Eagles Claim 20th South Atlantic Conference Title
Nov. 1, 2008
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - The Carson-Newman football team secured at least a share of the 20th South Atlantic Conference title in school history with a 35-33 victory over No. 16 Wingate at Burke-Tarr Stadium Saturday afternoon.
The game ended when Wingate quarterback J.D. Moore completed a seven-yard pass to Delric Ellington at the Carson-Newman 12-yard line and the Bulldogs were unable to attempt a game-winning field goal before time expired.
The two teams combined for 960 yards of total offense. Carson-Newman (7-2, 5-1 SAC) racked up 532 on 69 offensive plays, including 363 yards on the ground. Junior running back Buck Wakefield had a career day with 223 yards and four touchdowns on 20 carries. Ricky Harris added 87 yards on 10 carries.
Carson-Newman quarterback Alex Good completed 9-of-12 passes for 159 yards and one touchdown. Otis Miller caught four passes for 101 yards, while Reggie Hubbard added three catches for 39 yards and a score. Good went out in the third quarter with a dislocated thumb, but returned late in the game.
Wingate (7-2, 4-2 SAC) totaled 428 yards, with 289 of those coming on 23-of-50 passing effort from the senior Moore. Shawn Barrett was on the receiving end nine times for 117 yards. Ellington and Philip Thomas added four grabs apiece, with Ellington catching a touchdown.
Nelson Woods led the Bulldogs on the ground with 85 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Vince Jordan and Moore also recorded a rushing touchdown apiece.
Carson-Newman overcame four fumbles and converted just four-of-11 third-down tries. Wingate started the game with six consecutive third-down conversions, but was just 1-of-11 the rest of the game.
Wingate scored on five of its first six possessions, including three straight touchdowns to begin the game. Jordan opened the scoring with a 40-yard dash up the right side just four minutes in.
After an eight-yard touchdown run by Wakefield, Ellington and Woods each rushed for scores to give Wingate a 21-7 advantage at the 9:29 mark of the second quarter.
Wakefield rushed for his second touchdown of the day three minutes later, before Wingate kicker Michael Crutchfield booted field goals of 41 and 35 yards in the final 1:10 of the half to make the score 27-14 at intermission.
Carson-Newman took the second-half kickoff and marched 60 yards in just five plays to set up a one-yard score by Wakefield. After a Wingate turnover on the ensuing kickoff, Good hooked up with Hubbard for a 21-yard scoring strike to give the Eagles their first lead at 28-27.
Wingate regained the lead later in the quarter on a one-yard touchdown by Moore, but Wakefield answered the call with a 70-yard jaunt to make the final score.
The Bulldogs marched into Carson-Newman territory three times in the fourth quarter but were unable to take advantage. Wingate reached the C-N 32 yard-line the first time, but an intentional grounding penalty pushed them out of field goal range. Carson-Newman's Corey Parks ended the next Wingate drive with an interception of Moore at the C-N 31.
After Carson-Newman failed on a fourth-down try at the Wingate 37 with 43 seconds left in the game, three Moore completions and a 15-yard face mask penalty on the Eagles set the Bulldogs up in field goal range before the time expired.
Revel Coffey and Elliette Jackson were each in on 11 tackles for Carson-Newman, while Brian Brown and Lasanio Smalls each had 1.5 tackles for a loss. Zeke Andrews recovered a fumble.
Greg Harmon had nine solo tackles and eight assists for Wingate, while Ben Hinson was in on 15 stops. Morris Gatewood, Ed Doughty and Sean Jones each had a fumble recovery.
