COLUMBIA, Ky. -- With only 34 rushing yards and six turnovers working against it, the Lindsey Wilson College football team dropped its first game of the season 23-13 to 18th ranked Cumberland (Tenn.) University on Saturday night at Blue Raider Stadium.

The Blue Raiders were never out of the game and entered the fourth quarter trailing just 16-13.

With the ball on the first drive of the fourth quarter, the Blue Raiders marched down to the Cumberland 31 yard line where Lindsey Wilson freshman quarterback Branden Cresap threw an interception that Cumberland used to score a touchdown on its next drive.

On that drive, Cumberland's Lemeco Miller rushed for gains of 14 and 11 yards to set up quarterback Reed Gurchiek's four-yard touchdown pass to DeJeay Woods to put the Blue Raiders away 23-13 as they never threatened to score the rest of the quarter.

Looking at statistics alone, except for the rushing, Lindsey Wilson (0-1) was in control of the game offensively.

The Blue Raiders finished with 397 yards of total offense with 363 coming through the air, while the Bulldogs put together 355 total yards, comprised of 133 on the ground and 222 passing yards. Turnovers gave Cumberland (1-0) the biggest advantage, committing just two, compared to six for Lindsey Wilson.

Cresap played well in his collegiate debut, completing 26-of-49 passes for a school-record 363 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. His biggest play of the night was the first score of the game as he made a 25-yard heave to freshman Chaz Barnes that he caught in the right corner of the end zone.

Gurchiek finished 19-for-30 passing for Cumberland, tallying 222 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Miller led the Bulldogs on the ground with 67 yards on 12 carries.

Eric Shaw led the Lindsey Wilson defense with eight tackles, while Taylor Head finished with four tackles and an interception and Aaron Taylor registered the Blue Raiders lone sack.

Cumberland's Ben Miller matched Shaw in total tackles with eight and Cody McCallister finished with two picks and two tackles. Jarred Williams got the lone sack against Cresap.

After Cresap's second-quarter scoring strike to Barnes, Cumberland answered seconds later on a 57-yard touchdown pass from Gurchiek to McCalin that tied the score at 6-6 after both teams failed to add an extra point.

Early in the third quarter, Lindsey Wilson took the lead again as Cresap hit sophomore Richard Kennedy through the air for a 66-yard touchdown pass to put the Blue Raiders up 13-6 after the extra point by sophomore Mark Corbett.

But that was where the Lindsey Wilson scoring would end as Cumberland inched within four points on a Beau Baker field goal with three minutes left in the third quarter and Gurchiek ran three yards for a touchdown in the last seconds of the quarter to enter the fourth up 16-13.

The Blue Raiders allowed the same amount of points in their matchup with Cumberland last season, losing 23-7 on the road, but played a more competitive game in Columbia on Saturday night.

Lindsey Wilson is back in action at Noon CT on Saturday, Sept. 10 at Southern Virginia University in Buena Vista, Va.

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