VIDEO: Mike Clowney Interview
VIDEO: Highlights
VIDEO: Zane Whitson Interview
VIDEO: Major Williams Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — Costly penalties and a slow start on offense doomed Carson-Newman on Senior Day inside Burke-Tarr Stadium. The Eagles were penalized 12 times for 140 yards in a 24-14 loss to Catawba in a South Atlantic Conference matchup Saturday.
The 140 penalty yards is the most tacked on Carson-Newman (5-6, 4-5 SAC) since their 2019 playoff game at Lenoir-Rhyne. It was the first Senior Day loss for the Eagles since 2018.
"This game is indicative of the other games where we've struggled." C-N head coach Mike Clowney said. "We create a lot of problems for ourselves, when we talk about the penalties. We have to look at refining some things from a detail standpoint."
The Catawba Indians (5-6, 3-6) picked up five first downs via penalties and the Eagles lost one final shot on offense after roughing Catawba's punter and getting an unsportsmanlike penalty to push the Indians all the way down to the Eagles' 19 yard-line where the Indians would wrap the game in victory formation.
"We let our lack of composure get to us at points in time today," Clowney said. "We just didn't handle things the way that we needed to, to win a tough football game."
Catawba wasted no time putting points on the scoreboard. On their opening possession, the Indians reeled off a 13-play, six minute, 80-yard scoring drive capped by a Marqueece Wilson one-yard dive into the endzone.
The Eagles got a break after the Indians' next possession after a shanked punt set them up at the Catawba 48. C-N moved the ball down the field, with quarterback Zane Whitson tossing passes to Galen Washington and Jeron Newson. With a first-and-goal at the Indians' three, Carson-Newman was stuffed on four consecutive plays to turn the ball over on downs at the one yard-line.
After Mekhi Brown pulled in a fumble from Catawba quarterback Preston Brown, the Eagles were set up again on the Indians' end of the field. With a first-and-10 at the Catawba 38, C-N would have a first down catch by Cade Meeks called back on a penalty on what should have been a fourth-and-14 conversion. With a second scoring opportunity deep inside of Catawba territory squandered, Carson-Newman was forced to punt.
"Those (missed scoring opportunities) were majorly impactful," Clowney said. "If we get the score, we get it even and give ourselves a little momentum on a day you know you're not playing with all your cards the way that you need to. We really needed to get that done, but we didn't."
After avoiding disaster, Catawba struck paydirt again. Starting their drive at their own eight, the Indians marched to midfield. On a third-and-three, Catawba running back L.J. Turner split out wide with no defender on him. Brown tossed him a quick pass and Turner sprinted 48 yards for the score. The Indians took their 14-0 lead into the locker room at halftime.
"Since Newberry we've played with fairly decent energy," Clowney said. "I thought guys have been responding pretty good. Today, that wasn't the case. Anytime you look at that situation, I've got to look at myself at some point. I thought we had a pretty good week, but we, as coaches, didn't do what we needed to do to get ready. And from a player standpoint, we didn't respond the way we needed to. We had our backs against the wall and ran out of time getting ourselves out of it."
Getting the ball first after the break, Catawba kept its foot on the gas with another six-minute, 75-yard scoring drive. Brown would take it in himself from the one to put the Indians up 21-0.
With a little more than two minutes to go in the third quarter, Carson-Newman finally got its offense on track. Zane Whitson picked up a first down with his legs, then hit Galen Washington for a 62-yard completion. Whitson finished the drive with a nine-yard pass to tight end Drew Morrison for the touchdown.
"He (Morrison) has been asking all year, 'get me the ball, get me the ball,'" Whitson said "He went to Science Hill and I went to Dobyns-Bennett so that's a rivalry in high school, but we found that connection here in college. It was fun to finally get him one."
Catawba answered back with a 25-yard field goal from Bryson Sims to move ahead 24-7.
With time working against them, the Eagles struck quickly. Whitson worked the ball down the field with passes to Tyler Curtis, Jeron Newson, Washington and Tyree Nelson. Whitson hit Newson in the right corner of the paint to pull within 10, 24-14. Whitson ended his afternoon 14 of 33 passing for 234 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He led the team in rushing with nine carries for 54 yards.
With a little more than three minutes left in the game, C-N failed to recover its onside kick attempt and the Indians were able to run out the clock.
Jaheim Wilson led the Eagles with seven tackles. William Johnson III, Christian Hicks and Mekhi Brown all had six tackles, with Brown adding a tackle for a loss and a fumble recovery. Jacory Long had four tackles, a tackle for a loss and a sack, which kept C-N's 11-game streak intact with at least one sack in each game. It was the first time the Carson-Newman defense accomplished that feat since 2019 and the fifth time they've done it since 2000.
With 24 seniors exiting the program, Carson-Newman now turns its attention to the future. Up next is signing day, then the spring workouts begin. Eagles safety Major Williams is already eager to get back to grindstone.
"We have to start fast and finish games," Williams said. "We've got to get the weight room, get stronger, come back and reload. We can't make the same mistakes over and over. We have to tighten that bolt down and get ready to work."
For the latest news and information on Carson-Newman in the offseason, visit cneagles.com and follow Carson-Newman and Carson-Newman Football on Twitter at @CN_Eagles and @CNFootball, respectively.
