COLUMBIA, Ky. – The University of the Cumberlands football team faced a tough test on the road Saturday, falling 62-13 to sixth-ranked Lindsey Wilson in Mid-South Conference action. The Patriots drop to 3-3 on the season and 0-2 in conference play, while the Blue Raiders remain unbeaten at 6-0.
Cumberlands opened the game with energy, striking twice in the first quarter while racking up 335 yards of total offense, including 189 on the ground. Running back
Jayden Clayton led the way with 114 rushing yards on 13 carries, highlighted by a 64-yard run that set up a score late in the opening quarter. Quarterback
Drew Gregg added 170 yards of total offense and a rushing touchdown, completing 13 passes for 146 yards.
The Patriots also got contributions from
Tanner Marsh, who added a five-yard rushing touchdown, and wide receiver
Michael Petty, who hauled in three catches for 49 yards. Seven different players caught passes, and UC averaged 4.8 yards per carry as a team.
Defensively,
Jeremy Hamilton paced the unit with nine tackles and a tackle for loss.
D'Lante Overstreet recorded the team's lone sack, while
Jonathan Heralus blocked a field goal late in the second quarter to prevent additional points.
Jahmal Hutsell sparked special teams with a 56-yard return, helping flip field position.
After Lindsey Wilson scored on its opening possession, Cumberlands responded with a 13-play, 83-yard drive that chewed up over six minutes of clock. Gregg connected with
Tanner Marsh, D.K. Edwards, and
Michael Petty for first downs on the drive, then hit J.B. Carlisle on fourth down to move inside the 1-yard line. Gregg capped it off with a QB keeper to make it 7-6 midway through the first quarter.
Following two quick scores from the Blue Raiders, UC answered again. A 33-yard strike from Gregg to Petty on 4th-and-1 moved the Patriots into Lindsey territory, and on the next play, Clayton broke through the line and sprinted 64 yards to the Blue Raider 5-yard line. Marsh followed with a five-yard touchdown run to bring the score to 21-13 with 22 seconds left in the opening frame.
From that point forward, Lindsey Wilson took control. The Blue Raiders scored 41 unanswered points across the final three quarters, aided by two interception returns for touchdowns and a ground game that produced over 320 yards and three rushing scores. UC moved the ball effectively at times, but four failed fourth-down conversions, including two in the red zone, kept the Patriots from finding the end zone again.
Despite the final score, the Patriots held the ball for over 35 minutes and earned 18 first downs. The defense also forced a missed field goal and logged three tackles for loss.
Cumberlands returns home next Saturday for the first time in a little under a month as they host Faulkner University. Kickoff is set for 1:30 PM ET.
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