Posted: Aug 24, 2013

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman quarterback Goose Manning (Chattanooga, Tenn.) took advantage of an opportunity to play with the first string by rushing for a touchdown, passing for one and converting on a 50-yard fake punt for a score.

"I finally got to do what I can do," Manning said. "Their (the first string line) blocking up front and ability to create holes made things a lot easier on me."

Manning dashed around the left side of the line and bounced his rushing score in from 30 yards away for his first score, then hit Tyron Douglas (Clover, S.C.) as he leaked out of the backfield on a fly for a 48-yard TD.

The Ooltewah product completed his hat trick by "scoring" after bursting around the left side of the line on a fake punt. The play was blown dead when Manning was at the opposition's 25 and had five yards and the angle on the nearest defender. In earnest, Manning jogged the remainder of the way to the blue turf to complete his score.

"I've been trying to take advantage of my opportunities," Manning said. "Anytime I get the chance to do something, I have to go 100 percent."

All told, Carson-Newman's offense put up 53 points in the roughly two quarters it played. That point total comes to 60 with the inclusion of Amaris Fields' (Dallas, Texas).

Fields returned a punt 65 yards for a score – a welcome sight for a punt return unit that only had one return last season longer than 20 yards.

"I had counted the men on that return," Fields said. "I had my shot and saw the opening, I made a cut and took it to the house. It was all blocking, they created that hole."

Fields' snagged the punt off a hop on the numbers on the far side of the field. He meandered his way to the middle of the field before planting through the aforementioned hole to spring to paydirt.

The Eagles' final intrasquad scrimmage of fall camp is set for Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 4:40 p.m.

The Eagles open their season the week after on Sept. 5 against Wayne State.