WILLIAMSBURG, KY – The No. 24 University of the Cumberlands football team suffered a 48-21 setback against RV Cumberland University Saturday evening at James H. Taylor, II Stadium. The Patriots opened the Homecoming contest with a touchdown on their first possession, but the Phoenix responded with 34 unanswered points to take control of the game. UC moves to 5-3 overall and 1-2 in Mid-South Conference play following the loss.
Offensively, Drew Gregg completed 6-of-14 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown while adding a rushing score. Tanner Marsh finished 2-of-3 passing for 32 yards and a touchdown. Ronye Watson led the receiving corps with 62 yards on two catches, while Carter Stewart hauled in two receptions for 40 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Jayden Clayton led the ground attack with 57 yards on two carries, including a 59-yard run, while Juan Bullard Jr. added 41 yards on nine attempts.
Defensively, Ritt Tankersley turned in another strong performance, recording a game-high 18 tackles, including six solo stops and half a tackle for loss. Khalil Mollay followed with nine tackles, while Zander Curry added seven tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Major Newman and Jalen Yearby each finished with six stops, while Jaquon Hall recorded five tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. The Patriots finished with six tackles for loss, two sacks and a fumble recovery.
Cumberlands wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, marching 71 yards in five plays on its opening possession. Gregg connected with Watson for a 44-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage before Bullard broke free for 22 yards to move UC inside the five-yard line. After a four-yard run from Marsh, Gregg crossed the goal line from a yard out, and Khalil Arman's extra point gave the Patriots a 7-0 lead with 11:56 remaining in the opening quarter.
Cumberland responded with a touchdown on its first possession to tie the game before adding another score later in the quarter to take a 14-7 advantage. The Patriots moved into Phoenix territory on their ensuing drive, but a fumble ended the possession and gave Cumberland the football near midfield.
The Phoenix carried that momentum into the second quarter, adding a touchdown early in the period to extend their lead to 20-7. Cumberlands struggled to establish its offense throughout the quarter, with Cumberland's defensive front creating consistent pressure and forcing the Patriots into difficult down-and-distance situations. Cumberland added two more touchdowns in the final minute of the half, including a score following a UC fumble deep in its own territory, to take a 34-7 advantage into the break.
The Patriots came out of halftime with a defensive takeaway as Hall forced a fumble that Stryker Davidson recovered at the Cumberland 22-yard line. UC immediately capitalized on the opportunity, with Gregg finding Stewart for a 26-yard touchdown on second down. Arman's extra point trimmed the deficit to 34-14 with 13:17 remaining in the third quarter.
However, Cumberland responded with a lengthy possession, using 16 plays to march 54 yards and extend its lead to 41-14 late in the third quarter. The Phoenix continued to control possession into the fourth, adding another touchdown to push the advantage to 48-14.
Cumberlands continued to battle in the closing minutes, putting together an 89-yard touchdown drive on its final possession. Clayton sparked the drive with a 59-yard run from the UC 11-yard line before Marsh connected with Watson for 18 yards. Marsh then found Stewart for a 14-yard touchdown, and Arman's extra point brought the final score to 48-21.
The Patriots were limited to 198 yards of total offense, including 133 passing and 65 rushing, while Cumberland accumulated 421 yards. The Phoenix controlled possession for nearly 40 minutes and converted 12 of its 16 third-down opportunities, while UC finished with 11 first downs and converted four of nine third downs. Cumberland's defense also recorded seven sacks, and the Patriots lost two fumbles in the contest.
Cumberlands moves to 5-3 overall and 1-2 in Mid-South Conference play following the Homecoming setback. They will return next week as they head to Georgetownm KY to take on the Tigers.
For the latest and most up-to-date information on University of the Cumberlands Athletics please visit www.cumberlandspatriots.com. Follow us on X - @UC_Patriots and @UCPatsGameday, Instagram- @UCPatriots, TikTok- @ucpatriots, YouTube- Cumberlands Patriots, and Facebook by searching University of the Cumberlands Athletics.
