Taylor Sets Record in Loss at Chattanooga

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Lions' football team lost a hard fought battle at Chattanooga Saturday afternoon at Finley Stadium in front of 9,491 fans. Keshaun Taylor set a new school record with four touchdown receptions in the contest. Mars Hill fell to 0-2 overall while the Mocs evened their record at 1-1.

Taylor caught nine passes for 157 yards, his career best, in receiving yardage. His school record four touchdown receptions surpasses the old record of three in a game held by seven former Lion players over the years. Shaikel Davis rushed for 128 yards on 17 carries averaging 7.5 yards per rush. It makes the 14^th time in Davis' career he has rushed for over 100 yards in a single game. Matt Layman completed 19-27 passes for 220 yards, his career best as a Lion. Carl Mattox led the Lions' defense with 10 tackles, one for loss and a pass break-up. Trey Clark followed with nine tackles while Christiaan Davis posted six tackles, one for a loss. MHU accumulated 428 total yards, 261 in the air. Mars Hill did not turn the ball over in the contest.

Derrick Craine led the Mocs' offense with 169 yards on the ground on 28 carries. He scored three rushing touchdowns and had one reception for a score. Jacob Huesman completed 25-37 passes for 265 yards and three touchdowns. Xavier Borishade caught 10 passes for 116 yards. Nakevion Leslie led the Mocs' defense with seven tackles and a forced fumble. Lucas Webb followed with six tackles. Chattanooga tallied 518 total yards, 265 passing; 253 on the ground.

The Mocs opened the scoring in their first drive of the game to lead 7-0 with 10:59 left in the first quarter when Huesman hit Alphonso Stewart on a 4-yard pass play. It was a 10-play, 73-yards drive that consumed 4:01.

Mars Hill tied the game with 5:12 left in the first quarter when Matt Layman found Keshaun Taylor on a 13-yard scoring strike. The Lions drive covered 75 yards on 15 plays that took 5:39.

Shaikel Davis gave the Lions a 14-7 lead with 12:56 left in the second frame on a 73-yard rush. The scoring drive took three plays covering 74 yards in 1:15.

Derrick Craine capped off a 6-play, 46-yard drive to tie the contest at 14-all with 7:26 remaining in the half. On the first play of the Lions ensuing drive, Taylor took a screen pass from Layman and sprinted 75 yards to give MHU a 21-14 advantage with 7:12 left in the first half.

Craine knotted the contest at 21-21 with 1:41 left in the half on a 1-yard dive. The 13-play, 75-yard drive took 5:31. It was Craine's second touchdown rush of the game. The teams carried that score into the locker room at the break.

Taylor had five catches for 98 yards in the first half including two touchdown receptions. Layman was 9-11 for 114 passing yards in the first two quarters of play. Davis rushed for 109 yards on 10 carries in the first half. Carl Mattox led the defense with seven first half tackles while Trey Clark had four stops.

Craine found the endzone for the third time in the contest on an 8-yard run with 11:20 left in the third quarter. The drive lasted eight plays covering 47 yards and spanned 2:24.

At the 1:23 mark in the third stanza, Huesman hit C.J. Board on a 16-yard touchdown pass to put the Mocs ahead 35-21. The scoring drive was four plays covering 50 yards that consumed 1:44 of the clock.

Two-and-a-half minutes later, Layman hit Taylor for a 29-yard touchdown pass with 13:49 left in the fourth quarter. It was the duo's third scoring pass play of the game. The Lions drive went 75 yards on seven plays that took 2:34 off the clock. The Mocs blocked the extra-point kick attempt and Trevor Wright returned the ball for a 2-point defense PAT to make the score 37-27.

After the Lions' defense forced a Mocs punt, MHU travelled 83 yards in five plays to cut the deficit to 37-34 with 7:56 left in regulation after Layman found Taylor for their fourth scoring play of the day. Taylor's scoring catch set a new MHU school record for reception touchdowns in a single game.

Craine found the endzone for his fourth score of the game when he caught a 6-yard pass from Huesman with 3:39 left on the clock. It ended a 9-play, 84-yard drive that consumed 3:45. That ended the scoring in the game to make the final tally 44-34 in favor of the hosts.

Mars Hill will host Limestone in the Ammons Family Athletic Center and Meares Stadium in their home opener on Saturday, September 19. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.