EKG Eagles steal 28-27 win at Mars Hill at the horn
October 12, 2024

EKG Eagles steal 28-27 win at Mars Hill at the horn

MARS HILL. N.C. — It all began with a play the team has already dubbed, “The On-Sybert.”

VIDEO: Ashley Ingram Interview

VIDEO: Highlights

VIDEO: Jayden Sullins Interview

VIDEO: Cade Meeks Interview

VIDEO: Jacorey Long Interview

VIDEO: Christian Hicks Interview

MARS HILL. N.C. — It all began with a play the team has already dubbed, "The On-Sybert."

Down six points with 1:35 left in the game, No. 23/18 Carson-Newman University recovered an onside kick and in spite of trailing for every single second of regulation against Mars Hill, the EKG Eagles (6-0, 4-0 South Atlantic Conference) pushed the ball into the end zone with all zeroes on the clock on a fourth-down, one-yard run from Jayden Sullins to escape Meares Stadium with a 28-27 victory Saturday over the Lions (1-3, 1-2).

"I'm kind of at a loss for words," C-N coach Ashely Ingram said. "These guys, they keep battling. The whole theme of our program right now is that if we can be the closest team in the country, the mentally toughest team in the country, we can keep finding a way. The reason they do it is because they're tough, they're resilient and they just really care about each other."

With the victory, C-N is 6-0 for the first time since the 2007 season. It's the 11th 6-0 start in school history as well as the first six-game win streak since 2015. It was the sixth consecutive road triumph for the Eagles, who have not lost away from home since a Sep. 16, 2023, 45-14 defeat at Limestone. The win halts a three-game losing streak to the Lions.

Down 13 points in the fourth quarter, Carson-Newman needed a miracle. In the final 95 seconds of the game, they got two. The first came to pull the Eagles within six points when a high pass, intended for Jeremiah Carroll in the end zone bounced off his hands into the waiting mitts of Cade Meeks. Meeks, in spite of the assist from Carroll, would get all the stats on the 18-yard score thanks to his own improvisational skills.

"I'm supposed to be a check down on that play," Meeks said. "I was joking with the coaches that we're not supposed to bring our defenders over there, I saw the ball thrown a little high and it was a 50-50 ball. I knew it would fall right over Jeremiah's back if it was tipped up. So, I was there. I knew we needed something and I tried to put as much effort into the game as possible."

While C-N was still alive, one of the toughest play to execute in all of college football was coming up. Kick-off specialist Andrew Sybert literally teed up the ball, kicked a perfect bounce into the turf and into the waiting hands of Carroll, who did not get an official assist on Meeks' touchdown, but did out-jump Mars Hill wide receiver Wilkes Riggins to snatch the ball out of the air and set the Eagles up at midfield with a chance to win the game. It's a moment the players now call the "On-Sybert" and it will now live on in Carson-Newman lore.

With all three time outs and 1:35 left on the clock, Carson-Newman had its entire playbook at its disposal and willed the ball down to the right outside the Lions' goal line, finding itself in a fourth down with a yard to go and just two seconds left on the clock.

With no time left, Jayden Sullens slipped through the left side of the line untouched for the tying score. The extra point from Bennett Smith split the uprights and the Eagles sideline hit the field in celebration. Sullins ended his afternoon with 21 carries for 79 yards and two scores.

"It was just fight to the whistle, fight to the finish," Sullins said. "I love my brothers and we all go into battle (together). We go at it all week to get ready and prepare for Saturday. We had a good finish and I'm very proud of these guys."

The 13-point fourth-quarter comeback was the largest fourth quarter comeback in C-N history. The overall 17-point rally is the fourth-largest overall comeback in school history.

To have the chance to steal the game at the end, Carson-Newman had to keep it close and for most of the opening quarter, it appeared Mars Hill was on the verge of running the Eagles off the field. 

The Lions sprinted out to a 17-0 lead thanks to some highlight-level plays from quarterback J.R. Martin. At the end of the first quarter, C-N had one first down. Mars Hill had nine and had outgained the Eagles 152-6.

"You've got to give Coach (Larry) Slade and the defensive staff a lot of credit," Ingram said. "They kept us in the game. That quarterback is a special player. We had a lot of sleepless nights preparing for him and he did not disappoint."

Martin would finish the game 14-of-28 for 218 yards and two touchdowns, adding 14 rushes for 62 yards on the ground.

Surviving the early barrage, the C-N defense would grab some grass in the second quarter, flipping the script as its own offense sprang to life. The Eagles opened the quarter with an 11-play, 70-yard scoring drive capped with a Sullins four-yard TD run. Two possessions later, Carson-Newman would pull within three with a 10-play, 75-yard drive wrapped with a 19-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Zane Whitson to running back Cam Ferguson.

The teams would take the 17-14 score into the locker room at halftime.

The offensive problems returned for the Eagles in the second half as Mars Hill continued to stretch its lead. After surrendering a touchdown early in the third quarter to the Lions, the C-N defense held them to two field goal attempts for the rest of the game. Mars Hill would only convert one, going up 27-14 with just 4:38 left to go in the game.

"The defense just kind of hung in there and every time they (Mars Hill) (attempted) a field goal and didn't get a touchdown, I thought that we had a fighting chance," Ingram said. "We kept it within two scores and I thought we had a shot. But it wasn't looking good."

For the defense, who saw its best player, Major Williams, ejected from the game for targeting along with a slew of injuries in the defensive backfield, there was never a moment where they were willing to throw in the towel.

"Credit to our whole defense," linebacker and former Mars Hill transfer Christian Hicks said. "We were struggling on third downs all day with J.R. getting out of the pocket. At the end of the day, we stopped them when we needed it. It was a great push back by our D-line, great coverage by our secondary and our linebackers just filled the gaps and did our jobs."

Hicks finished the game with six tackles. Defensive end Jacory Long led the Eagles with eight tackles, two tackles for a loss, three quarterback hits and a sack to secure the 17th consecutive contest with a sack for Carson-Newman.

"We're still learning and we're still fighting and scrapping," Ingram said. "What a resilient group. I can't say enough about our players and coaches. We had injury after injury, lost Major, our best player, to a targeting and I look in there and we've got a freshman and a transfer playing safety. We just found a way."

Whitson finished the game 10-of-20 passing for 103 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He added 15 rushes for 42 yards. Ferguson carried the ball nine times for 55 yards and caught two passes for 22 yards and a TD. Meeks caught two passes for 51 yards and a score.

C-N returns home to the friendly confines of Burke-Tarr Stadium next Saturday, Oct. 19, when they host SAC rival UVA-Wise (2-3, 1-2) with kickoff set fort 1 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network will begin at noon. with the AEC Tailgate Show on Joy 620 (WRJZ-AM Knoxville), Mix 105.5 (WSEV-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.

 

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