VIDEO: Highlights
VIDEO: Mike Clowney Interview
VIDEO: Braxton Westfield Interview
VIDEO: Major Williams Interview
CARROLLTON, Ga.- No. 10 West Georgia (1-0) scored five times in six drives at the start of the second quarter to create separation and stiff-arm Carson-Newman (0-1) to a 38-7 season-opening win Thursday evening at University Stadium.
With the win, the Wolves win their 10th straight season-opener while Carson-Newman drops its seventh straight matchup with a top-10 team.
"When I first came back to Carson-Newman in 2009, this has a similar feel to when we went to North Alabama to start that year," Carson-Newman head football coach Mike Clowney said. "We left there feeling like we had a good football team and there were some things we had to do to get where we needed to be. Over the course of the season we got better and beat UNA in the second round of the playoffs. I think this team is similar in the sense that they have the attitude and mentality that they are already identifying the mistakes that we need to correct we play Franklin Pierce."
West Georgia tallied 461 yards of total offense, the bulk of which was through the air. Harrison Frost completed 17-of31 passes for 298 yards and four scores. He also through an interception.
Frost completed passes to eight different receivers. His top target was Za'Tarious Anderson, who caught six passes for 124 yards and a score.
Zion Custis led seven rushers with seven carries for 60 yards. Darius Clark tallied eight carries for 36 yards and the lone rushing touchdown of the day for the Wolves.
"They (West Georgia) are going to be capable of competing for a national championship," Clowney said. "For us to be able to get on the field at that caliber is a big plus for us. Coach Dean's teams have always done it well of playing a game of pitch and catch, pitch and catch and then breaking off a big play. For us, we have to contest those throws and be combative."
West Georgia struck first. The Wolves used a 46-yard catch and run on a third down hook up from Harrison Frost to Terrill Cole to flip fields and get down to the C-N 25. Carson-Newman stiffened in the red zone and forced a 29-yard Brock Pellegrino field goal.
The Wolves' 3-0 lead stood for the remainder of the first quarter. The teams swapped turnovers and turnovers on downs before the Wolves found their offensive footing again in the second.
Frost found the end zone for the first time when he hooked up with Marquise Bridges for a 19-yard fade with 13:16 to go in the second quarter.
Following a C-N three-and-out, the Wolves pounded down the field on an eight-play, 77-yard possession. Frost hit Tay Huff uncovered for a 39-yard score along the left sideline to extend the lead to 17-0.
Carson-Newman's offense found paydirt on the ensuing possession. TJ King rambled in for a 34-yard score to finish a six-play, 78-yard drive that pulled C-N within 10 with 3:57 to play in the quarter.
However, West Georgia had the final say in the period with a 10-yard hitch in the end zone to Zay Britt that set the halftime margin at 24-7.
The Wolves kept the pedal on in the second half scoring on a 68-yard strike to Za'Tarious Anderson to go with a eight-yard run for Darius Clark.
Carson-Newman had some opportunities to put points on the board in the second half. On the first play of the second stanza, Zane Whitson dialed up a long pass to a wide open Braxton Westfield for a sure fire touchdown, but Westfield had to dodge the back judge and the pass landed for an incompletion.
C-N also put together strong fourth-quarter drives, one of which stalled out with a punt after seven plays and 30 yards at the UWG 40. A second possession made it down to the West Georgia 19 before a fumble halted progress.
The Eagles had a trio of three-and-outs.
"The biggest thing is that we have to be consistency," Clowney said. "We have to move the chains consistently. There can't be spurts where we go three and out. We need to be in a groove to get back to some off those veer numbers offensively. We have to run the football to be successful."
Carson-Newman had 175 yards on the ground.
TJ King (Knoxville, Tenn.) led Carson-Newman's ground attack with 12 carries for 82 yards and a score.
Quarterback Ivan Corbin (Warner Robbins, Ga.) carried the ball 13 times for 35 yards
Braxton Westfield (Simpsonville, S.C.) caught six passes for 58 yards.
UVA Wise transfer Deandre Williams keyed the Eagles defensive with seven stops. Major Williams, Alonzo Houston and Frank Lee all had five tackles.
Carson-Newman opens the doors to Burke-Tarr Stadium at 1 p.m. next Saturday against Franklin Pierce. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at noon with the AEC Tailgate Show on Joy 620 (WRJZ-AM, Knoxville), Mountain Sports 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
