GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – The Anderson University (3-5, 1-5 SAC) football team battled the entire way through the contest, never trailing by more than 10 points, but ultimately fell on the road to the Pioneers of Tusculum University (1-6, 1-5 SAC) by a final of 30-28 on Saturday, October 26.
The Trojans were able to out gain the Pioneers in yardage by a slim margin, earning most of their yard through the air as they were able to tally 312 yards from the arm of junior Tyler Wesley (St. Cloud, Fla.), who tallied to scores through the air. Anderson was limited in the ground game on the week but was still able to gain 7 first downs on the ground, part of their 22 in the contest.
Redshirt-junior Jalon Warthen-Carr (Macon, Ga.) again led the Trojans on the receiving end of the ball, hauling in five catches for 112 yards and a touchdown. Redshirt-freshman Kenneth Brown (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) caught six passes on the afternoon for 109 yards and a score as well. Defensively, redshirt-junior Jerrod Woods (Leesburg, Ga.) led the Trojans with nine tackles on the day, including a strip sack and a tackle-for-loss. Redshirt-freshman Cade Eavenson (Seneca, S.C.) tallied eight tackles in the contest with a pair of TFLs and a sack to his credit as well.
After Tusculum was able to convert a field goal on their first drive of the game, the Trojans stormed down the field on the back of redshirt-freshman Bryson James (Cross Hill, S.C.) who accounted for nearly all of the Black and Gold's rushing yards in the contest on the opening drive, tallying 40 yards on the drive and punching it in from a yard out to give the Trojans the 7-3 lead. The Pioneers responded with a score of their own, closing out the quarter with a 10-7 advantage.
The Trojans carried their momentum from the first into the second and rolled over a drive at the break into seven more points on the scoreboard as Wesley found Warthen-Carr or a 42-yard strike to put the Trojans back on top 14-10. Tusculum was able to put another field goal and a touchdown on the board to close out the opening half, carrying the 24-14 advantage into the locker room.
A quick three and out for the Trojans opened up the third quarter of action, but it was the defense who put the next points up on the board for the Black and Gold as the Trojans were able to break into the backfield and force a fumble on a sack that they picked up and scampered into the end zone, bringing the score to 24-21, and the only score for either squad in the third quarter of action.
Tusculum opened the fourth quarter with a long touchdown pass, and it took the Trojans nearly ten minutes to respond, as they were able to pull back to within two with a strike from Wesley to Brown for 20 yards that gave Anderson a chance. Unfortunately, the Black and Gold were unable to convert on the onside kick and the Pioneers ran out the clock on the 30-28 loss for the Trojans.
Anderson continues their road trip as they head to Jefferson City, Tenn. next Saturday, November 2 to take on the Eagles of Carson-Newman University.
