 left in the period. Barton moved into Tusculum territory and drove to the TU 23 before the drive stalled. Brooks came aboard to attempt the field goal, but the snap was high as the Bulldogs turned the ball over on downs at the TU 33.
On the final play of the quarter, Simmons completed a 41-yard pass to Burke who scampered to the BC 4. Heading into the final frame with first and goal at the four, Tusculum was whistled for a false start penalty. But on second down, Barton reciprocated with an offside penalty. TU would follow with another false start infraction setting up second-and-goal from the BC 9. Simmons completed an eight-yard pass to tight end Will Shellenback to the one-yard line. From there, Johnson plunged in from there for his team-leading fourth TD of the season to tie the game at 13-13. After another false start penalty, Villasenor still connected on the go-ahead kick as TU led for the first time, 14-13 with 13:12 left in the game.
Cantrell finished the game averaging 35.7 yards per punt, but had two punts inside the 20, his 68th and 69th of his career, which ties him for second all-time at Tusculum with former All-American John Gregory (2006-2009). Cantrell is one off the record set by his older brother Hunter from 2014-2017.
The Pioneers will play three of its next four games at home as Tusculum opens SAC Mountain Divisional play next Saturday (Oct. 8) when they host arch-rival Carson-Newman for a 1:30 p.m. contest at Pioneer Field.
