Oct. 13, 2007

Final Stats

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn.-- Brad Roach passed for a school record 486 yards as Catawba rallied from a 35-20 halftime deficit to hand Carson-Newman its first defeat of the 2007 season, 55-49 in front of a Homecoming crowd of 5,041 at Burke-Tarr Stadium.

The Eagles (6-1, 2-1 SAC) struck first when Reggie Hubbard hauled in a 20-yard Alex Good pass for a 7-0 Carson-Newman lead in the first quarter. Hubbard and Good connected again on a 34-yard TD play for a 14-0 lead with 6:37 remaining in the quarter. After a Cory Darnell field goal put Catawba on the board, Ricky Harris scored an 11-yard TD to cap a seven-play, 38-yard drive for a 21-3 lead.

Roach then sprung the Indian offense into action, firing a 28-yard TD pass to Brandon Bunn to cut C-N's lead to 21-10 in the second quarter. After Darnell booted a 44-yard field goal get within eight points at 21-13, Good raced around left end for a 54-yard TD run as Carson-Newman increased the lead to 28-13. Harris added his second TD of the day, a six-yard run, for a 35-13 lead. Roach tossed his second TD pass just before halftime to Brent Johnson to put C-N's lead at 15 points at halftime.

In the third quarter, Catawba began their comeback. Jamelle Cuthbertson capped a three-play, 76 yard drive with a one-yard TD run. Kory Fisher set up the score with a 69-yard run on the first play of the third quarter to the Carson-Newman seven-yard line.

Roach hurled his third TD pass, a 41-yarder to fullback Walter Horne, with 7:18 remaining in the third quarter to complete the comeback and tie the game at 35-35.

Good directed another Eagle scoring drive, finding Otis Miller in the right corner of the end zone for a 41-yard TD pass to put C-N back on top 42-35. Roach then engineered Catawba's best drive of the day, directing a 19-play, 79-yard drive that took seven minutes off the clock. George Bell's one-yard TD plunge tied the score at 42-42 with 6:23 left in the fourth quarter. Good and Hubbard connected for their third score of the day, this one a 74-yarder to give C-N the lead again at 49-42. Roach and the Indians would not be denied as Bell scored on an 11-yard run with 3:11 remaining to tie the game again at 49-49.

The Eagles received the ball back on their own 11-yard line with 3:05 to play, but James Banks was tackled for an 11-yard loss by James House and Good's deep pass to Hubbard fell incomplete to give Catawba the ball back on their own 40 with 1:42 remaining. Roach completed five straight passes to put the Indians at the Eagle one-yard line. Bell scored his second TD of the game with 26 seconds remaining to put Catawba up 55-49.

Good completed a 54-yard pass with one second remaining to Otis Miller. Miller tried to lateral the ball to Hubbard, but was stopped by the Indian defense to end the game.

Good finished with 14 carries for 161 yards and one touchdown and had a career day passing. He completed 12-of-22 passes for 314 yards and four touchdowns, all career highs.

Hubbard caught five Good passes for 154 yards and three touchdowns while Miller added three catches for 111 yards and a touchdown. Roach set a school record, completing 37 of 64 passes for four touchdowns. Fisher rushed 11 times for 120 yards while Johnson caught a school record 13 passes for 172 yards and one touchdown. Defensively, Mario Russell made a career high 11 tackles to lead the Eagles.

Carson-Newman will seek a return to their winning ways at Lenoir-Rhyne on October 20. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.