Rocky Mount, N.C. - N.C. Wesleyan's football team stunned 15th-ranked Huntingdon College on Saturday afternoon, pulling off a 41-31 upset of the Hawks in the USA South opener for both squads. The Bishops forged a 28-14 lead at the half and used a pair of field goals by senior Christopher Richardson down the stretch to seal their fifth straight league win dating back to last season.
The game looked to be a shootout in the first quarter as the Hawks and Bishops traded touchdowns for four straight possessions. HC took the opening kickoff down the field with ease, using six plays to go 74 yards in just over two minutes to get on the board. The Bishops countered in similar fashion, needing just 2:44 to eat up 71 yards on six plays, capped by a 1-yard TD run by senior Gerrel Patton. The Hawks marched right back down the field, with Luke Bailey's 17-yard scoring strike to Jamichael Bibb putting HC back on top 14-7. That lead, however, lasted just 12 seconds as Bishop senior Malik Adams returned the ensuing kickoff 92 yards for the touchdown.
Wesleyan's defense proceeded to pitch a shutout in the second quarter, while the offense continued to racked up yards and points. Patton added a 15-yard touchdown run to open the period, while sophomore Nathan Gardner made it a two-score game with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Adams with 4:29 remaining. Huntingdon looked to cut the deficit in half with a solid drive before the break, but on 1st-and-Goal at the Bishop 10-yardline, senior Bobby Tucker picked off Bailey in the endzone to preserve the 14-point halftime advantage.
Wesleyan got the ball first in the third quarter and wasted no time adding to its lead. Gardner led the Bishops on an 8-play, 55-yard drive that saw him find sophomore Andrew Tyson in the endzone from 12 yards out. Richardson's PAT made the score 35-14, but the Hawks responded with touchdowns on their next two possessions to get back to within seven, 35-28. A 24-yard field goal by Richardson completed the third quarter scoring, giving NCWC a 10-point lead heading into the final 15 minutes of play.
In the fourth, Huntingdon threatened with an early trip to the red zone but had to settle for a 19-yard field goal to get back to within seven. After trading punts, Wesleyan found itself with the ball clinging to a 38-31 lead with 6:33 to go. A balanced ground attack led by Patton and sophomore Adrian Minondo took the Bishops down the field and ate up over four minutes of play. Richardson proceeded to nail a 22-yard field goal to make it a two-possession game, but a roughing-the-kicker penalty gave Wesleyan an automatic first down and allowed the Bishops to milk another minute and a half off the clock. Richardson then split the uprights a second time from 19 yards out to provide the eventual 41-31 final.
Left with only 38 seconds to work with, the Hawks (3-1, 0-1 USA South) were unable to mount a threat, securing Wesleyan's second victory of the season.
Patton finished with 147 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, while Minodo pounded out 79 yards of his own. Gardner finished 13-of-23 for 199 yards the pair of TDs, with Trey Lancaster hauling in a team-high seven receptions. Defensively, senior Michael Clemmons registered a game-high 11 tackles. Tucker turned in a solid all-around performance with eight tackles, a forced fumble, one pass break-up, and the key interception.
The Bishops (2-2, 1-0 USA South) travel to Maryville College next Saturday for a 1:30pm tilt with the Scots.