GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tusculum University Football Team (7-1, 5-1 SAC) had a 21-point third quarter on its way to a 35-9 win over visiting Emory & Henry College (4-4, 3-3 SAC) Saturday afternoon in a South Atlantic Conference Mountain Division matchup. The Pioneers maintain their hold on a portion of first place in the division.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Tusculum 35, Emory & Henry 9
LOCATION – Greeneville, Tennessee
VENUE – Pioneer Field
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (4-4, 3-3 SAC); Tusculum (7-1, 5-1 SAC)
How It Happened
After a scoreless first quarter, the Wasps got on the board at the 13:18 mark of the second on a 38-yard field goal by freshman Trace Butcher (Dacula, Ga.).
Back-to-back punts gave the Pioneers the ball on their own 22 yardline. On the first play of the drive, Tre Simmons hit Mekhai Johnson with a 78-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown and the 7-3 advantage. The score would hold through the intermission.
Tusculum started the third with a punt but on E&H's third play from scrimmage, junior quarterback Kyle Short's (Lebanon, Ohio) pass was intercepted and returned 35 yards for a touchdown. TU's next drive went 84 yards in nine plays capped by a five-yard romp by Johnson, making the score 21-3. The Pioneers pushed the advantage to 28-3 at the 2:55 mark with a third-straight touchdown, this time as Simmons linked up with Tyler Burke from 35-yards out.
Midway through the fourth, the Wasps got back on the board. Relying heavily on the run, E&H marched down the field 80 yards in 11 plays capped by a seven-yard scamper by redshirt freshman Charles Mutter (King George, Va.). Butcher's point-after attempt was no good as Emory & Henry made it a 28-9 contest.
TU capped the scoring on the next possession. Simmons piloted the Pioneers down the field and found paydirt with his third touchdown pass of the day, again connecting with Burke for an 11-yard score and the 35-9 final margin.
Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
Short and Mutter combined for 115 yards on 10-for-29 passing, throwing three interceptions. Mutter was the Wasps' leading rusher with 40 yards on six carries and the team's lone touchdown. Freshman running back Justin Hill (Dallas, N.C.) had 39 yards while senior running back Mykah English (Roanoke, Va.) tacked on 22 yards.
Six different players caught passes led by fifth-year wide receiver Kashawn Cosey (Chattanooga, Tenn.) with three receptions for 34 yards. Freshman wideout Jaylin Mitchell (Portsmouth, Va.) caught two balls for 29 yards while junior receiver Jermawn Ford (District Heights, Md.) added two catches for 18 yards.
Fifth-year linebacker Ivan Phillips (Kingsport, Tenn.) led the way with eight tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass defended while sophomore linebacker A.J. Burgess (Roxboro, N.C.) tacked on seven stops. Junior defensive back Addison Knicely (Mount Crawford, Va.) added five tackles and an interception with redshirt freshman defensive back Nehemiah Scott (Richmond, Va.) posting five stops of his own.
Tusculum Individual Leaders
Simmons was 15-for-27 on the afternoon for 307 yards and three touchdowns and an interception. He linked up with eight different players on the afternoon as Burke was the leading receiver with five catches for 72 yards and two touchdowns.
Johnson averaged 9.8 yards per carry with 78 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He equaled his rushing tally receiving, making the most of his only catch for a 78-yard score. Maurice Gomillion posted 54 yards rushing on eight attempts.
Wesley Scott paced the Pioneers' defense with nine tackles, an interception return for a touchdown and a quarterback hurry. Trey Trawick posted eight tackles including three for a loss and broke up a pass. Andrae Robinson and Jordan Taylor each notched interceptions while Chris Smith defended an additional pair of passes.
A Deeper Look
Tusculum outgained E&H by a 463-210 margin. The Pioneers picked up 314 of their yards through the air, averaging 10.8 yards per pass. Emory & Henry put a balanced offense forward with 115 passing yards and 95 rushing yards but three turnovers were detrimental to production.
The Wasps converted 31 percent (5-of-16) of their third-down opportunities, compared to just 3-of-12 (25%) for the Pioneers. TU earned 17 first downs on the afternoon, however, compared to just 15 for E&H.
Emory & Henry found itself back on the positive end of time of possession, holding the ball for 33:22.
Up Next
Emory & Henry returns to Fred Selfe Stadium next Saturday to host Carson-Newman University in its final home contest of the year at 1:00 p.m. The game will also serve as Senior Day for the Wasps.
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