GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum's Kemani Brown completed a two-point conversion pass to his brother Zaron Collins for the game-winner as the Pioneers defeated 25th-ranked Mars Hill 29-27 in double overtime as TU punched its ticket for next week's South Atlantic Conference championship game.
Tusculum (6-4, 6-2 SAC) claims a share of its second Mountain Division title and will face Piedmont Division winner and nationally-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne next Saturday at Pioneer Field beginning at 4 p.m. (new start time).
One of the stars of the defensive slugfest was TU senior defensive back Jermaine Witherspoon who returned a fumble for a 23-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 14-14. He also recorded his 10th career interception, forced a fumble and totaled seven tackles as the Pioneers recorded its second win over a nationally-ranked opponent this season.
Tusculum got the ball to start the first overtime period and on third down and goal, quarterback Matthew Palazzo completed a two-yard toss to tight end Will Shellenback for the touchdown. Matthew Pope's extra point gave Tusculum its first lead of the game at 21-14.
On the extra point, Mars Hill (7-2, 6-2 SAC) was penalized for a personal foul and an unsportsmanlike conduct call and would start their overtime possession at their own 45. The Lions converted on a fourth down and eight play when quarterback JR Martin scrambled for a nine-yard gain to extend the drive. Three plays later, Martin scrambled to his right and completed a 41-yard strike to Ja'Hari Mitchell in the corner of the end zone for the score. Lon Teachey's kick knotted the game at 21-21 and sent the contest to a second overtime.
Mars Hill carried the momentum and took four plays before Martin rushed in from two yards out to put the Lions back out in front at 27-21. The big play of the drive was a 21-yard completion to Beau DeBerry. MHU's two-point try was unsuccessful as the Lions remained on top by six.
On Tusculum's second OT possession, after an incompletion, Palazzo ran the ball for an eight-yard gain and came up a yard short on third down to set up a critical fourth down and short. Palazzo's number was called again and was stopped initially at the MHU 16 but moved the pile forward two yards for the first down. Palazzo then completed a 12-yard pass to Reginald Hunter to the MHU 2. Palazzo would score on a quarterback-keeper to the end zone and tie the game at 27-27. On the two-point try, Palazzo threw a lateral to Kemani Brown who rolled to his left and found his brother Zaron Collins in the left corner of the end zone for the game-winner.
Palazzo accounted for three touchdowns on the afternoon as he passed for 219 yards and two scores, while also ran for a team-high 30 yards and his TU-leading seventh rushing TD of the season.
Martin passed for 258 yards and a touchdown as he went 19-of-42 through the air and also rushed for a pair of scores. Martin was sacked five times and was intercepted twice in the red zone, for only his fourth and fifth picks of the season.
Tusculum's Ryan Dolce recorded seven solo tackles including the forced fumble which Witherspoon scooped up and ran in for the game-tying touchdown. Dolce also had a sack and a fumble recovery in the contest.
Wesley Scott accounted for seven tackles including a sack, while Jordan Taylor had five solo hits and his third interception of 2023.
Mars Hill linebacker and league-leading tackler Landon Honeycutt finished with 15 tackles including two for loss and sack. The MHU duo of Dexter Fitzpatrick and Jake Watson added seven stops each.
The Lions scored 14 points on Tusculum's three interceptions including on TU's opening drive of the game. The Pioneers moved the ball to midfield but Palazzo was intercepted by Daquan Carter and returned the pick 41 yards to the TU 18. Martin rushed for nine yards and Jon Gullette ran into the end zone for a nine-yard touchdown to give the Lions a 7-0 at the 10:59 mark of the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter with Mars Hill at their own 49, Martin completed a pass to Wilkes Riggins to the TU 37. But on the play, Witherspoon jarred the ball lose and was recovered by Dolce.
But the Pioneers turned ball over on the first play of the ensuing drive as TU attempted a double-pass by running back Lanadrick Bradley was intercepted by Neil Vertilus and returned the turnover to the MHU 43. Mars Hill would get to the TU 30, but a holding penalty moved the ball back 10 yards and the Lions could never catch up with the chains. Witherspoon's interception, his fourth of the season, stopped the drive at the TU 13. The teams would head to the locker room with Mars Hill leading 7-0.
In the second half, after the Lions went three-and-out, Tusculum would move into Mars Hill territory, but Carter would come up with his second interception of the game to stop the TU drive as MHU took over at their own 47.
On the next play, Martin down the sideline for a 43-yard gain to the TU 10. Back-to-back unsportsmanlike penalties on Tusculum moved the ball to the one-yard line. Martin would run up the middle untouched at the 10:51 mark of the quarter as MHU extended the lead to 14-0.
The Pioneers went three-and-out and Mars Hill was looking to add to its lead but the drive stalled at the TU 39. MHU punter Hunter Bridges was looking to rugby kick the ball but he was tackled in the backfield by Robert Allen for a five-yard loss as TU took over on downs.
Palazzo completed a 26-yard pass to Bradley to the MHU 30. Two plays later, Palazzo found Bradley on a wheel-route for a 25-yard touchdown and put the Pioneers on the board with 6:37 left in the quarter.
Mars Hill got into Tusculum territory on the next possession, but Martin went for the end zone from 33 yards away and Taylor came up with the interception to stop the drive.
The Lions would take the 14-7 lead into the fourth quarter before Witherspoon scored the game-tying score on Tusculum's first defensive touchdown of the year.
Neither team could mount a legitimate scoring threat until the final minute of regulation when the Lions got the ball back with 23 seconds on the clock at the MHU 43.
Gullette ran for 12 yards on the first play to move into Tusculum territory at the TU 45. A nine-yard completion from Malik Laurent moved the ball to the TU 36 as the Lions went out of bounds to stop the clock. Gullette rushed for 10 yards and got out of bounds at the TU 26 with two seconds on the clock. Teachey came on to attempt a game-winning 43-yard field goal, but his kick went wide left to set the table for the overtime drama.
Mars Hill out-gained the Pioneers by a 356-317 margin as both teams rushed for 98 yards apiece.
Laurent led the Lions in receiving as he made eight catches for 88 yards. Tyler Burke accounted for a team-high five receptions for 32 yards.
Mars Hill was penalized 11 times for 126 yards, while the Pioneers were flagged on 10 occasions for 86 yards. TU went 8-of-21 on third down, while MHU was held to 4-of-16 on its third down tries.
Pope averaged 40.2 yards on his nine punt attempts, while MHU's Bridges averaged 38.9 yards per boot on his eight punts.
Witherspoon's 10 career interceptions are the fourth-most in program history and moves into a tie with former TU great and current Atlanta Falcons' defensive back Dee Alford (2016-2019).
Next Saturday will set up a rematch with Lenoir-Rhyne as the two teams met in the SAC Championship game in the COVID spring season of 2021. Tusculum won that game, 28-23 in Hickory.
