WILLIAMSBURG, KY - After waiting through a lengthy weather delay that pushed the scheduled 1:30 PM kickoff back nearly two hours, the University of the Cumberlands football team remained unbeaten Saturday afternoon as the Patriots defeated Warner 35-21 at James H. Taylor, II Stadium. UC improves to 3-0 on the season and 3-0 all-time against the Royals. The Patriots finished with 504 yards of total offense, including 285 through the air and 219 on the ground, while averaging 7.8 yards per play.
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Drew Gregg led the passing attack, completing 16-of-26 attempts for 285 yards and three touchdowns.
Cade Lamb turned five receptions into a game-high 135 yards and a touchdown, while
Skylar Adams and
Maddux McKinney also hauled in scoring passes.
Juan Bullard Jr. led the rushing attack with 126 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, averaging 7.9 yards per attempt.
Tanner Marsh added 53 yards on seven carries as UC averaged 5.9 yards per rush.
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Defensively,
JD DeRoche and
Ritt Tankersley led the way with 11 tackles apiece. DeRoche added 1.5 tackles for loss, while
Zander Curry also recorded 1.5 TFL.
Brandon Burke came away with an interception and a fumble recovery, while
Kantrel Smith recovered another fumble.
Major Newman forced a fumble, and the Patriots generated eight quarterback hurries while holding Warner to 312 yards of offense.
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Warner opened the game with a lengthy drive, advancing to the Cumberlands 36 before the Patriot defense came up with a fourth-down stop. UC immediately turned the stop into points. Gregg connected with
Michael Petty for 22 yards before Marsh and Bullard combined for 30 yards on the ground. Facing third-and-11 from the Warner 13, Gregg found McKinney for the touchdown to give the Patriots a 6-0 lead with 7:27 remaining in the first quarter.
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The defense forced a three-and-out on Warner's ensuing possession, and Cumberlands added to its advantage. Gregg connected with Lamb for 41 yards to move the Patriots into the red zone. The drive stalled at the 13, but
Khalil Arman converted a 31-yard field goal to make it 9-0 late in the opening quarter.
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Warner responded with a 14-play possession that carried into the second quarter, but the Patriots kept the Royals off the board. Facing fourth-and-one at the UC 13, Cumberlands forced a fumble that Smith recovered at the 14-yard line.
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UC needed just four plays to capitalize. Marsh opened the possession with a 21-yard run before Bullard added 13 more. Gregg then connected with Adams for a 47-yard touchdown, extending the Patriot advantage to 16-0 with 8:47 remaining in the half.
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Warner took advantage of a Cumberlands interception midway through the second quarter, converting the short field into a touchdown to cut the lead to 16-7. The Royals then returned a punt 82 yards for another score, trimming UC's advantage to 16-14 with 1:39 remaining before halftime.
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The Patriots responded immediately. Starting at their own 33 with 1:32 on the clock, Gregg connected with Adams for three yards before finding Lamb for gains of 17 and 37 yards on consecutive plays. The latter went for a touchdown as UC covered 67 yards in just 43 seconds to regain a 23-14 advantage.
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Cumberlands' defense created another opportunity before halftime. On Warner's first play of the ensuing possession, Newman forced a fumble following a 38-yard completion and Burke recovered it at the Patriot 31, keeping the Royals from answering before the break.
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UC opened the second half with a 10-play drive highlighted by Bullard runs of 29 and nine yards. When the drive stalled, Arman connected from 44 yards to extend the Patriots' advantage to 26-14. Arman finished the afternoon a perfect 2-for-2 on field goals and 3-for-3 on extra points.
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Warner pulled back within five late in the third quarter, using an 85-yard touchdown drive to make it 26-21 with 1:35 remaining. Once again, the Patriots answered quickly. Lamb hauled in a 35-yard reception to move UC to the Warner seven before Bullard crossed the goal line on the next snap. The three-play, 55-yard drive pushed the lead to 33-21 with five seconds left in the quarter.
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The Cumberlands defense took control in the fourth. After forcing a punt on Warner's first possession, the Royals received the ball again near midfield with 11:15 remaining. After Warner moved into Patriot territory, Burke intercepted a pass at the UC 21 and returned it nine yards to end the threat.
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Warner's final possession began at its own 10-yard line, and the Patriots generated pressure once again. Curry pressured the quarterback on second down, leading to an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone and a safety that extended UC's lead to 35-21 with 3:58 remaining.
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Cumberlands took possession following the free kick and kept the ball for the final 3:44, with Bullard and
Jayden Clayton combining to move the chains and run out the clock for the victory.
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The Patriots overcame a season-high 15 penalties for 190 yards, along with an interception and a Warner punt-return touchdown, to secure their third consecutive victory. UC also forced three turnovers while finishing with a 504-312 advantage in total offense.
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The Patriots return to action Saturday, September 19th when they travel to Rio Grande, OH for the first-ever meeting with the University of Rio Grande. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 PM.
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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.
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