Carson-Newman Upends UNC Pembroke, 35-22

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. -- Carson-Newman senior running back Buck Wakefield (Drummonds, Tenn.) showed no signs of rust in his first game of the season on Saturday as he rushed for 125 yards and three scores, leading the Eagles to a 35-22 win over UNC Pembroke at Burke-Tarr Stadium.

Wakefield, who returned after missing the Eagles' first three contests with a broken leg, also caught three passes for 47 yards.

With the win, C-N improves to 2-2 on the season, while the Braves fall to 3-1. The loss snapped a 10-game UNC Pembroke winning streak.

"Carson-Newman is back," Eagles head coach Ken Sparks said. "We've always said that we can't beat ourselves. It was exciting that we didn't and it keeps our playoff hopes alive. We have to win the rest of them. If we don't, we're rolling the dice."

"We were playing a good football team that hadn't lost in 10 games and didn't expect to lose today. When people come in here and think they're going to have an easy time, our guys need to do something about that."

The Eagles won the battle between the tackles for a third-straight week as they amassed 322 rushing yards. C-N has averaged 349 rushing yards per game in its last three contests. The Eagles finished the day with 395 yards of total offense, while UNC Pembroke had 392 yards.

Senior running back Ricky Harris (Perry, Ga.) carried the ball six times for 68 yards for the Eagles, while Nate Inman (Fitzgerald, Ga.) added 54 yards and a score. C-N quarterback Alex Good (Greensboro, N.C.) had 43 yards rushing and a score and also finished with 73 yards passing.

Junior quarterback Corey Smith led the Braves, completing 19-of-30 passes for 217 yards and a touchdown. Travis Daniels had 13 carries for 89 yards to lead the UNC Pembroke rushing attack.

C-N came out strong in the first quarter, scoring on its second possession of the day. A 36-yard punt return by Reggie Hubbard (Chattanooga, Tenn.) set the Eagles up at the Braves 47. C-N needed just five plays from there to find the end zone, as Wakefield capped the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run. Wakefield carried the ball four times for 38 yards on the drive.

Carlos Lopez's (Seymour, Tenn.) extra point gave C-N a 7-0 lead with 7:25 left in the first quarter.

The Eagles added to their lead early in the second quarter when Wakefield scored his second touchdown of the day on a 3-yard run to cap a 10-play, 80-yard drive, giving C-N a 14-0 lead with 12:39 remaining in the half. Neither team threatened the rest of the half, as the Eagles went into the locker room with a two-touchdown lead.

UNC Pembroke cut into C-N's lead on the opening possession of the second half. Taylor Baskett's 21-yard field goal wrapped up a 12-play, 77-yard drive and pulled the Braves to within 14-3 with 9:38 left in the third stanza.

C-N answered on the ensuing possession, however, needing just five plays to drive 60 yards for a score. A 49-yard run by Wakefield gave the Eagles the ball on the Braves 2. Good punched it in the end zone from there, giving C-N a 21-3 advantage.

The Braves made things interesting by scoring touchdowns on their next two possessions. Keith Gore and Adrian Williams scored on runs of 3 and 1 yard, respectively, to pull UNC Pembroke to within 21-16 with 11:25 remaining.

But the Eagles fired back with back-to-back touchdowns, as Wakefield scored his third touchdown of the game on a 4-yard run on the ensuing possession, and Inman added a 15-yard touchdown run to give the Eagles a 35-16 cushion with 1:59 left in the game.

Smith connected with Jamelle Banks for a 16-yard touchdown pass to trim C-N's lead to 35-22, but time had expired, preserving the win for the Eagles.

C-N returns to action next Saturday as it opens South Atlantic Conference play at home against Newberry. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Burke-Tarr Stadium. C-N will be participating in the NCAA promotion Take A Kid to the Game. All children 12 and under will receive free admission to the game.