Georgetown, KY – The Patriots went on the road Saturday afternoon to take on #13 Georgetown College at Toyota Stadium. UC finished with 297 yards of total offense, over 125 yards more than the Tigers, but fell 19-16 after a late score from GC. Cumberlands move to 5-4 on the season, and 2-3 in Mid-South Conference action.
Trace Thompson threw for 220 yards on 19-32 passing with two interceptions while Trent Davis led the Pats on the ground with 80 yards of 25 attempts and a touchdown. Adam Foulk led all receivers with five catches for 66 yards followed by DK Edwards who also had five receptions, gaining 54 yards. Davis added three catches for 37 yards, moving him over the 100-yard mark for total offense while Cade Lamb also recorded three receptions.
Adam Caudle led the defense in tackles once again with eight and recorded a sack as well. Walker Dunn added six tackles with UC's lone interception on the day while Michael West and Kantrel Smith came away with one sack each. Smith also forced a fumble while Chris Gooden forced a fumble as well.
Cumberlands received the opening kickoff and set the tone with an 11 play, 70-yard touchdown drive to take an early lead. Thompson connected with Lamb and Foulk for a combined 17 yards before Nick Stacey caught a 14-yard pass. David added a big 18-yard carry to get UC near the redzone just before a defensive pass interference call put them on the two-yardline. Juan Bullard Jr. got the handoff the next play and found the endzone for his first TD of the season. Job Matossian came on and drilled the PAT to put UC up 7-0 with 9:20 left in the quarter.
Both teams traded possessions with the Pats defense coming up big with a stop on fourth down and then a big sack on third down on back-to-back possessions. A muffed punt from the Pats gave GC back the ball on their own 47, but UC's defense showed up once again, forcing a three and out.
The second quarter started with the Tigers driving, before Walker Dunn came up huge with an interception just outside the redzone to stop the scoring opportunity for Georgetown. The following possession, UC's offense was pushed back towards their own endzone, and the Tigers earned a safety to get on the scoreboard. The drive after, GC found the endzone for the first time of the afternoon to take a 9-7 lead over UC. The Pats got possession back with just under six minutes remaining in the half, and moved the ball downfield for a late score with less than a minute on the clock to regain their lead. Davis added five rushes for 28 yards on the drive while Thompson completed passes to Edwards and Curtis Lefore Jr. to get into the redzone. Davis capped the drive with a nine-yard TD run to put the Pats back on top 13-9 going into the half.
The Tigers received the kick to start the third quarter of action but were halted by the Pats defense, punting without recording a first down. The Pats got the ball on their own 39 before a 33-yard completion to Davis moved them all the way to the opposing 22-yardline. A seven-yard completion to Foulk put them in the redzone before 12-yard catch from Lamb made it first and goal from the two. UC could not cross the goaline in three attempts and brought on Matossian who hit a 24-yard field goal to extend the lead to 16-9.
Georgetown ended the third with possession, starting the final quarter at midfield. The Pats stopped the Tigers on third down on their own 20, forcing the field goal unit onto the field, who made the FG attempt to cut the UC lead to just four with 10:54 remaining. After chewing almost five minutes off the clock, a costly Patriot turnover gave the Tigers possession near midfield once again. They utilized the rushing game, eventually getting into the endzone to retake the lead with less than two minutes on the clock.
The Patriots took possession at their own 25 after a touchback with 1:45 on the clock. The drive started with a 22-yard completion to Edwards before Foulk and Ben Taylor added 15 more yards to move into Tigers territory. Thompson connected with Edwards again, this time for 12 yards to put the Pats on the 24-yardline, into field goal range down three. The next play, Thompson had his pass intercepted, ending the Pats late run and sealing the win for the Tigers. GC kneeled the game out, taking the 19-16 win.
Cumberlands head into their bye week, looking ahead to Campbellsville University on Saturday the 16th in Williamsburg, KY for senior day. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 PM ET.
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