Williamsburg, KY – Cumberlands football team used a 15-point second quarter to take a lead into the half but were outscored 35-10 in the second half to fall 49-25 to the 25th ranked Cumberland University Phoenix. UC move to 5-3 on the season and 2-2 in MSC play while the Phoenix are now 6-2 overall and 2-2 in the conference as well.
UC finished with 312 yards of total offense but turned the ball over four times with two interceptions and a pair of fumbles. The Pats threw for 176 yards and a touchdown, as Trace Thompson finished with 101 yards, Drew Gregg added 60, and DK Edwards utilized a trick play double pass for a 15-yard gain and the Pats lone throwing TD of the game. Edwards finished with three receptions for 62 yards while Cade Lamb reeled in 7 catches for 49. JB Carlisle led the rushing game for UC, gaining 58 yards and a TD with Thompson adding a rushing TD of his own.
On the other side of the ball, Reagan Cherry tallied 13 tackles and 3 TFL, both leading the team. Adam Caudle added 10 tackles while Walker Dunn finished the night with nine. Damon Byrnes-Mitchell had 1.5 tackles for loss while Jamin Graham also tackled a Phoenix offender in the backfield.
The Pats won the toss and deferred to the second half, giving CU the ball to start the night. They were forced to punt on the opening drive, and Brandon Burke got a touch on the punt for his first punt block of the game. UC's offense also punted, giving CU back the ball. Cumberland University then struck first to take the 7-0 lead. Another quick punt from the Patriots gave Cumberland U back the ball, and they utilized another big run from their QB to get in the endzone, taking a two TD after the first quarter of play.
Cumberlands came out on fire in the second quarter, utilizing a 20-play, 93-yard drive to cut the Phoenix lead in half. Gregg led the charge with a pair of completions and a five-yard rush for a first down. Juan Bullard Jr. moved UC across the 50 with a 19-yard run before rushed from Adam Foulk and Carlisle put UC in the redzone. Later in the drive, a big fourth down and one conversion from Gregg on a QB sneak made it first and goal, which then saw Carlisle go up the middle into the endzone for the score.
The following possession, UC's defense forced another punt. This time. Brandon Burke got into the backfield and blocked his second kick of the game, giving UC the ball on the CU 26. Trent Davis opened the drive with an 11-yard run pushing UC into the redzone. UC then got tricky, as a double pass from, Gregg to Edwards, then back to Gregg saw UC score their second TD of the game. A quick two-point conversion from Thompson to Curtis Leflore Jr. gave UC the 15-14 lead into the half.
UC took the opening kickoff the second half, and Adam Foulk took it 57 yards into Phoenix territory. This put the Pats in position for a 40-yard field goal from Job Matossian, whose kick sailed through the uprights to extend the UC lead to 18-14 with 11:56 to play in the third. Cumberland University answered right back, scoring a pair of touchdowns, taking advantage of a Patriot fumble deep in their own territory, in a two-minute span to flip the script and take a 10-point lead. Later in the quarter a Gregg pass was intercepted and taken back to the one-yard line, where CU found the endzone the next play to take a 35-18 lead into the fourth.
The fourth quarter was more of the same, as two more CU touchdowns increased their lead to 49-18. Trace Thompson capped off an eight play, 75-yard drive in the final two minutes with a five yard scramble across the goal line, bringing the final score to 49-25.
The Patriots will look to rebound next Saturday as they travel to Georgetown College for a matchup with the 14th ranked Tigers. Kickoff is set for 1:30 PM in Georgetown, KY.
For the latest and most up-to-date information on University of the Cumberlands Athletics. Please visit www.cumberlandspatriots.com. Follow us on Twitter- @UC_Patriots and @UCPatsGameday, Instagram- @UCPatriots, TikTok- @ucpatriots, YouTube- Cumberlands Patriots, and Facebook by searching University of the Cumberlands Athletics.
