All three phases click, C-N rolls on Homecoming over UVA Wise 38-22
November 5, 2022

All three phases click, C-N rolls on Homecoming over UVA Wise 38-22

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (5-5, 4-4 South Atlantic Conference) scored 31 points before halftime while thriving on defense and special teams enroute to a 38-22 Homecoming and Senior Day win over UVA Wise (2-8, 1-7  SAC) Saturday at Burke-Tarr Stadium.

VIDEO: Mike Clowney Interview

VIDEO: Highlights

VIDEO: Major Williams Interview

VIDEO: Travaunta Abner Interview

VIDEO: Ivan Corbin Interview

VIDEO: Jake Cottle Interview 

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (5-5, 4-4 South Atlantic Conference) scored 31 points before halftime while thriving on defense and special teams enroute to a 38-22 Homecoming and Senior Day win over UVA Wise (2-8, 1-7  SAC) Saturday at Burke-Tarr Stadium.

The Eagles dominance on defense could be summed up in its starting field position in the first half. This is not a typo.  In nine first-half possessions, the Eagles started on average at the UVA Wise 37. 

"We always talk about how important special teams is primarily from a real estate standpoint," Carson-Newman head football coach Mike Clowney said. "We were able to get a couple things. The punt return team today was absolutely phenomenal—you get two returns, you get two blocks. And so that's really kinda telling the story from a field precision standpoint. The offense would take most of those and capitalize on them, but defense from start to finish again I thought did a great job today."

C-N used a pick, two punt blocks and two lengthy Major Williams (Fort Myers, Fla.) punt returns to dominate the battle for field position early. 

After trading punts early, Williams snapped off a 43-yard punt return to set the Eagles up with first and goal at the six.  C-N brought in its beefcake package with defensive linemen Jaheim Wilson (Athens, Ga.) and AJ Hunter (Union, S.C.) to road grade the Cavs for a one-yard Ivan Corbin (Warner Robbins, Ga.) touchdown plunge. That set the Eagles on the front foot 7-0 5:04 into the contest. 

It was Williams again providing the spark after a punt each way. On second and six from the Cav's 21, Wise QB Juwan Dent tried to hit an out route to the right sideline.  Williams leapt in front of the route and sprinted 28 yards the other way for the Eagles' second pick six in as many home games. 

Carson-Newman had scored seven first-quarter points in its previous five weeks combined. The Eagles doubled that up with a fast start against the Cavs. 

C-N forced a three-and-out on the ensuing Wise possession before Cam Hinson (Suwannee, Ga.) sprinted through and blocked a punt. Hinson recovered it at the 12 and a play later, Corbin called his own number on an option keeper to give C-N a 21-0 edge with 13:24 to play in the second. 

Carson-Newman's opening three scoring drives combined to cover a whopping 18 yards. 

The Eagles pieced together a nine-play, 53-yard trip that stalled out at the 20 before Christian Erwin (Clover, S.C.) pounded through a 37-yard field goal to make it 24-0. 

Williams' punt-return game once again clicked for the Eagles' final score of the half.  He brought this one back 28 yards to the Wise 30.  Three plays later, Corbin found Luke Simpson (Knoxville, Tenn.) running naked along the right side of the end zone for a 27-yard pitch and catch.  That sent the Eagles into the halftime locker room ahead 31-0.

Wise would rally in the second half.  Dent hit Joey Vandyke streaking down the middle of the field on a 23-yard pass on the Cavs opening possession.

C-N began to march down the field, but Corbin got popped and fumbled at the Cav 33. UVA Wise DB Robert Carter plucked the ball out of the sky and raced 67 yards the other way to pull the Cavs within two scores (two TDs, plus two, two-point conversions) following Dent's pass to Daniel Davis. That made it 31-15 with 4:07 left in the third quarter.  Carson-Newman answered the bell though.

Corbin flipped a pass on a seam route to Travaunta Abner (Lanett, Ala.). Abner snagged it at the 10 behind the Wise defense and coasted into the end zone for a 31 yard score off his first career catch. 

"You know the two passes to the tight end, I mean that's something that we've worked on and we've missed all year," Clowney said. "There's a point in the season I'm like, 'let's just take it out.' You know it's there, but we just kinda don't hit it. But you see him go and not just make that throw once today, but make it twice."

UVA Wise was its best friend and worst enemy on its next possession. The Cavs converted on two third downs and three fourth downs on a beefy 20-play, 79-yard drive that ended in a five-yard TD pass to Vandyke on a drag route.  However, the drive also took 7:49 off the clock and left the Cavs with 8:09 left to make up two scores. 

Wise would go three-and-out on its final two possessions to put a bow on the Eagle win. 

Corbin was dynamic for C-N. He completed 13-of-23 passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns.  To go along with that, he also carried the ball for a gross of 57 yards (but did lose 45 yards on sacks) and two scores. 

The Warner Robbins, Ga.-native is the first C-N quarterback with back-to-back 200-yard passing performances since Noah Suber started 2016 with four straight.  He found eight different receivers on the day. 

"I think that's what we have to do long-term to be successful," Clowney said. "I think we're getting to the point to where we run the football better, but, you know the big thing is being able to throw the football to where guys can't put nine guys in a box. They have to play you honest on both ways. And then you'll be able to see us trying to transition, move the ball better."

His top target was Braxton Westfield (Simpsonville, S.C.). Westfield caught four passes for 119 yards.  He becomes the first Eagle wideout with back-to-back with 100-yard days since Dorren Miller went for 125 and 151 in consecutive weeks in 2017 against Saint Augustine's and Wingate. 

With the performance, Westfield crested 1,500 career receiving yards, becoming the 11th player in school history past that post. He has 1,590 for his career, good for eighth all-time at C-N.

He also reset the program's single-season record for catches in a season for the option era.  He sits at 49 for the year, tied with Tim George for the sixth-highest single-season total.

Tyler Curtis (Lilburn, Ga.) led C-N on the ground with 12 carries and 62 bruising yards. 

Carson-Newman blocked two kicks for a second time this season. Aside from Hinson's Drew Morrison (Johnson City, Tenn.) rose up to deflect a second before the half. 

Major Williams joined Hinson as Eagles with two-interception days this season.  He also joined Hinson in the pick-six club.  Williams stat line is one for the ages.  He tallied a tackle, two picks, four pass break ups and 117 return yards – 80 on punts, nine on kickoffs and 28 on interception returns. 

"In the recruiting process that's who we felt like he could be for us," Clowney said. "I think he's really starting to win the punt returns, because for the most part he's played good defense for us over the year. But then just getting the punt returns, having success there, and then all of a sudden the stuff starts correlating, it starts going into other areas. Because it breeds confidence. He's starting to kind of believe in what you're doing, and believing in the people that are around you. His returns—I mean, he had some really good blocks on them as well—but that's coming from them believing, 'hey man, if he catches the football, we have a chance to get a return.'"

Thanks to the 80 yards worth of punt returns, Williams has two of the six-highest single-game punt return efforts for C-N in the last two weeks. Saturday's performance clocks in in sixth, while his 95 yards at Emory & Henry last week are second. 

Jake Cottle (Roanoke, Ala.) led C-N in tackles for the first time this season. He had nine to go with seven solo stops.

Trayzel Jureidini-Wyche (Douglasville, Ga.) tallied a pair of sacks to move into a tie for sixth on the all-time sack list with Mark Isom and Cedric Killings with 19 in his C-N career. That was a part of a four-sack day for the C-N defense. 

C-N kept consistent pressure on Juwan Dent, harassing him into a 12-of-34 day for the Cavs. He had 145 yards through the air and two picks. 

The Eagles outgained UVA Wise 337-229. The Eagles converted on 8-of-13 third downs, while limiting the Cavs to two conversions on 16 attempts. UVA Wise was 4-for-6 on fourth downs. 

Carson-Newman wraps up the season Saturday at Catawba at 1 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at noon with the AEC Tailgate Show on Joy 620 (WRJZ-AM, Knoxville) and online at cneagles.com/live. 

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