JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. -- After grinding out a win in its South
Atlantic Conference opener over Newberry last week, the
Carson-Newman football team turns its focus to Mars Hill.
The Eagles and Lions are set to square off on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
in Mars Hill, N.C.
C-N (3-2, 1-0 SAC) enters the contest riding a three-game winning
streak, but Eagles head coach Ken Sparks said his team still has
plenty of room for improvement.
"(The Newberry) win was a good win but it's gone now," Sparks said.
"We just want them to continue to do things better. Our goal is to
continue to improve and humble ourselves and realize we are not
there yet." "We know the truth, and the truth is we still have a
long way to go to be a good football team. We've got a lot of work
to do."
The Eagles are coming off a 23-20 win over Newberry in a game that
had 16 fumbles between the teams in a torrential downpour and
several stellar individual performances. Senior quarterback Alex
Good (Greensboro, N.C.) piled up 203 yards rushing on 25 carries to
earn him Co-SAC Offensive Player of the Week honors with Mars
Hill's Jonas Randolph.
Sophomore kicker Carlos Lopez (Seymour, Tenn.) made all three of
his field goal attempts, including a 35-yarder with 37 seconds left
in regulation that gave the Eagles the lead for good. For his
efforts, Lopez was named SAC Special Teams Player of the Week.
Junior safety Mario Russell (Columbus, Ohio) had perhaps the most
impressive performance as he forced four fumbles, tying the NCAA
Division II record, and he added eight tackles and five pass
breakups to lead the Eagles. Russell's performance made him the
national leader in forced fumbles and he is now 12th in passes
defended with eight on the season.
"He made some unbelievable plays," Sparks said of Russell. "It was
one of the best performances I had seen in a long time here, and
we've had some great ones. He's a difference maker."
The Eagles will be facing a Mars Hill squad that is riding high
after upsetting then-No. 13 Catawba, 14-12, on the road last week.
The Lions are now 3-1 on the season and 1-0 in SAC play.
"Anytime you beat the 13th ranked team in the country at their
place you have to feel pretty good about yourselves I would think,"
Sparks said. "Mars Hill has an excellent football team. The only
game they have lost was against a good Division I team."
"I think they are doing some things well and their scheme is a
tough scheme. They've always played us very tough. We will have to
play well because we've never had an easy time on their home
field."
When the Eagles and Lions met last season, C-N came away with a
61-49 victory, which was the highest scoring game in school
history. The teams combined for more than 1,000 yards of total
offense, and the Eagles had six touchdown plays that were 43 yards
or longer.
For the Eagles to have that kind of success on Saturday, they must
continue to rely on a much-improved rushing attack with their
recent struggles in the passing game. C-N is third in the nation in
rushing offense, averaging 302 yards per game.
"(The running game) has been needed because we haven't thrown the
ball well," Sparks explained. "Of course, in a game like last week
we certainly weren't as fast as we wanted to be. We have to raise
the level of our intensity in all phases, but especially at running
back. We've got to get better there."
Mars Hill will feature an impressive rushing attack of its own,
with Randolph leading the way. The sophomore running back has
rushed for 689 yards and five touchdowns this season. He carried
the ball a schoolrecord 44 times for 232 yards and two touchdowns
in last week's win over Catawba.
The Eagles can expect to see plenty of Randolph on Saturday, but
Sparks said his defense will have to be focused when playing a team
like Mars Hill.
"They've always been a running team but they have the tricks,"
Sparks offered. "They are a trick team. They've hurt us big time in
the past with their tricks. Double passes, flea flickers, just all
kinds of things. We can expect some of that I'm sure."
Saturday will mark the 43rd time the schools have met, with C-N
holding a 33-9 lead in the series. Mars Hill last defeated the
Eagles with a 14-7 win in 2005.
April 20, 2010
Sparks receives prestigious Neyland Award
March 3, 2010
Eagles to Hold Orange and Blue Game on Saturday
March 2, 2010
Carson-Newman Adds Seven to 2010 Football Signing Class
February 8, 2010
Eagles Add Two to 2010 Signing Class
December 14, 2009
Eagles Ranked Fourth in Final AFCA Poll
December 4, 2009
Carson-Newman Game Notes vs. Grand Valley State
November 30, 2009
Scouting Report: No. 10 Carson-Newman vs. No. 3 Grand Valley State
November 28, 2009
Semifinal Bound: Eagles Drop UNA in Florence, 24-21
November 27, 2009
Gameday Central: Carson-Newman/Grand Valley State
November 25, 2009
Back to Florence: Eagles Face North Alabama on Saturday
November 24, 2009
Scouting Report: Carson-Newman vs. North Alabama
November 23, 2009
Kickoff Time Set for Eagles' Quarterfinal at UNA
November 20, 2009
Gameday Central: Carson-Newman vs. West Alabama
November 19, 2009
Carson-Newman Game Notes vs. West Alabama
November 18, 2009
Eagles Postseason Begins with West Alabama on Saturday
November 18, 2009
C-Ns Needs Named D-II Assistant Coach of the Year
November 17, 2009
Scouting Report: Carson-Newman vs. West Alabama
November 9, 2009
Carson-Newman Climbs to 10th in AFCA Poll
November 9, 2009
Carson-Newman Leads Way On SAC 2009 All-Conference Football Team
November 8, 2009
No. 14 Carson-Newman Receives First-Round Bye in NCAA Playoffs
November 7, 2009
No. 14 Carson-Newman Defeats Tusculum, 70-35, on Record-Setting Day
November 6, 2009
Eagles Good Named Candidate for Harlon Hill Trophy
November 6, 2009
Gameday Central for Carson-Newman/Tusculum on Saturday
November 5, 2009
Eagles Host Tusculum in Regular-Season Finale Saturday
November 2, 2009
Eagles Jump to 14th in AFCA Poll, Remain No. 2 in Regional Rankings
November 2, 2009
Eagles' Wakefield Named SAC Offensive Player of the Week
October 31, 2009
No. 18 Carson-Newman Runs by Wingate, 45-7, to Win 21st SAC Title
October 28, 2009
Eagles Travel to Wingate on Saturday with SAC Title on the Line
October 26, 2009
Eagles Move to 18th in AFCA Poll, Second in Regional Rankings
October 24, 2009
No. 20 Carson-Newman Cruises Past Brevard, 77-7
October 19, 2009
Eagles Jump to 20th in AFCA Poll
October 15, 2009
Eagles Travel to Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday
October 10, 2009
Carson-Newman Battles Back to Down Catawba, 41-31, on Homecoming
October 8, 2009
Carson-Newman Hosts Catawba for Homecoming on Saturday
October 5, 2009
Eagles Third in First Regional Rankings
October 3, 2009
Carson-Newman Storms Past Mars Hill, 55-28
October 2, 2009
Carson-Newman Visits Mars Hill on Saturday Afternoon
September 28, 2009
Eagles' Good, Lopez Named SAC Players of the Week
September 26, 2009
Carson-Newman Takes Down Newberry in SAC Opener, 23-20
September 24, 2009
Eagles Welcome Newberry in SAC Opener Saturday
September 21, 2009
C-N's Jones Named SAC Special Teams Player of the Week
September 19, 2009
Carson-Newman Upends UNC Pembroke, 35-22
September 16, 2009
Eagles Set to Host Unbeaten UNC Pembroke Saturday
September 10, 2009
Eagles Roll Past Campbellsville, 38-10, in Home Opener
September 8, 2009
Eagles Set For Thursday's Home Opener Against Campbellsville
September 5, 2009
No. 22 Carson-Newman Falls at No. 4 North Alabama, 31-14
September 4, 2009
Eagles Set for Top 25 Showdown at No. 4 North Alabama
August 27, 2009
Carson-Newman Drops 2009 Season Opener, 17-12, At Winona State
August 25, 2009
Sparks Begins 30th Season at Mossy Creek on Thursday Night
August 21, 2009
Eagles Begin Game Week Preparations for Season Opener
August 19, 2009
Eagles Hold Final Scrimmage of Fall Camp
August 17, 2009
Eagles Ranked Ninth in AFCA Preseason Poll
August 15, 2009
Good, Hubbard On Same Page During Saturday's Scrimmage
August 14, 2009
Eagles Hold Media Day, First Full Scrimmage
August 8, 2009
Eagles Continue to Grind Through Camp
July 30, 2009
Eagles Picked to Win South Atlantic Conference
July 13, 2009
Eagles Ranked Ninth in Lindy's Sports Preseason Poll
March 23, 2009
Carson-Newman Releases 2009 Football Schedule