VIDEO: Mike Clowney Interview
VIDEO: Highlights
VIDEO: Tyree Nelson Interview
VIDEO: Jacorey Long Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - Carson-Newman's defense stood tall most of the afternoon but gave up a backbreaking fourth-down conversion on a scoring drive in the final minutes to fall 21-17 to Mars Hill in a South Atlantic Conference matchup inside Burke-Tarr Stadium.
Before the Mountain Lions (6-1, 5-1 SAC) unleashed their game-winning possession in the fourth quarter, they'd managed just 29 total yards of offense in the second half. Mars Hill's earlier touchdown in the third quarter was set up by a blocked punt deep in Eagles (3-5, 2-4) territory.
"I'm super proud of their effort," Mike Clowney said of his team. "For the most part, the guys played hard from the first whistle to the last whistle. They played confident. We believed we were going to win this football game and it showed in their play at points in time. The things that come back to kill you are penalties and the blocked punt. And then defensively, we probably made two big mistakes today and they capitalized on both of them."
Opportunities for both teams to score were tough to come by. The Lions entered Saturday's contest as the No. 7 ranked run defense in the country, surrendering just 64.5 yards on the ground per game.
Carson-Newman would break that trend, racking up 169 yards on the ground. Tyree Nelson did the bulk of the work, with 22 carries for 136 yards and a touchdown. It was the first 100-plus yard rushing day for a C-N running back this season and the most rushing yards Mars Hill has given up this year both to a team and to an individual back.
Nelson's was the 375th 100-yard performance from a runner in Carson-Newman history. It was the fifth time in the last six years an Eagles back has carried the ball more than 20 times in a single game with three of those coming against Mars Hill. The last two backs to cross the century mark against the Lions were Troy Dendy in 2021 and Jared Dillingham in 2017.
"I thought Tyree played really gritty today," Clowney said. "He started the season off hurt. He was an All-Conference player last year and this was the first game where he had the opportunity to interject himself into the entire football game. I thought he ran hard. I thought the guys up front did a good job creating creases and he did a good job of hitting them.."
Carson-Newman put the first points on the board in their opening possession. Quarterback Jaylen Myers dropped a 55-yard bomb to wide receiver Jeremiah Carroll on the first Eagles offensive play from scrimmage. Set up at the Mars Hill 25, C-N stalled out on the ground and settled for a 37-yard field goal from Andrew Sybert to take a 3-0 lead. It was the first converted field goal for Carson-Newman this season, tying the team's longest streak without a successful field goal since 2010. Carroll led the receiving corps with three catches for 82 yards.
A long touchdown strike would help the Lions answer back the first time they got the ball in the second quarter. JR Martin found Simeon Thompson open down the left sideline for a 40-yard TD reception. Mars Hill would take the 7-3 lead into the locker room.
Facing one of the toughest run defenses in the country, Carson-Newman came out pushing the pile in the second half. Nelson opened up C-N's possession with a nine-yard run. A completion from Myers to Cade Meeks set the Eagles up near midfield. Jelan Pearson reeled off consecutive runs of 14 and seven yards before Nelson broke through and took it to the house on a 37-yard scamper for the 10-7 Carson-Newman lead.
The Eagles managed the potent ground game in spite of multiple shuffles along the offensive line due to injuries.
"It's been a long road up front this year," Clowney said. I think that (offensive line) Coach (Joe) Ray and (assistant offensive line) Coach (Mike) Peppin did a great job. We've been challenging them for the last three weeks. It's good to finally see it paying off. We're getting movement, pushing legs, playing low and finding that mindset and mentality of not just positioning things, but moving them."
A miscue on special teams would put Mars Hill back ahead. With Carson-Newman punting on a fourth-and-17 from their own 32, the Lions' Courtney Slocum slipped past the blockers to get a hand on the punt. The Lions recovered the ball at the C-N 14 yard-line. Two plays later, Martin found Beau DeBerry in the paint for a 10-yard touchdown pass to take command, 14-10.
"These games, you can put your finger directly on it (the issues)," Clowney said. "It's frustrating and our kids are frustrated. But we're in this thing together. We love one another and we're going to continue fighting for one another."
C-N's offense responded again, with Nelson, Jayden Sullins, TJ King, Vonte Brackett and Myers doing most of the work on the ground. A pass interference call set up the Eagles inside Mars Hill territory, but the big play came in the passing game, with Myers finding tight end Drew Morrison open down the right sideline for a 31-yard pass. James Maddox would cap the drive with a three-yard plunge to paydirt. Myers finished his day 10-of-21 passing for 169 yards, no touchdowns and a pick.
With a 17-14 lead, the C-N defense clamped down, forcing two consecutive Mountain Lions three-and-outs. William Johnson III finished with five tackles. Jacorey Long had four tackles, three for a loss and a sack. Major Williams finished with three tackles, three pass breakups and a forced fumble. Jomier Augustine had three tackles, one for a loss and a sack. Mekhi Brown was in the Mars Hill backfield all day, recording seven tackles, three for a loss and three sacks. It marked the third consecutive game where the Eagles defense recorded at least five sacks. Carson-Newman has put multiple sacks on the stat sheet in every game this season but one, its week three loss to Limestone.
Mars Hill entered Saturday's game leading the SAC with a 46 percent success rate on third down. Against the Eagles, the Lions were just 2 of 10 on the money down.
"The guys up front are doing a good job of getting pressure," Clowney said. "I think (defensive coordinator) Coach (Larry) Slade and those guys do a good job of mixing things up with guys from the secondary and linebackers. We're changing those pressures up. We force guys to have to set up and max protect a little bit. Getting those DBs making plays, and all of a sudden, that tackle's eyes have to go outside and Jacory and some of those guys have a chance to win inside."
It would be one bad defensive series that would ultimately cost the Eagles a victory. Backed up at the C-N two yard-line after a Jacorey Long sack, Mars Hill would escape from safety territory with a 17-yard pass from Martin to Thompson.
After picking up a first down on a seven-yard pass to Jon Gullette, Carson-Newman forced the Mountain Lions to go for it on fourth down with three yards to go on their own 33. Martin took the snap, scrambled and tossed a prayer down the field that was hauled in by Gullette for a 40-yard completion. A rush from Martin would set Mars Hill up at the C-N eight yard-line. Consecutive penalties against the Eagles defense would give the Lions a first-and-goal at the two. Martin took it in himself to give the Mountain Lions a 21-17 lead.
With 1:12 left in the game, Myers found Galen Washington for a 23-yard reception to put the Eagles within striking distance. A 13-yard, then three-yard rush from Nelson set the Eagles up at the Lions 21 yard-line with 33 seconds to go. Three straight passes fell incomplete to wrap the game.
It was the second consecutive loss at home for Carson-Newman, both by a single score, after taking a lead in the second half. Two weeks ago, the Eagles fell 27-21 to Tusculum. Last season, in losses to Mars Hill and the Pioneers, the Eagles never got closer than three touchdowns in the second half.
"We've just got to keep fighting," Clowney said. "That's exactly where we're at. We've got to play one play at a time. We've got to stay together."
The Eagles will return to the field next Saturday, Oct. 28, when they host the Emory & Henry Wasps inside Burke-Tarr Stadium for Homecoming. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at 2 p.m. with the AEC Tailgate Show on Joy 620 (WRJZ-AM, Knoxville), Mountain Talk 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live. A video stream is available with a subscription to FloSports.
