EMORY, Va. – After getting off to a hot start in the contest, scoring on their first drive and eating up nearly an entire quarter of action, the Anderson University (3-2, 1-2 SAC) football team was outscored by a 42-6 margin over the final three quarter of action to drop their second straight conference contest to Emory & Henry (4-1, 3-1 SAC) by a final score of 42-13 on Saturday, September 27.
The Trojans amassed 271 yards in the contest, leading both teams with 170 yards through the air. Senior Tyler Wesley (St. Cloud, Fla.) accounted for all that yardage on 14 completions. Redshirt-sophomore Byson James (Cross Hill, S.C.) led the ground attack with 10 carries for 38 yards. Wesley added 32 yards of his own and freshman Zion Gilbert (Conway, S.C.) matched his effort on his five late-game touches. Graduate Jonathan Bowden (Palm Bay, Fla.) and redshirt-senior Jalon Warthen-Carr (Macon, Ga.) hauled in four and two passes for 79 and 52 yards, respectively.
Defensively the Trojans were led by redshirt-sophomore Carter Wit (Johns Creek, Ga.) who recorded 10 tackles on the afternoon to pace the Black and Gold. Redshirt-sophomores Josiah Jeffrey (Greenwood, S.C.) and Hezekiah Kinard (Clinton, S.C.) were right behind him with seven and five tackles, respectively, while Kinard led the way in TFLs with one for a loss of three yards.
The Trojans opened the contest with a methodical drive down that used 11 plays and 7:22 to drive 75 yards down the field, capped by a six-yard rush by Wesley, shaking and baking his way through the defense on the left side. A quick drive by the Wasps saw possession back in the Trojans hands, and, with a little help from a roughing the kicker call, were able to drive down and put three points on the board with a 43-yard boot from sophomore Ross Burnette (Raleigh, N.C.).
Anderson held the Wasps to a quick three-and-out in their first possession of the second quarter but could not do so on their next drive as Emory & Henry took put their first points on the board. That drive sparked a fire for the Wasps, as they were able to score two more touchdowns in the second quarter of action, while the Trojans were only able to add another three points to their total with a 45-yard boot from Burnette to end the half, trailing 21-13.
Emory & Henry added another touchdown in the third quarter, and an additional pair of scores in the fourth while the Trojans found themselves coming up just short on every drive of the second half, falling with a 42-13 final.
The Trojans will look to return to their winning ways next week as they welcome UVA Wise for a Homecoming celebration contest on Saturday, October 4. The Cavaliers were the Trojans lone SAC win last season and they will look to replicate that in front of a homecoming crowd, starting at 2:00 p.m.
