VIDEO: Mike Clowney Interview
VIDEO: Highlights
VIDEO: Kendall Williams Interview
VIDEO: Julius Cobbs Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — Carson-Newman's offense started hot, scoring on its first possession but couldn't keep up with No. 15 Lenoir-Rhyne on the scoreboard for the rest of the game.
An injury to starting quarterback Jaylen Myers bogged down the offense in the second half as the Eagles fell 24-7 to the Bears in a South Atlantic Conference matchup inside Burke-Tarr Stadium Saturday.
Myers suffered a poke in the eye during the first drive of the second half, one where he meticulously passed the team down the field with completions to Julius Cobbs, Tyree Nelson, RJ Brooks and Ameer Ali. Myers was roughed on the pass to Ali and, with the eye injury, never re-entered the game. Down 21-7, the Eagles (1-3, 0-2 SAC) settled for a field goal, but had it blocked at the line of scrimmage.
"If we could have scored right there, we would have been within a (single) score," C-N head coach Mike Clowney said. "That's what we talked about at halftime, coming out and getting it to that point. Then you've got a chance to go win the football game."
The loss to Lenoir-Rhyne (4-0, 2-0) was the sixth straight in the series for C-N and the fifth consecutive loss to the Bears at Burke-Tarr Stadium. L-R has won 11 of their last 12 games against Carson-Newman. The Eagles are now 36-35 when facing a nationally ranked opponent.
The defense played well for the Eagles, giving the offense plenty of opportunities. The Bears were 5-of-11 on third downs and 0-for-2 on fourth down attempts. Kendell Williams led the team with 13 tackles, two for a loss and a couple of sacks all from the defensive backfield.
"Kendall is consistent," Clowney said. "He continues to show up to work every week. He's tough kid, emotional and loves playing football. He's really growing and developing across the board. I'm glad we've got Kendall Williams on our team."
Myers shone bright in his first start for the Eagles. Before leaving the game with the injury, he was 10-of-18 passing for 137 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. He added five rushes for 17 yards.
"I thought Jaylen did a good job commanding the offense," Clowney said. "Even going in at halftime, players will gravitate to him and show some appreciation for what he did in the first half of the football game. The thing you hate seeing when you're starting quarterback go out on a penalty play. It leaves a sour taste in your mouth."
Myers favorite target was Julius Cobbs, who hauled in five passes for 99 yards and the 65-yard touchdown strike that evened the game up 7-7 in the first quarter. Cobbs' receiving total was the most for an Eagles pass catcher since Braxton Westfield's five catch, 162-yard, three touchdown performance against Catawba last year. Cobbs has 10 catches for 177 yards and two scores on the season.
"I'm proud of Julius," Clowney said. "We talked earlier about him coming in late and having to learn what we're doing. But as he gets more comfortable with things his production levels have started going up. We expect him to continue to push those numbers up as we continue throughout the season."
With Myers out, the Eagles offense was completely shut down and did not gain another first down, running or passing for the rest of the game.
While the field goal unit had protection issues, the punt unit did its job. Lenoir-Rhyne's punt unit had returned three punts for touchdowns and brought back two others that were blocked for scores. C-N's Andrew Sybert was kept clean all day and Lenoir-Rhyne gained just two yards total in punt returns.
C-N's defense surrendered 412 yards in the game but bowed up with their backs to their own endzone multiple times. The Eagles forced three punts, a missed field goal and made the Bears turn the ball over on downs twice.
Christian Hicks finished with 11 tackles and one for a loss. Mekhi Brown had six tackles and Major Williams five with Jahiem Wilson and Xzavia Cummins recording half a sack each.
L-R got a 16-of-24 passing day from Jalen Ferguson for 215 yards, two touchdowns and no picks. Dwayne McGee rushed 15 times for 123 yards. Ferguson punched the ball into the endzone on a one-yard dive with a quarterback sneak.
There were some positives facing off against the No. 15 ranked team in the country, but there's still plenty of work to do as Clowney and the Eagles continue their SAC schedule.
"We've got to keep getting better," Clowney said. "We've got to keep believing."
The Eagles will return to the field next Saturday, Sep. 30, when they travel to Newberry, S.C. to battle the Newberry Wolves inside Setzler Field. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at 5 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.
