EMORY, Va. — Tusculum defensive back Judah Knight broke up a late pass to force a turnover on downs, while quarterback Tedros Gleaton converted a fourth down and short to run out the clock as the Pioneers held on for a 28-26 victory at Emory & Henry Saturday afternoon in the South Atlantic Conference opener for both teams.
Tusculum (2-1, 1-0 SAC) snaps an 11-game SAC losing streak, while also posting its first league win on the road since 2023. It was also the Pioneers’ first-ever win at Emory & Henry, snapping an 0-11 road streak to the Wasps (1-2, 0-1 SAC) in a series that dates back 111 years (1915).
Gleaton rushed for 81 yards on 18 carries including a touchdown, while also passing for 90 yards and a score. He went 4-of-10 through the air, including a 59-yard TD toss to Ashton Hagans on the opening possession of the second half to break a 14-14 tie, a lead the Pioneers would not relinquish.
With Tusculum up 21-14, E&H responded with nine-play, 61-yard drive deep into Pioneer territory at the TU 9. With first and goal from the nine, De’Ante Childs was stopped in his tracks on back-to-back runs. Quarterback Cole Lambert’s toss to the end zone was broken up by Kevin Jordan. The Wasps would settle for a 26-yard field goal by Asher Frisbee as Emory & Henry trimmed the lead to 21-17.
Tusculum would go three-and-out on its next series and would be forced to punt as Emory & Henry took over at their own 41. On the first play, Tusculum was whistled for pass interference moving the ball to the TU 44. Childs posted runs of 3 and five yards, but on third down, Dallas Chavis was tackled for a two-yard loss by Justin Thomas and Cameron Garnett. Facing fourth down and four yards to go, Lambert’s pass fell incomplete as TU took over at the 38 with 3:31 left in the third quarter.
Tusculum mounted a drive that ate up the remainder of the quarter as TU converted on consecutive third-down-and-two yards to go to get to the E&H 38. TU converted on third down for a third time in the drive on Donovan Jones‘ 15-yard run to the E&H 14. After a Gleaton six-yard rush, Ja’von McMahan rushed to the left side and crossed the goal line for a three-yard touchdown. Max Turan‘s kick gave Tusculum a 28-17 lead with 12:35 remaining. The TD capped a 12-play, 62-yard drive that last 5:56.
On the ensuing kickoff, Vic Romain returned the ball 38 yards to the E&H 38 to set up the Wasps with good field position. Lambert completed a 28-yard pass to Khyair Lundy at the TU 29. But they would be stopped there including a Zavien Bryant pass break-up on third down. On came Frisbee as he drilled a 45-yard touchdown to cut the TU lead to 28-20 with 9:47 remaining.
Tusculum would go three and out on the next possession as Emory & Henry would start at its own 20. Lambert would orchestrate a seven-play, 80-yard drive which was culminated by a 47-yard TD strike to Lundy to make it a 28-26 lead with 5:09 left on the clock. The two-point attempt by Lambert was no good as the Pioneers held onto the two-point lead.
The Wasps seized the momentum and forced another three-and-out by the Pioneers. On the unsuccessful third down run, Tusculum was whistled for unsportsmanlike conduct, moving the football back to the TU 18.
Punter Nathan Holbrook came up with the kick of the day as his punt went 58 yards and was returned six yards by M.A. Skanes to the E&H 30. On the play, the Wasps was flagged on the play, moving the ball back to the E&H 12 with 3:17 to go.
Lambert would be sacked on the first play of the series as he was stuffed in the backfield by Malachi Jefferson and Jimi Olarinde. Chavis would get a big chunk of the yardage lost back with his 13-yard run to the 17. Lambert’s third down pass would fall incomplete, setting up a fourth down and five yards to go from there. On fourth down, Lambert would go deep for Lundy at the E&H 40, but his pass would be deflected by Knight, as the Wasps turned the ball over on downs for a second time in the game.
With 1:49 remaining, Gleaton ran for a yard, while Keithan Washington posted a two-yard gain as the Wasps call their final timeout with 1:03 to go. Gleaton ran to the right side for a four-yard run to milk some more time off the clock. After a TU timeout on fourth down and three yards to go with 18 seconds remaining, Tusculum elected go for the conversion as Gleaton called his own number and rush to the right side for five yards and a first down as the clock ran out to end the game.
Emory & Henry edged the Pioneers in total offense by a 351-328 margin, but TU dominated the ground game rushing for 239 yards on 52 carries, including three touchdowns.
Lambert finished the contest going 12-of-24 for 232 yards with a pair of touchdowns, but was sacked twice. Childs was the top rusher of the game as he ran for 96 yards on 17 carries with a score.
The E&H duo of DeQuadre Currence and Marc Harris posted 10 tackles each, while Trey McBride and Sawyer Ducey had nine and seven stops, respectively.
Tusculum’s Greg Williams led the Pioneers in tackles for a third straight game as he posted a team-best 10 tackles including one for loss. Thomas tallied seven tackles, while the trio of Jordan, Garnett and Olarinde had six hits apiece.
Both teams came out of the gate hesitantly to start the contest as both went three-and-out on their first two possessions.
Emory & Henry broke through later in the opening quarter as Childs sprinted up the middle for a 40-yard run to the TU 40. He followed with runs of 15 and two yards to get to the 23. Chavis followed with a 10-yard run to get inside the red zone. The Tusculum defense stiffened and one fourth-down and one yard to go, the Wasps went for it and Chavis barely got the ball to the TU 3, but would be enough for the first down. Two plays later, Childs rushed up the middle for the score as the Wasps led 7-0 at the 2:46 mark of the period.
Early in the second quarter, Gleaton would run in from four yards out to tie the game at 7-7 to cap a 10-play, 75-yard drive that took 5:09 off the clock.
Later in the second quarter, Tusculum would mount another lengthy drive, going 64 yards on 12 plays and took 5:28 on the scoreboard as Washington took a pitch from Gleaton and broke several tackles before scampering in with a 21-yard touchdown as TU took its first lead of the game, 14-7 with 1:34 left before halftime.
The Wasps wasted little time as Lambert opened with a 31-yard completion to Skanes as he was stopped at the TU 42. A six-yard pass to Skanes set up E&H at the TU 33. After at stop on second down and the two-minute timeout, Lamber found Childs for an 11-yard completion and Parker Prioleau would be hit on a crossing rout and scored the 22-yard touchdown with 33 seconds left to send the game into the intermission tied at 14-14.
Holbrook averaged 46.5 yards on his six punts, including a long of 58 yards and two that pinned E&H inside the 20.
Tusculum’s Cam Ferguson ran for 46 yards on 10 carries, while Washington ended up with 43 yards on six attempts including a TD.
The Pioneers went 8-of-15 on their third-down conversions, while E&H went 3-of-12.
Neither team committed a turnover in the contest as the Pioneers have yet to turn the football over this season.
Tusculum will play its next two games at home beginning with next Saturday’s 2 p.m. kickoff against Anderson at Pioneer Field.
