Eagles Wrap Up 2010 Season on Saturday at Tusculum
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — After last week’s disappointing loss to Lenoir-Rhyne, the Carson-Newman football team will attempt to close out its season on a positive note on Saturday against South Atlantic Conference rival Tusculum.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — After last week's disappointing loss to Lenoir-Rhyne, the Carson-Newman football team will attempt to close out its season on a positive note on Saturday against South Atlantic Conference rival Tusculum.
The Eagles and Pioneers are set to square off at 1:30 p.m. at Pioneer Field in Greeneville, Tenn.
C-N head coach Ken Sparks is interested to see how his squad responds after last Saturday's 52-14 loss, which was the Eagles' first to the Bears during the Sparks era.
"I think we all realized that none of us did it the way we were supposed to do it (against Lenoir-Rhyne)," Sparks said. "We have one more game to play and maybe finish this year in a way that when we think back on it we can remember it on a positive note instead of like we did on Saturday."
"We have to rally and see if we can't at least play hard. If you line up long enough, you are going to get beat some, but there is never a reason not to play hard. Our goal is always play the very best we can play. That's what we want to do Saturday is just play the best we can play and do it for the right reasons and see what happens."
The Eagles (6-4, 4-2) will be facing a Tusculum team that has won two straight contests, including a 54-44 shootout with Catawba last week. The Pioneers enter the game at 6-4 overall and 2-4 in SAC play.
"They are on a roll and we are not," Sparks stated. "They are improving in areas, and I thought we were until last week. They certainly have a whole lot going for them. Tusculum will be excited about playing Saturday, and I hope we will as well."
C-N's defense will receive one of its toughest challenges of the season on Saturday against a Tusculum offense that is among the nation's best. The Pioneers are first nationally in passing offense (427.4 yards per game), fifth in total offense (489.5) and 10th in scoring offense (39.1 points per game).
Sophomore quarterback Bo Cordell has been the major part of the Pioneers' success this season. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native has thrown for more than 400 yards in nine consecutive games, which is a new SAC record and one of the longest streaks in NCAA history. Cordell's 4,258 passing yards is also a new league record and seventh most in NCAA Division II history. He leads the nation, averaging 425.8 yards per game, which leads all NCAA divisions and is second best in Division II history.
"He's setting all kinds of national records and is leading the nation and probably breaking every record there is to break throwing the football," Sparks said. "When you watch the film, you can see why. He's got great receivers, they are protecting him very well and he can throw the ball real well. He's a great football player."
Defensively, the Pioneers have struggled this season as they rank seventh in the conference in total defense, giving up 409 yards per game.
Last season, the Eagles knocked off Tusculum, 70-35, in a game that saw the two offenses combine for 1,300 yards, including a school-record 803 yards of total offense by C-N. The Eagles lead the all-time series 29-9-2. Tusculum defeated C-N, 45-44, in the teams' last meeting at Pioneer Field in 2008.
