11th-ranked Eagles Bounced in OT by Newberry
Sept. 28, 2008
NEWBERRY, S.C. - David Pressley caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Eric McCollom in overtime to power Newberry to a 27-21 upset of No. 11 Carson-Newman in the South Atlantic Conference opener for both schools at Setzler Field Saturday afternoon.
Both teams finished with over 400 yards of total offense - Newberry 413 and Carson-Newman 406 - but mistakes and miscues kept either from finding the end zone on a regular basis. Carson-Newman lost four fumbles and committed 13 penalties for 112 yards. Newberry was plagued by three interceptions and one fumble.
Alex Good provided the bulk of Carson-Newman's 300 rushing yards, carrying the ball 26 times for 238 yards. Dwayne Mims added 41 yards and Buck Wakefield 32. Good was just 6-of-15 through the air for 106 yards. He had a 35-yard touchdown strike to Reggie Hubbard in the second quarter.
McCollom started the game for Newberry before being replaced by Brandon Gantt after throwing two early interceptions. McCollom returned in the fourth quarter and threw a two-yard touchdown pass to David Brown with 16 seconds remaining before hooking up with Pressley for the game-tying two-point conversion that ultimately forced the overtime.
McCollom finished 8-of-16 passing for 95 yards. He also rushed for 62 yards and one score. Gantt was 14-of-23 for 130 yards and one interception. Gerald Legree led the Newberry rushing attack with 73 yards on five carries. Brown caught ten passes for 97 yards.
Carson-Newman came out of the gates running as Alex Good darted 77 yards to the end zone on the very first play of the game. Britt Blackmon kicked a 23-yard field goal to make the score 7-3 at the end of the first quarter.
Gantt broke loose for a 24-yard scoring run with 9:59 left in the half to temporarily give Newberry the lead, but the Eagles answered with Good's strike to Hubbard two minutes later that made the score 14-10 at the half.
Three of Newberry's first four drives of the opening half ended in interception. Elliot Bishop, Otis Ballard and Revel Coffey accounted for the Carson-Newman picks. The Eagles couldn't take advantage of the miscues, however, as they fumbled on two of their ensuing possessions and missed a field goal on the third.
Blackmon connected on a 32-yard field goal with 4:13 left in the third quarter to cut the Newberry deficit to 14-13.
That would remain the score until Wakefield rumbled in from one-yard out with 1:26 left in the game to give the Eagles a 21-13 advantage.
Undaunted, Newberry drove 77 yards in eight plays, capped by McCollom's pass to Brown. Carson-Newman helped the drive with two 15-yard penalties - one for a personal foul and one for roughing the passer. Pressley's catch on the two-point try at the right pylon of the goal line tied the game at 21-21.
Carson-Newman had the ball fourth-and-goal from the six-yard line in overtime when Carlos Lopez missed a 25-yard field goal attempt.
The Eagles will return to action Saturday when they host Mars Hill College in Jefferson City. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
