Aug. 23, 2007

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn.-- After a rough start, the Carson-Newman Eagles handed Virginia State their worst season-opening loss in team history in a 52-21 win over the Trojans.

The Eagles (1-0) struggled in the first half by failing to complete a pass. VSU struck first when Michael Terry fired a 72-yard TD strike to Brandon Crump for a 7-0 Trojan lead. In the second quarter, the Eagles dented the scoreboard on their fourth offensive possession. Alex Good led C-N on a 10-play, 26-yard drive that resulted in an Aubrey Ingham 48-yard field goal to cut VSU's lead to 7-3.

VSU went ahead by 11 points just seconds later as wide receiver Davian Richards launched a 72-yard TD pass to Jerome Choice as the Trojans took a 14-3 advantage. The Eagles proceeded to dominate the next three quarters. Alex Rouse and Good co-engineered a 7-play, 70-yard drive capped by a 14-yard TD run by Good to pull the Eagles closer at 14-10. After forcing a VSU three-and-out, James Banks brought the 4,272 fans at Burke-Tarr Stadium to life with 15-yard punt return to the VSU 19-yard line. Rouse ended a four-play drive with a one-yard TD run to give the Eagles the lead for good at 17-14.

After the C-N defense stopped VSU again, Banks fielded a Robert Dunham punt at the 20-yard line and returned it 33 yards into Trojan territory at the 47-yard line. From there, Rouse launched a perfect spiral to Banks, who caught the ball between two defenders, for his first TD reception in an Eagle uniform for a 24-14 C-N halftime advantage.

"It was great to be out there," Banks said. "It's a dream come true. I've been waiting for this for three years. This game is what I live for. God has blessed me with talent and I'm trying to do my best with it."

In the second half, the Eagles continued to roll up offensive yardage. After VSU scored on a 31-yard TD pass from Lamar Blizzard to Choice, Buck Wakefield capped a six-play, 65 yard drive with a 13-yard dash to the end zone for a 31-21 Eagle lead. Good scored on a 12-yard TD run to build the lead to 38-21. Wakefield and Clarence Goines capped a 446-yard rushing attack by the Eagles with scores of 2-yards and 1-yard, respectively, to give C-N a 31-point win. The Eagles' 52 points is the largest total given up by VSU in their season opener. The previous record was 47 points surrendered to South Carolina State in 1978.

"I was concerned about our rough start, but we had the look of a pretty good football team at times," C-N coach Ken Sparks said. "We've got a lot of young people out there, but they played as a team."

Sparks was also proud of Banks' performance.

"He's a game changer," Sparks said. "Even though he wasn't full speed tonight, he showed a preview of good things to come for us."

Rouse led the Eagle rushing attack with 77 yards on 11 carries while passing for 64 yards and one touchdown. Revel Coffey intercepted two VSU passes for 128 return yards. His first interception was a 68-yard return to the VSU 16 yard-line which led to a Carson-Newman score.

The Eagles will next travel to Chattanooga to face Division I-AA UT-Chattanooga on August 30. The Eagles and Moccasins will meet for the first time in 87 years and the game will be televised on CSS television beginning at 7:00 p.m.