Centre rode a dominant defensive effort and ground game to a 31-3 road win over Sewanee in Southern Athletic Association football action Saturday in Sewanee, Tenn.
The Colonels picked up 370 yards on the ground and averaged 6.9 yards per carry as a team, with Nolan Coulter (Knoxville, Tenn.), Casey Bradley (Acworth, Ga.), and Heath Haden (Kingsport, Tenn.) going for 170, 112, and 88 yards rushing respectively. Haden only needed to throw the ball eight times in the game, but connected on five of those attempts for 91 yards and two touchdowns.
That offensive output would be more than enough for Centre, as the defense kept Sewanee out of the end zone throughout the game, allowing just 286 yards of offense and a second quarter field goal. Sam Spees (Dayton, Ohio) was the top tackler for the Colonels, picking up eight total tackles with two for loss and two pass break ups.
The Colonels wasted little time getting on the scoreboard after forcing a three-and-out on the Tigers’ first series. Rubyn Branch (Arlington, Tenn.) returned the punt 53 yards to the Sewanee 25-yard-line, and Centre was in the end zone three plays later on a nine-yard scamper by Haden.
Later in the first quarter, Centre went 70 yards in seven plays, capped by a 26-yard touchdown pass from Haden to Braden Urevick (Knoxville, Tenn.) to go up 14-0. Sewanee answered with the 22-yard field goal by Wishart, but it would prove to be the Tigers’ only points of the day. Upon getting the ball back, the Colonels went 77 yards in 13 plays with Coulter punching it into the end zone from a yard out for a 21-3 lead Centre would take to halftime.
The second half brought more of the same, as Centre tacked on ten more points while not allowing Sewanee to advance any closer than the Colonels’ 23-yard line. Max Mazza (Cincinnati, Ohio) came into the game ranked second in the SAA in receiving yards and was shut out in the first half, but made the most of his only catch of the day, hauling in a 54-yard touchdown pass from Haden late in the third quarter. Preston Cahill (Dry Ridge, Ky.) booted a 26-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to put the Colonels up 31-3.
With the victory, the Colonels move to 6-0 on the season, the team’s best start since winning its first seven games and eventually reaching the round of 16 in the NCAA Playoffs in 2011. Centre improves its record in SAA play to 2-0 while Sewanee drops to 1-6 overall and 0-3 in the conference. The Colonels return home to host Rhodes at 2:30 p.m. in a matchup of SAA first place teams.
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