Sept. 5, 2007

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - The 9th-ranked Carson-Newman Eagles returned to practice on Tuesday afternoon with a 90-minute session in Burke-Tarr Stadium.

C-N (2-0) worked out in full pads in its first practice since a 29-17 win at Chattanooga last Thursday night. The Eagles showed some rust after the four day break, but head coach Ken Sparks expects his team to find its rhythm.

"We weren't very sharp today," said Sparks. "We didn't show much fire or effort. I do think we came out knowing we can get better, and that is encouraging."

The win over the Southern Conference member Chattanooga sparked the Eagles in the polls.

C-N jumped four spots to 9th in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) poll. It also made a big move in the D2Football.com poll, leaping seven spots to 15th.

A pair of Eagles garnered Player of the Week honors in the South Atlantic Conference for their play in the win over the Mocs.

Sophomore quarterback Alex Good (Greensboro, N.C.) was named the Offensive Player of the Week. Good came into the game in the second quarter to lead the Eagles to three touchdowns drives in the second half. He finished 6-for-10 through the air for 105 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 56 yards on eight carries and a touchdown.

"Alex (Good) probably had his best game for us," said Sparks. "We got better as the game wore on, and he was a big reason."

Senior linebacker Eric Rice (Thomasville, Ga.) was named the Defensive Player of the Week. Rice, an All-American candidate, turned the game against Chattanooga on one play.

Down 14-3, Rice picked off an Antonio Miller screen pass and returned it to the Chattanooga eight yard line. C-N would get a field goal to cut the score to 14-6, but the game's momentum all seemed to swing on that play in Sparks' mind.

"Eric is our defensive leader," said Sparks. "We had to have someone step up and make a game-changing play, and our All-American did just that."

Carson-Newman will practice Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, as well as Friday morning, before taking a two-day break during its off weekend. C-N has 17 days between games.

The Eagles are back in action on September 15th, when they play host to Saint Augustine's (0-1). The Falcons lost to Mars Hill 22-9 on Saturday.

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Burke-Tarr Stadium. For tickets, call (865) 471-3396.