Football Upsets No. 13 Tusculum on Homecoming

MARS HILL, N.C. - The Lions' football team upset No. 13 Tusculum College Saturday at the Ammons Family Athletic Center and Meares Stadium, 45-39. It was Mars Hill's annual Homecoming game. MHC improved to 3-2 overall and 1-0 in the SAC. The Pioneers fell to 4-1 on the season, 0-1 in the league.

The teams combined for 1,014 yards of total offense in the contest. Jonas Randolph (Daleville, Ala.) rushed for 177 yards and two touchdowns while P.J. Gore (North Myrtle Beach, S.C.) caught five passes for 178 yards and also two scores to lead the Lions' offense. Jon Richt (Watkinsville, Ga.) threw for 250 yards completing 10-24 passes. He recorded three touchdown strikes. Maurice Harris (Hendersonville, N.C.) led the Lions' defense with nine tackles (7 solo), five tackles-for-loss and his career high four sacks. He added a quarterback hurry. Josh Baker (Skyland, N.C.) also had an impressive game for the Lions recording seven tackles, an interception return for a 44-yard touchdown reception and a recovered fumble.

Bo Cordell (Cincinnati, Ohio) set a new school record for most completions in a game going 44-66 for 511 yards and five touchdowns to pace the Pioneers. Deonte' Gist (Wellford, S.C.) was on the receiving end of 13 of Cordell's passes for 129 yards. Calvin Britt caught six passes for 152 yards and two scores. Mason Fowler (Dacula, Ga.) led the Pioneer defense with eight tackles (6 solo) and a tackle-for-loss. Justin Arrington (Union City, Ga.) had five tackles and an interception.

Randolph scored the first touchdown in the game in the Lions first possession on a 22-yard run with 11:24 on the clock. Gore then caught a 31-yard touchdown pass at the 10:58 mark of the first quarter. The score was set up by a interception by Stan Galbraith (Birmingham, Ala.). Britt cut the Lions' lead to 14-6 with 8:56 left in the opening period on a 44-yard scoring reception. The PAT rush attempt failed and the Lions maintained a 14-6 advantage. Gore then hauled in a 44-yard scoring pass from Richt with 6:07 left in the first quarter. Gareth Rowlands (Benllech, Wales) split the uprights on a 41-yard field goal attempt to end the scoring in the opening quarter as the teams entered the second quarter with MHC ahead 21-9.

TC won the second quarter outscoring the Lions, 10-7. After a one-yard diving score by Randolph at the 9:59 mark, Rowlands hit a 27-yard field goal with 5:07 left in the first half. Cordell then found Michael Rodriguez (Columbia, S.C.) on a six-yard scoring pass (1:11) to make the score 28-19 as the teams headed into the locker room at the intermission.

Britt caught a 22-yard scoring pass from Cordell just one minute into the second half of play to bring the score to 28-26 in favor of the Lions. Three minutes later Michael Pinkerton (Bogart, Ga.) extended the Lions' lead to five points (31-26) after he nailed a 28-yard field goal. Pinkerton was perfect on the day for MHC hitting six PAT kicks and one field goal.

MHC scored twice to begin the final period and seal the win. Richt found Chad Fekany (Orlando, Fla.) on a 15 yard touchdown strike eight seconds into the quarter and then Baker picked off Cordell at the 10:04 mark and scampered 44 yards for a defensive touchdown to make the score 45-26 in favor of the home team. TC added two scores in the final minutes of play. Rashaad Carter (Stone Mountain, Ga.) caught a 12-yard pass with 7:30 remaining in the contest and then Rodriguez had a 10-yard scoring reception with 2:28 left in regulation but the Pioneers could not recover the ball on the ensuing onside kick and the Lions ran out the clock for their first conference win of the 2010 campaign.

Mars Hill will play at SAC rival Lenoir-Rhyne University next Saturday at 2 p.m. The Pioneers will host SAC foe Newberry College on October 9, also at 2 p.m.