SEWANEE, Tenn. - In the third-ever football night game on the campus of The University of the South, the Sewanee football team suffered a 49-30 defeat to the hands of Birmingham-Southern in the Southern Athletic Association opener for both teams at Historic Hardee-McGee Field at Harris Stadium.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final Score: Birmingham-Southern (2-1, 1-0) 49, Sewanee (0-3, 0-1) 30
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HOW IT HAPPENED
-The Panthers had a late first quarter score by Hunter Kountz on a one-yard run to cap a nine-play, 80-yard drive on the team's second offensive drive of the game.
-In the second quarter, the Panthers sprinted out to a 28-0 lead with three touchdowns, two by Trevor Oakes. One was a 38-yard pass to Cole Marell, and the other was a 10-yard run.
-The Panthers took the lead into the locker room, but it was the Tigers who came back strong in the second half. On Sewanee's first drive of the second half, the team went down the field and converted a 40-yard field goal by Brody Palmer to avoid the shutout.
-BSC padded the lead with a three-yard run by Zack Seay to push the lead to 35-3 after 45 minutes of play.
-In the fourth quarter, after BSC punted the ball on its first drive of the quarter, the Purple and Gold started at their own 42-yard line. In four plays, led by Cyrus McCullough, who caught all three passes targeted to him, scored the team's first touchdown of the game on a 13-yard reception.
-On the next possession, after an on-side kick, the Panthers place the back-up quarterback into the game and Wesley Porter picked off the pass and ran it back 58 yards for a pick-six. Sewanee made it a 35-17 game with 9:20 left.
-The Tigers would attempt another on-side kick and Sewanee recovered, looking to cut the deficit to a two-score game, but the drive stalled at midfield.
-BSC eventually put the game away on the next drive with a six-play, 88-yard possession. Robert Shufford rushed the ball for two yards to put the game away from the home-standing Tigers.
-Sewanee added two more scores late in the contest: a 30-yard reception from McCullough that found the endzone and a seven-yard reception by Colin May.
SEWANEE KEY STATISTICS
-Cyrus McCullough caught nine catches for a career-high 192 yards, averaging 21.3 yards per reception, and two scores. The junior has earned back-to-back games with 100+ yards through the air.
-Alex Darras threw for 342 yards on 23-of-44 passing with three touchdowns. Also being forced the punt, the senior averaged 41.8 yards per punt in five attempts.
-On the ground, George Morrice and Michael McGhee ran for 63 and 53 yards, respectively.
-Alex Coffield had eight tackles to lead Sewanee, one for a loss.
-Wesley Porter had two interceptions, one for a score, and six tackles.
BIRMINGHAM-SOUTHERN KEY STATISTICS
-Trevor Oakes had one touchdown through the air and one on the ground as he had 229 passing yards and 38 rushing yards.
-Robert Shufford had 194 receiving yards on 14 carries and two scores.
UP NEXT
Sewanee hits the road next week for the 66th meeting of the Orgill Cup at Rhodes College in Memphis.
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