MACOMB, Ill. - Western Illinois football overcame an 11-point second-half deficit to defeat Tennessee State 28-21 Saturday afternoon at Hanson Field, using a fourth-quarter defensive touchdown and a late scoring drive to secure the Ohio Valley Conference victory.
The Leathernecks opened the scoring with a 24-yard field goal from Ronan Culkin at the 6:47 mark of the first quarter. Tennessee State responded with a 25-yard touchdown reception from Cam Bulluck to take a 7-3 lead.
Western Illinois answered with a strong offensive drive, highlighted by a 30-yard run from Kennedy McGill and a 15-yard completion to Avery Knight. The drive continued into the second quarter, where McGill connected with Ihson E. Jackson-Anderson for a 33-yard touchdown. Culkin's extra point gave the Leathernecks a 10-7 advantage.
Tennessee State regained momentum before halftime. The Tigers scored on a four-yard rushing touchdown from Daylin Lee with 44 seconds remaining in the second quarter to take a 14-10 lead into the break.
The Tigers extended their lead to 21-10 midway through the third quarter when Lee connected with Bulluck for a two-yard touchdown.
Western Illinois continued to battle and cut into the deficit with an 11:50 mark field goal from Culkin in the fourth quarter, making it 21-13.
The Leathernecks' defense then delivered a game-changing play. Jake Kruger intercepted Lee and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown with 11:08 remaining. McGill converted the two-point attempt to tie the game at 21-21.
Western Illinois came up with additional defensive stops, including a fumble recovery by Jouvenson Romulus and a late interception by DonPaul Keith, giving the offense an opportunity to take the lead.
With less than five minutes remaining, the Leathernecks began a drive at their own 45-yard line. McGill helped move the offense downfield with key completions to Xavier Coleman and Christian Anaya before adding a 22-yard run to reach the Tennessee State 21-yard line.
After Jackson-Anderson gained five yards, McGill broke through for a 16-yard rushing touchdown with 52 seconds remaining. Culkin's extra point put Western Illinois ahead 28-21.
Tennessee State attempted to respond in the final minute, but Keith intercepted Lee with 21 seconds remaining to seal the Leathernecks' comeback victory.
GARNDER-WEBB 12, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 10
CHARLESTON, S.C. - A dominant defensive effort and a fourth-quarter comeback lifted the Gardner-Webb football team to a thrilling 12-10 victory over Charleston Southern Saturday night at Buccaneer Field, as the Runnin' Bulldogs captured their third straight North-South BBQ Bowl and fifth consecutive victory over the Buccaneers.
The victory also marked Gardner-Webb's first Ohio Valley Conference win of the season, moving the Runnin' Bulldogs to 2-4 overall and 1-0 in conference play. Charleston Southern falls to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in OVC play.
Gardner-Webb's defense set the tone throughout the night, limiting the Buccaneers to just 178 total yards and only 38 passing yards. Charleston Southern converted none of its 12 third-down opportunities, while the Runnin' Bulldogs registered five sacks and held CSU scoreless in the fourth quarter.
The defense also came up with two critical fourth-down stops. Gardner-Webb denied Charleston Southern at the goal line to keep the Buccaneers out of the end zone, and then came up with another fourth-down stop in the closing seconds to preserve the two-point victory.
After a scoreless opening quarter, Gardner-Webb struck first when Tyler Simpson connected on a 19-yard field goal with 11:36 remaining in the second quarter. Charleston Southern answered with a 48-yard field goal from Matt Rolader late in the half, sending the teams into halftime tied at 3-3.
The Buccaneers took their first lead of the night early in the third quarter when Hakeem Watters broke free for a 62-yard touchdown run, putting Charleston Southern ahead 10-3. Gardner-Webb's defense kept the deficit manageable, however, forcing a pair of punts and a missed field goal during the quarter.
The Runnin' Bulldogs answered in the fourth quarter.
Gardner-Webb put together a 12-play, 72-yard scoring drive that consumed nearly six minutes, with Cole Pennington connecting with Brian Green Jr. on a nine-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 10-10 with 10:57 remaining.
The defense then delivered the decisive play.
With Charleston Southern backed up deep in its own territory, Tye Holsey tackled the Buccaneers in the end zone for a safety with 5:56 remaining, giving Gardner-Webb its first lead of the night at 12-10.
The Runnin' Bulldogs' defense closed the door from there, forcing another Charleston Southern punt before the offense took over and ran out the final 51 seconds to secure the victory.
Tre Yanez led the defensive effort with a game-high 13 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Zalen Watkins added six tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack, while Tye Weems recorded four tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Taylor Smallwood and Preston Hamilton also recorded sacks for the Runnin' Bulldogs.
Offensively, Pennington completed 27-of-47 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown, while Christian Vann led Gardner-Webb's rushing attack with 73 yards on 24 carries. Kory Jones paced the receiving corps with five catches for 60 yards, and Green Jr. hauled in four passes for 43 yards and the game-tying touchdown.