WILLIAMSBURG, Ky – The University of the Cumberlands football team delivered a complete performance on both sides of the ball Saturday night, earning a 34-10 Homecoming victory over 25th-ranked Bethel at James H. Taylor II Stadium. The win snaps a three-game skid for the Patriots, who improve to 4-4 on the season and 1-3 in Mid-South Conference play. This marks the Patriots first win against the Wildcats since 2021.
 
Cumberlands totaled 413 yards of offense while controlling possession for nearly 36 minutes. Running backs Jayden Clayton and Juan Bullard Jr. led the charge, combining for 168 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. Clayton rushed for a game-high 102 yards on 11 carries, including a 52-yard burst, while Bullard added 66 yards and three rushing scores.
 
Quarterback Drew Gregg was efficient through the air, going 11-of-18 for 198 yards and two touchdowns, while also avoiding turnovers. He connected with six different receivers, including Michael Petty, who hauled in two catches for 45 yards, and Eli Davis, who caught a touchdown for the second straight game. Wideouts Ronye Watson and Maddux McKinney each added explosive gains, while DK Edwards caught an 11-yard touchdown in the third.
 
Defensively, the Patriots racked up four sacks and seven tackles for loss, holding Bethel to just 262 total yards and 3-of-15 on third down. Jaquon Hall anchored the effort with three sacks, including a key stop in the third quarter. Hunter Zirkle added a sack and three QB hurries, while Jeremy Hamilton finished with a team-high eight tackles. Jalen Yearby also came away with an interception in the first quarter to set up a scoring drive.
 
After Bethel's opening drive ended in a turnover on downs, Cumberlands capitalized with a five-play, 74-yard drive. Gregg found Ronye Watson for 39 yards before Bullard finished the series with a six-yard touchdown run to put UC on the board. Following Yearby's interception on the next Bethel possession, the Patriots struck again, this time behind a 52-yard run from Clayton and a pair of short rushes from Bullard, who scored from nine yards out to make it 13-0.
 
Bethel got on the board with a field goal early in the second quarter, but UC responded with its longest drive of the night. The Patriots marched 65 yards in 12 plays, highlighted by a 32-yard strike to McKinney and a fourth-down conversion run from Gregg. The senior quarterback then found Davis in the endzone for a one-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 20-3 at the break.
 
Cumberlands opened the second half with another scoring drive, going 64 yards in six plays. Bullard and Clayton combined for 18 yards on the ground, and Gregg hit Michael Petty for 39 yards to flip the field. Two plays later, Gregg connected with Edwards, who made an incredible one-handed grab, for an 11-yard touchdown to make it 27-3.
 
Bethel answered with its only touchdown of the game midway through the third, but UC wasted no time answering. Gregg hit Davis for 24 yards, then found Bullard Jr., who broke a tackle in the backfield for 23 yards. The junior running back then punched in his third score of the night from seven yards out to push the lead to 34-10.
 
From there, the defense closed out the win. Hall sacked the quarterback for a 13-yard loss, Zirkle pressured the passer into an incompletion on third down, and UC forced punts on each of
Bethel's final four drives. The Patriots also held the Wildcats to just 112 rushing yards on 30 attempts and didn't allow a single red zone trip until the third quarter.
 
Cumberlands finished a perfect 5-for-5 in the red zone and went 8-of-15 on third down, while holding Bethel to under 4.0 yards per play and forcing the game's only turnover.
 
The Patriots will be back in action next Saturday as they travel to Lebanon, TN to take on (RV) Cumberland University. Kickoff is at 2:30 PM ET.
 
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