Williamsburg, KY – The Patriots football team got a defensive touchdown and forced three turnovers and had a block punt in the game but it wasn't enough as Pikeville scored with 11 seconds remaining to come away with the 24-17 win Saturday night at James H. Taylor II, Stadium.  With the win the Bears improve to 3-3 overall and 2-3 in conference play, while the Patriots move to 3-4 on the year and 1-3 in conference play.

Jakob Greer led the Patriots offense going 17-35 for 113 yards, while Martize Smith rushed for a season-high 68 yard.  Devin Jones added 20 yards and a touchdown as Darius James made a team-high six receptions for 40 yards.  Elijah Howard also added 28 receiving yards.

Damon Byrnes-Mitchell led the way with 11 tackles a force fumble, fumble recovery, and a block field goal.  Kendall Adams-Young added 11 tackles, including three tackles for loss, while Adam Caudle finished with ten tackles.  Kumi Sarpong Jr. made eight tackles and recorded a sack for his 23.0 career sack, moving him into sole possession of the career lead.  Nate Hancock also added an interception for the second straight week.

UC came out and punted on their first possession before UPike went on an 18 play, 64 yard drive that resulted in a field goal to put the Bears ahead 3-0.  Walker Dunn and Jonathon McCullough each made a stop to force the field goal attempt.  Later in the quarter UC was moving the ball as Greer connected with AP Parham for an 11-yard catch and Howard for a 15-yard completion to move into Pikeville territory, however, a turnover stalled the drive.  Neither team was able to get on the board as UPike took a 3-0 lead into the second quarter.

The Bears added another field goal in the opening minutes of the second period to extend their lead to 6-0.  Pikeville force a turnover and turned it into a touchdown extending their lead to 13-0 with 8:20 remaining in the first half.  Cumberlands responded with a 15 play, 55 yard scoring drive of their own.  Devin Jones tallied 33 yards on the drive before Greer hooked up with James for a nine-yard completion to move the ball to the Pikeville 18.  Smith rushed for nine yards before Job Matossian converted a 27-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 13-3. 

Two plays later, Nate Hancock intercepted a pass at the Pikeville 34 yard-line to give UC the ball back with under a minute left in the half.  Greer found Howard for an 11-yard pass, before picking up 12 on the ground to move the ball down to the 11-yard line.  Three plays later, Jones rushed it to the right side of the line and bounced his way into the endzone cutting the deficit to 13-10 at the break.


The two teams traded possession to start the third quarter before Harlin Brown punted the ball down to the four-yard line.  On the ensuing Bears possession Caudle and Adams-Young combined for a sack forcing a UPike punt.  Cumberlands went three-and-out, however, Brown pinned the ball inside the one-yard line.  Two plays later, Bryan Norgaisse came around the left side of the line with a strip-sack in the endzone and recovered for the touchdown to put UC in front 17-13.  Later in the third quarter Pikeville was threating to score as Bralin Barton caught a pass and raced up field for 47 yards, however, Byrnes-Mitchell tracked him down, forced and recovered a fumble to give the Patriots possession.  Smith ran for 42-yards on the ground to close out the quarter with UC in front 17-13.


On UPike's first possession of the fourth quarter, Sarpong Jr. sacked Xavier Malone near midfield to set up a second and 14.  That sack was the 23^rd of Sarpong Jr.'s career making him the program's career sack leader.  The Bears added a field goal on the drive to cut the lead to 17-16 with 9:18 remaining.  The two teams combined to punt on the next three possessions, before Pikeville went on an eight play, 45-yard drive.  With just under two minutes remaining the Bears lined up for the go-ahead field goal, however Byrnes-Mitchell blocked it to give Cumberlands the ball.  After a three-and-out, UPike got the ball back with 1:13 remaining, moved 55 yards and scored the eventual game-winning touchdown with 11.7 second left for the 24-17 final.


The Patriots will return to action Saturday, October 22, when they host 12^th-ranked Georgetown.  Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m.

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