Saturday, August 25, 2007

CHARLESTON BEATS TUSCULUM 27-23 IN FOOTBALL OPENER

CHARLESTON, W.Va. --- Chris Rotella's fumble recovery in the end zone for a touchdown with 3:24 left in the game lifted Charleston to a 27-23 victory over visiting Tusculum. 

The season-opener was a back-and-forth contest as the lead changed hands on five occasions with the final time coming on Rotella’s fumble recovery for a TD.

Freshman quarterback DaRante Hunter passed for a pair of touchdowns and added another score on a 35-yard rush.  Hunter passed for 168 yards and rushed for 92 more in his collegiate debut.  Terrance Spencer caught four passes for 77 yards for the Golden Eagles.

Tusculum junior Corey Russell completed 31 of 53 passes for 322 yards and a touchdown.  The Pioneers' Brandon Dixon caught a game-high nine passes for 151 yards and a TD in his first game in a TC uniform.  Tusculum held a 447-303 total offense edge.

Both teams were harmed by costly errors in the season opener for each.  Tusculum was penalized nine times for 119 yards, while Charleston suffered 14 mark-offs for 110 yards.  Each team was guilty of four turnovers.

Trailing 20-16, the Pioneers took over at their own 42 with less than 10 minutes remaining. TC regained the lead when Russell threw an 11-yard strike to Dixon with 6:41 left in the game. The on next possession for Charleston, the Golden Eagles drove the football inside TC territory, but the push stalled at the Tusculum 42. UC was forced to punt, but freshman Wes Sherrill booted the ball to the TC one-yard line.

On the ensuing play, the center-to-quarterback exchange was bobbled and gobbled up by Rotella to put the Golden Eagles up by four (27-23).

The Pioneers put together one last drive as Russell completed six of his last seven passes as the TC marched 59 yards to the UC 10 with 1:18 remaining. Following a timeout, Russell completed a pass to sophomore Ryan Tallent in the flat, but he was hit at the three-yard line by Joey Lindamood, causing a fumble which was recovered in the end zone by Rotella to seal the win.

Defensively, Tusculum was led by junior Justin Scott, who posted a career-high 13 tackles. Scott also scored TC’s first touchdown of the game, that coming on a two-yard rush on the Pioneer offense.

Following a scoreless first quarter, both teams scored in each of their first possessions of the second period. Both missed their extra point attempts as the score was tied, 6-6 heading into halftime.

On the opening kickoff of the second half, UC’s David Pickett returned the football 48 yards to the TC 35. The very next play, DeRante Hunter scampered 35 yards for a touchdown.

Sherrill’s extra point was good as UC regained the lead, 13-6.

Tusculum knotted the contest on its first possession of the third quarter as the Pioneers marched 77 yards on nine plays, capped off by Russell’s six-yard TD run. Justin Higgins kick tied the game at 13-13.

TC got the football back two plays later when Hunter’s pass was intercepted by Jovon Miller and returned 35 yards to the UC 27. Tusculum’s drive stalled at the UC 13 and had to settle for a Higgins’ 30-yard field goal and a 16-13 Pioneer advantage.

It was Charleston’s turn with the football as they marched 65 yards on eight plays, as Hunter completed a six-yard TD pass to senior Rusty Taylor at the 5:13 mark of the third quarter to move ahead 20-16.

Tusculum junior Randy Williams rushed for 60 yards on eight carries, while also making three receptions for 41 yards. Hunter was the top runner on the day for Charleston as he carried the football 21 times for 92 yards and a score.

Jeremy Thompson and Adrian Samples added eight tackles each for Tusculum. Samples also made two sacks and recovered a pair of fumbles in the loss.

Tusculum returns to action next Saturday when they play at Liberty for a 7 p.m. kickoff in Lynchburg, Va.

- TC -