VIDEO: Mike Clowney Interview
VIDEO: Highlights
VIDEO: Cam Hinson Interview
VIDEO: Tyler Curtis Interview
VIDEO: Christian Erwin Interview
VIDEO: Frank Lee Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (3-4, 2-3 South Atlantic Conference) celebrated its first Saturday night game at Burke-Tarr Stadium in the month of October in 38 years by donning black jerseys and blanking Erskine (2-5, 0-5 SAC) 37-0.
The #DarkMode game saw the Eagles surprise players with black jerseys prior to kickoff. C-N then proceeded to limit Erskine to 202 yards of total offense and zero points. C-N collected its first shutout since blanking Brevard 47-0 on Oct. 8, 2016. Burke-Tarr Stadium saw the Eagles shut out an opponent for the first time since Aug. 31, 2006 when the Eagles beat Webber International 44-0.
Peekaboo
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) October 15, 2022
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"I thought that side of the ball played with great energy from beginning to end," Carson-Newman head football coach Mike Clowney said. "I thought they did a really good job of executing. With that crowd, one thing I think you noticed during practice this week, is they knew they had some miscues last week. And so we talked over, and over, and over finding that consistency. They did that today."
The Fleet eked out a paltry 3.7 yards a play en route to being limited to 202 yards of offense. Erskine was 1-for-14 on third downs, and went three-and-out seven times. A quarter of the Fleet's yardage came on a 54-yard pass play on their second possession.
Frank Lee (Orangeburg, S.C.) thrived in Erskine's backfield, notching 4.5 tackles for loss and a sack. The 4.5 stops behind the line are tied for the seventh-most in a single game in school history and were a part of a nine-TFL day for the team.
"Frank—not played a lot of football (he played basketball prior to coming to C-N at Spartanburg Methodist), but he's starting to kinda get a feel for a game," Clowney said. "A couple times I saw him drop off and thought oh, we got a Frank drop back. But he did a great job. And the other guys up front continue to just work and gel together. You know those guys work really—I've never seen a group of guys that work so well with one another."
Carson-Newman struck first after forcing a turnover on downs. The Eagles marched down the field on a nine-play, 74-yard drive that drained 4:26 from the clock. Facing a fourth-and-five from the Erskine 17, Ivan Corbin (Warner Robbins, Ga.) got the Flying Fleet to jump offsides and then used the free play to chuck the pigskin along the right side line to Braxton Westfield (Simpsonville, S.C.). The NFL prospect hauled in the 17-yard TD catch, good for his 17th career receiving touchdown and a 7-0 lead with 5:51 to play in the first quarter.
The lead stayed there until 8:22 in the second. Trayzel Jureidini-Wyche blocked his second punt and returned it to the Flying Fleet 28. Though C-N went three-and-out, Christian Erwin (Clover, S.C.) booted through a 42-yard field goal to extend the cushion to 10-0.
TOUCHODWN!! @TylerCurtis26 blasts into the endzone to stretch the lead.
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) October 16, 2022
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Erwin cranked through another 42-yard try as the halftime horn sounded to give C-N a 13-0 halftime lead.
The Eagles were more consistent offensively out of the break. C-N found the end zone on its first two possessions of the third quarter. Three straight rushes of 10 yards or more carved the Eagles down to the Erskine seven. Three plays later, Corbin called his own number to traipse into the end zone from a yard out.
After an Erskine three-and-out, C-N pounded the ball down the field again with eight straight running plays. TJ King (Knoxville, Tenn.) capped the drive with his fourth rushing TD of the season on a three-yard plunge that gave C-N a 27-0 lead with 6:10 to play in the third.
The Eagles rounded out the scoring in the fourth with Erwin's third field goal of the day, a 22 yarder, and a Cam Hinson (Suwanee, Ga.) pick six. Hinson returned the INT 31 yards for a score, it was his first career pick and C-N's first pick six since Desmond Fairell returned an interception 27 yards for a score against UNC Pembroke on Oct. 5, 2019.
Hinson would halt another late Erskine drive with his second pick, becoming the first Eagle with two picks in a game since Fairell's two-INT day against Pembroke in 2019.
PICK SIX! @CamHinson24 steps in front of a slant and houses it.
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) October 16, 2022
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"Cam's a good player," Clowney said. "That's where he's kinda one of those guys that's been on the fringe. That's a place at safety once you settle in with some guys, sometimes it's hard to go throw another guy out there, but he had an opportunity to play and made some really good plays for us today."
Clowney credited special teams for stepping up. Jureidini-Wyche got his hands on two punts on the day while Erwin booted through two field goals.
Jureidini-Wyche joins Justin Long (Oct. 17, 2015 versus Newberry) as the only two Eagles in school history to block two kicks in a single game.
"The blocked punts, we knew that was something that was there that we needed to capitalize on," Clowney said. "I mean, they punt two different guys and they struggled a little bit there, so we knew that was something we needed to capitalize on. But the field goals—that's another place we've been a little inconsistent. But to be able to go in, hit two long field goals. We kind of get ourselves into a comfortable spot to where we can just stretch the game."
Carson-Newman pounded out 310 yards on the ground. TJ King led all ball carries with 87 yards on 15 carries. Tyler Curtis (Lilburn, Ga.) added in 71 yards on 11 touches, while Corbin carried the ball 11 times for 57 yards.
Corbin was just 7-of-18 through the air for 82 yards. His favorite target was Westfield, who he found five times for 58 yards.
Bryce Jeffcoat was about all of Erskine's offense. He carried the ball nine times for 34 yards and was 11-for-28 through the air for 127 yards. He did throw the two picks.
Carson-Newman hits the road Saturday to take on Mars Hill at Meares Stadium at 1 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins 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.
