Glenville, W. Va. — The Carson-Newman College football team battled back from a disastrous first quarter to put forth a complete team effort in a 45-20 win over Glenville State at Morris Stadium Thursday night.
The Eagles (1-0) used all three quarterbacks they dressed for the game, but the offensive hero was sophomore QB Johnny Foster (Roebuck, S.C.) who entered the game in the second quarter to score 31 unanswered points against the reeling Pioneers.
Though the Carson-Newman defense gave up an early scoring drive after a Jason Brown (Plant City, Fla.) fumble that culminated with a six-yard touchdown run from Glenville State running back Joe Mesadieu, they soon clamped down. While the offense would turn the ball over three more times in the quarter, the Pioneers managed just six points two field goals from Eddie McKay. The first from 31 yards out and a 30-yarder with 22 seconds to go in the first quarter.
Brown engineered a scoring drive of his own in the opening quarter that was sparked by a 23-yard run from Nate Inman (Fitzgerald, Ga.). Thanks to two personal fouls from the Pioneers, C-N moved into the red zone where Inman and Brandon Baker (Miami, Fla.) pushed the ball down the field. Inman scored from six yards out for C-N's first points.
After a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, the C-N defense held Glenville State again and this time McKay missed a 35-yard field goal attempt.
Foster entered the game on Carson-Newman's first drive of the second quarter, replacing starter Brown. Foster mixed runs from Inman and Baker with a 12-yard pass to Steven Isom (Alcoa, Tenn.) and a 6-yard pass to Patrick Miller (Sevierville, Tenn.) to set up a 36-yard field goal from kicker Carlos Lopez (Seymour, Tenn.).
After the C-N defense forced a punt, Baker did most of the work on the next scoring drive, taking off near midfield for a 43-yard touchdown run that gave the Eagles a 17-10 lead.
Sophomore Tyron Douglas (Clover, S.C.) got into the end zone twice in the game, the first a 1-yard bulldozing run to put Carson-Newman ahead 24-13. The second came in the fourth quarter on a 6-yard run that sealed the blow out win for the Eagles with three minutes to go.
Baker finished the game with 12 rushes for 107 yards and two touchdowns. Inman scored twice on 13 rushes for 60 yards. Douglas added seven carries and 28 yards to go with his two touchdowns.
Foster was 6-for-8 passing for 126 yards and carried the ball 18 times for 58 yards.
Xavier Stevens (Miami, Fla.) and Larry Lumpkin (Grand Bay, Ala.) led the defense with five tackles apiece, with Lumpkin scoring a tackle for a loss. Matt Nichols (Franklin, Tenn.) had a sack, two tackles for a loss and a fumble recovery. Free safety Tony Koone (Ashville, N.C.) got his first interception for the Eagles.
The Eagles defense recorded nine tackles for a loss in the game.
