SUWANEE, Ga. - Trinity University overcame a 14-0 second quarter deficit to hand Centre College a 20-14 loss and earn the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Football Championship. The loss was the first for Centre all season.
AROUND THE SCAC
Austin College fell 27-13 to Sewanee, scoring
10 fourth quarter points but coming up short in their final road
game of the season. The ‘Roos are now 0-9 overall and 0-5 in
SCAC play on the year. After finishing the first quarter trailing
only 6-3, the ‘Roos found themselves in a 20-3 hole at
halftime, and the deficit grew to 27-6 before Shane Hodge scored on
a one yard touchdown run with 1:24 remaining to make it a 27-13
final. Hodge finished the game with 84 rushing yards on 19 carries
and three catches for 40 yards. Noah Jesko completed 10-of-21
passes for 141 yards, and Jordan Schell made three catches for 61
yards. Mitch Anderson made field goals of 21 and 22 yards in the
game. The ‘Roos wrap up the season next weekend with a home
game against SCAC rival Trinity University at Jerry Apple Stadium
with kickoff time set for 1 p.m.
Birmingham-Southern came up big on Saturday after losing
their last two games with a 54-0 shutout of Rhodes at home. The 54
points were the most by BSC in a game since reinstating football in
2007. The previous high was 52 in a win over Faulkner
University last season. The Panthers led 27-0 at the half and
scored 27 more points in the second half. Birmingham-Southern
finished the afternoon with 489 yards total offense, including 363
yards on the ground. Junior tailback Shawn Morris led the way
with 179 yards rushing on 13 carries and two touchdowns, giving him
1,119 rushing yards on the season. Junior quarterback Jimmy
Stainback was 10 of 11 through the air for 91 yards. The Panther
defense held Rhodes to just 12 first downs and 159 yards total
offense. BSC closes out its season next Saturday, Nov. 12,
when Millsaps comes to Panther Stadium for the annual
Homecoming/Reunion Weekend and Senior Day.
Centre took an early 14-0 lead in the first half, but was
unable to hold on as the Colonels fell 20-14 to No. 13/No. 18
Trinity in a matchup of unbeaten teams. The loss ends
Centre’s nine-game winning streak dating back to the end of
last season. The 14 points are the lowest scoring output of the
season and the lowest number of points scored by a Centre team
since being shutout by Millsaps October 24, 2009. The game also
marked the first time since October 30 of last year against Rhodes,
the Colonels’ defense did not force a turnover. Centre will
host Rhodes this weekend in its regular season finale.
Millsaps fell on Saturday afternoon to Division II
Tarleton State, 44-3. The loss brings the Majors record to 4-5
overall with one more game remaining against Birmingham-Southern.
After the Majors went three and out, they got the ball back
immediately as senior Jordan Nolan picked up an interception in
Tarleton territory. The Majors got inside the 10 put could not get
into the end zone which set up a 24 yard field goal by freshman
Beau Brady. It was all Texans form there as they racked up 44
straight points to take the victory. Junior Konner Joplin got the
start for injured Garrett Pinciotti (concussion) and finished the
day 17-for-37 for 180 yards and one interception. Sophomore Thomas
Theriot was the leading rusher with 36 yards off 17 carries. The
Majors will be back in action this weekend as they travel to
Birmingham, Alabama to take on the Birmingham-Southern Panthers. It
will be the final game of the year for the Majors, kickoff is set
for 1 p.m.
Rhodes lost its second consecutive game, falling 54-0 to
Birmingham Southern in a SCAC battle in Birmingham, AL on Saturday,
November 5. The Lynx offense which entered the game as the
number one passing offense in the SCAC, was intercepted 3 times and
could not recover from a 27-0 halftime deficit. The Panthers
defense limited Lynx receivers Buddy Legens and Jack Lartigue to a
season low 5 receptions combined. Legens and Lartigue entered the
contest as the top two wide outs in the SCAC. The Lynx will
conclude their 2011 season with a road tilt at Danville, KY as they
face Centre College on November 12th. Rhodes defeated
the Colonels 38-31 in 2010 at Fargason Field. Rhodes currently is
3-5 overall and 1-4 in the SCAC.
In front of a massive Homecoming crowd, Sewanee
closed out its 2011 season with a 27-13 win over SCAC member Austin
College, Saturday at McGee Field at Harris Stadium. With their
victory, first-year head coach Tommy Laurendine - and the Tigers -
wrap up the season with a 5-5 overall record. Sewanee's five wins
are the most since 2005. Sewanee outrushed Austin by a 216-187
margin. Surprisingly, Sewanee gained more yards through the air
than the Kangaroos. Led, by sophomore Lee Schurlknight, Chad
Morehead and Curtis Johnson, the Tigers passed for 167 yards.
Austin quarterback Noah Jesko, finished the game with 141 yards.
Individually, junior slot back Jase Brooks had a career day. Brooks
had a game-high 93 rushing yards, to go along with 39 receiving
yards. As a defense, the Tigers forced three interceptions,
which gave Sewanee a total of 13 picks this fall. Last season,
Sewanee finished the year with nine interceptions Individually,
juniors J.D. Crabtree and J.P. Boudreaux, led the Tigers with 5.5
tackles, while senior Zac Atkins added five stops.
No. 11 Trinity clinched a share of the SCAC Championship
with a 20-14 comeback win over Centre on Saturday afternoon. The
Tigers also secured the conference’s automatic bid to the
NCAA playoffs, putting Trinity into the postseason for the first
time since 2007. Trinity fell behind 14-0 late in the second
quarter, but the Tigers scored once right before halftime, and
three times in a span of four possessions to take a 20-14 lead
early in the second half. This week will be the regular season
finale for the Tigers, who can clinch the outright SCAC title with
a win against Austin College. Trinity is 40-29-6 all-time against
Austin College, having won 14 consecutive meetings. The last loss
in the series by the Tigers was a 31-0 defeat in 1993. Last year,
Trinity won 28-24 over the ‘Roos.
For the complete SCAC Gridiron Weekly for Week 10,
click here.
