MARS HILL, N.C. — Mars Hill quarterback Lukas Kachilo passed for 324 yards and four touchdowns and converted a pair of two-point conversion tosses including the game-winner in the fourth overtime period to lead the 21st-ranked Lions to 42-40 victory over Tusculum Saturday afternoon in a South Atlantic Conference thriller at Meares Stadium.
Mars Hill (5-0, 4-0 SAC) takes over sole possession of first place in the league as the Lions scored 10 points in the final three minutes of regulation including a 52-yard field goal by Matthias Newsome with 1:12 left in the fourth quarter to knot the game at 31-31.
The Pioneers (3-3, 2-2 SAC) drove 39 yards to the MHU 36 and had a chance to win it as quarterback Tedros Gleaton‘s heave to the right corner of the end zone was on target. TU’s Ashton Hagans leaped up to make the catch, but MHU’s Jah’Mere La’Sane broke up the pass to send the game to extra time.
Tusculum won the coin toss and elected to go on defense. MHU threw a pair of incompletions, but Kachilo would connect on the third for a 25-yard touchdown to Brayden Marvel. Newome’s kick was good as Mars Hill led 38-31.
Tusculum scored on the first play of its first OT possession as Gleaton rolled out to the right and was credited with a short completion to running back Cam Ferguson, who sprinted down the sideline for the 25-yard TD. TU would elect to go for the win on the two-point conversion try. The Pioneers lined up in a spread formation. The snap went to Gleaton who took two steps to his right and completed pass to Brady Rinkus to the end zone for the apparent winning tally. But the celebration was premature as Tusculum was penalized for offensive pass interference. Back up 10 yards, Max Turan stepped up an drilled the game-tying extra point to send the game to a second overtime period.
In the second extra frame, Tusculum would face fourth down and two yards to go. The Pioneers went for the first down conversion as Gleaton looked to have made the line to gain but was stopped inches short and turned the ball over on downs.
Mars Hill would gain seven yards on its next three plays and faced fourth and three yards to go at the TU 18. But Newsome’s kick was be pulled right as the teams went to a third overtime period.
Having to go for two on each play, Mars Hill went first as Kachilo completed his two-point pass to Jaden Watkins as the Lions led 40-38. On Tusculum’s try, Gleaton rolled out to his right, reversed field, dropped the ball, picked up again and found Zion Job in the left corner of the end zone as he made an acrobatic catch to tie the game at 40-40.
In the fourth overtime session, Gleaton’s pass attempt failed, setting the table for the Lions. Running back Rayvon Durant would score the game-winning two-point try on Kachilo’s toss to end the game.
Tusculum racked up 478 yards of total offense against one of the nation’s top defense’s which had not allowed rushing touchdown all season and permitting only 7.3 points per contest entering Saturday’s fray. Gleaton led the charge he was responsible for 299 total offensive yards four touchdowns (2 rush, 2 pass). Gleaton ran for 106 yards on 27 carries and two TDs. He also went 7-of-14 for 193 passing yards and two scores.
Tusculum rushed for 285 yards on 63 attempts led by sophomore running back Ja’Von McMahan who ran for a career-high 123 yards on 21 carries, while Job finished with three receptions for 93 yards. Donovan Jones posted 63-yard touchdown reception, while Ferguson scored two TDs (1 rush, 1 receiving).
Kachilo went 23-of-44 through the air as he was sacked four times and threw one interception as the Lions accounted for 342 total yards.
Tusculum dominated time of possession holding onto the football for nearly 40 minutes. TU was penalized 13 times for 120 yards, while Mars Hill was flagged five times for 34 yards.
The Tusculum defense forced three turnovers resulting in 14 points for the Pioneers while Mars Hill caused a third quarter fumble which the Lions converted into a touchdown.
Defensively, the Pioneers were led by Greg Williams 12 tackles, while Kevin Jordan finished with a season-best 10 stops and forced a fumble. Jimi Olarinde made the most of his three tackles which two resulted in sacks, forced a fumble and returned another 14 yards.
Four MHU players accounted for double-digit stops led by Jamarion Farrior’s 14 tackles including two for loss with a fumble recovery.
Tusculum punter Nathan Holbrook averaged 44.5 yards on his four punts, while MHU punter Chad Giarusso had a 43.0 yard average on his four kicks.
Tusculum got on the scoreboard first on its opening possession as Quinton Brandon connected on a 25-yard field goal at the 7:37 mark of the first quarter. The 12-play, 49-yard scoring drive gave TU an early 7-0 lead.
Mars Hill answered on the ensuing possession as the Lions ran a flea-flicker play with Kachilo connecting with Bush-Ivanko on a 68-yard touchdown completion to take a 7-3 lead with 7:17 left in the quarter.
With 6:56 left in the first half, when Olarinde picked up a Mars Hill fumble and rambled 14 yards to the MHU 26. Five plays later, Gleaton ran in from six yards out. Turan’s kick gave Tusculum a 10-7 lead with 4:09 left. The touchdown was the first rushing TD the Lions have surrendered this season.
The Lions would take advantage of a roughing the passer penalty followed by a unsportsmanlike flag that moved Mars Hill into Tusculum territory to the TU 35. MHU would convert a fourth-down and five when Kachilo completed a six-yard pass to Bush-Invanko. With 39 seconds left in the half, Kachilo completed a short seven-yard pass to JT Way for a touchdown as Mars Hill took a 14-10 lead into the locker room.
Tusculum took the opening possession of the second half and went to the air on the second play from scrimmage as Gleaton completed a 77-yard pass to Job as he was dropped at the MHU 3. Gleaton would run it in from there for his second TD of the game and sixth of the season as the Pioneers led 17-14 with 13:17 left in the third quarter.
After a Mars Hill three-and-out the Pioneers took over at its own 37. On the first play of the drive, Gleaton hit Donovan Jones on a short pass and he would sprint 63 yards down the sideline for his first career touchdown to give TU a 24-14 lead with 11:05 remaining in the quarter.
Mars Hill drove into Tusculum territory to the TU 40, but Kachilo would be sacked by Olarinde, causing a fumble which was recovered by Malachi Jim-Lawson at the MHU 45. The Pioneers would move deep into Mars Hill territory, but the Pioneers would give the ball back on a bad snap and was recovered by Farrior at the MHU 25.
Nine plays and 75 yards later, Kachilo would punch the ball in for a touchdown to trim the TU lead to 24-21 with 2:15 left in the third.
Tusculum’s next possession would go 63 yards, take up 15 plays and milk 7:31 off the clock. But the Pioneers would be unable to cash in as Brandon’s 26-yard field goal went wide left.
But on the next play, Kachilo would be intercepted by Justin Thomas at the MHU 45. This time the Pioneers would respond. On fourth down and five, Ferguson would go wide to the right and run in for the 14-yard touchdown., his fourth of the season. With 4:21 remaining in the game, Tusculum led 31-21.
Mars Hill answered quickly and on the second play of the next series, Kachilo completed a 61-yard TD to Greyson Council for the touchdown as the Lions now trailed 31-28 with 3:09 left in regulation.
Following the two minute time with Tusculum facing a third down and six yards to go from the TU 29, Ferguson went to the left side and was stopp one-yard shy of the yard to gain. After Mars HIll called its second timeout of the half, with the ball sitting on the TU 34, Tusculum elected to go for the first down, which would all but clinch the victory. But on fourth down, the center to quarterback exchange was fumbled as TU turned the ball over on downs with 1:33 remaining.
The Tusculum defense held Mars Hill to minus-one yard on the possession, but on fourth down, Newsome drilled the game-tying 52-yard field goal to tie the game at 31-31.
This marks the fourth time in the 43-game series that the Pioneers and Lions have gone to overtime. It was also the longest game in the history of both football programs. Tusculum’s previous longest outing was a triple-overtime loss (55-52) to Lenoir-Rhyne in 2015.
The Pioneers return to action next Saturday as they travel to Wingate for a 3 p.m. contest from Irwin Belk Stadium.
