Williamsburg, KY – The Patriot football team carried a plethora of momentum into their home opener on Saturday as they hosted the Eagles of Cincinnati Christian University. In front of a great crowd at James H. Taylor, II Stadium, the Patriots posted the first shutout of the Matt Rhymer era with a convincing 65-0 win over the Eagles to move to 2-0 overall on the season. The win also improves Rhymer's teams to a 5-0 record in home openers.
 
The Patriots scored early and often in this one, putting points on the board each of their first seven drives of the game. A pair of touchdown runs from Milton Shelton would begin the game's scoring for UC, one from a yard out and one from five yards, making it 14-0 Patriots. Josiah Robbins also added a one yard TD run on the third offensive drive of the night to make it 21-0 at the end of the first.
 
The second was much of the same for UC. Shelton would score for the third time in the game to lead off the quarter, this time from five yards, to push the Patriots out to a 28-0 lead. Robbins would then go to the air as he found Xavier Bryant-Long from three yards out to extend the lead to 35-0 with 12 minutes to play in the half. UC would have a short field on their next drive, but could not get it into the endzone, so they turned to Devon McMillin who hammered a 24 yard field goal through the uprights to make it 38-0 UC. Three penalties on CCU helped the Patriots move the ball down the field on the next drive as Zalon Reynolds would take one in from 12 yards out to push the lead to 45-0, which was the score at the half.
 
A number of Patriots would find their way onto the field in the second half, but the offense never missed a beat against a depleted Eagle team. On the second play from scrimmage in the third quarter, Jaylen Odom would find a seam and break away for the longest play of the night, a 74 yard scamper for a touchdown, to make it 52-0 Patriots. McMillin would add to the lead yet again on the next drive, this time with a 31 yard field goal to give UC a 55-0 lead entering the fourth.
 
There, Odom would find paydirt for the second time in the game as he scored from seven yards out on the run to make it 62-0 Cumberlands. McMillin would hit the hat trick on the next drive as he pounded his third field goal through the goal post from 36 yards to give UC the 65-0 final score. McMillin was perfect on the night also on extra point opportunities.
 
UC would tally 499 yards of total offense while holding the Eagles to just 99 yards on the night, both of those bests in the Rhymer era.
 
Robbins would finish the night 7-9 through the air for 133 yards and a touchdown. He added one carry for one yard and a TD on the ground. Nine different Patriots would register a rush in the game as the team would tally 301 yards on the ground led by Odom with 133 yards on 10 carries with two scores. Shelton added 24 yards on seven carries with three touchdowns. Reynolds added the final score of the night as he garnered 66 yards on seven attempts.
 
Six receivers and a lineman caught passes for the Patriots on the night as a trio for UC tallied nearly the same statistics. Brandon Stuckey caught one pass for 46 yards while Isaiah Mighell snagged four passes for 46 yards. Hunter Sims added 45 yards on four grabs with Bryant-Long scoring on his only catch of the night.
 
Defensively, the Patriots were led by Ka'Kobe Shealey with five tackles (two solo) with a half tackle for loss. Robbie Garvin, Kaylene Kirby, Tyler Pendleton, and Cole Genders all added four tackles a piece. As a unit, UC tallied eight tackles for loss with one sack. The secondary of UC was on point tonight as Jamaria Patterson, Myles Betts, and Jay Woods would all record interceptions in the win. Brad Montgomery would also add a blocked punt in the victory.
 
The Patriots will return to Williamsburg for their second of three straight home contests on Saturday, September 8^th as they host Faulkner University. Kickoff is slated for 1:30 pm.
 
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