COLUMBIA, Ky. — The top-ranked Lindsey Wilson football pulled away in the second half to defeat visiting Cumberlands (Ky.) by a final score of 41-19 on Saturday at Blue Raider Stadium.

After being a one-point game with the Blue Raiders leading 14-13 at the half, Lindsey Wilson outscored the Patriots 27-6 over the final two quarters to pull away and remain undefeated on the year at 5-0.

The first half was a back and forth affair with each team trying to establish control of the game.

The Blue Raiders got on the board first when quarterback Dylan Beasley, who had five total touchdowns, had a two-yard touchdown run with 10:46 remaining in the first quarter.

Cumberlands attempted to answer with a score of their own on the ensuing possession, but the Blue Raiders blocked a 37-yard field goal attempt by the Patriots, one of numerous big plays by the Lindsey Wilson special teams.

Lindsey Wilson retained a 7-0 lead until the Patriots (4-2) got the ball with 10:24 to go in the second quarter and mounted a seven-minute drive that was capped off by quarterback Adam Criag's one-yard rushing touchdown.

With the game tied at seven, the Blue Raiders struck quickly to retake the lead. On the second play of the drive, Beasley, who completed 21-of-33 passes for 306 yards and three touchdowns, completed a 61-yard touchdown pass to Carmetrick Ross, who secured three catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns, with 2:59 left in the opening half.

Cumberlands got the ball back and attempted to drive the ball before halftime. The Patriots were held to no gain for the first two plays of the drive, and it looked as if the Blue Raiders would force the Patriots to punt. However, on third and 10, the Blue Raider defense was was flagged for offsides and Cumberlands would capitalize. The Patriots proceeded to drive the ball nine plays and 56 yards to score on a two yard rush by Hunter Lewis, who led Cumberlands with 144 yards rushing and two touchdowns, with only seconds to go before the half.

The Blue Raiders' Tony Brackins Jr. came up big on special teams blocking the Patriots' extra point attempt to preserve a 14-13 lead going into halftime.

Lindsey Wilson took control in the second half by outscoring Cumberlands 27-6 after the break and 14-0 in the third quarter. Beasley found Allen Cooks, who caught four passes, for a 15-yard touchdown with 10:14 left in the quarter, and later connected on a 17-yard passing play to Ross for his second score of the day with 5:35 to go in the third.

Cumberlands scored its only touchdown of the half with 11:46 left in the fourth quarter when Lewis got into the end zone for his second score of the day. The Patriots, down 28-19 after the score, were unsuccessful on a two point conversion attempt, and would not score the rest of the game.

The Blue Raiders would go on to score two more touchdowns to push the score to 41-19.

At the 9:56 mark in the fourth quarter, Beasley took the snap, dropped back and threw a backwards pass to running back Cory Davenport, who launched a 40-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Josh Noel, who caught two passes for 53 yards, to make the score 34-19.

Beasley capped off the scoring the same way he started it. He ran in seven yards for his second rushing touchdown of the game and his fifth total touchdown of the day with under four minutes to play to seal the win.

Cumberlands gained 451 total net yards, but the Lindsey Wilson defense came up with big plays when it needed them. Brackins Jr. forced Patriot wide reciever Wendall Williams to fumble at the Lindsey Wilson goal line with 12:25 to go in the second quarter. The ball went out of the end zone resulting in a touchback and ending a 12 play, 80-yard drive for Cumberlands.

With 10:14 to go in the third quarter, Michael Brooks, who led the Blue Raiders with 10 total tackles, intercepted a pass from Craig, which subsequently led to a scoring drive by Lindsey Wilson.

The special teams units for the Blue Raiders was able to hold Williams, the reigning NAIA Special Teams Player of the Week, to 60 total return yards. Lindsey Wilson achieved this by varying their kickoffs and punts to limit Williams' touches combined with sure tackling from the Blue Raiders' coverage teams.

The Blue Raiders passed for 346 yards compared to only 126 yards for the Patriots. Cumberlands ran the ball 58 times for 325 yards compared to 22 rushing attempts for 110 yards for the Blue Raiders. Cumberlands possessed the ball for 37:26 compared to 22:34 for Lindsey Wilson, but the Blue Raider offense scored quickly with each scoring drive lasting under five minutes, including three scoring drives in less than three minutes.

The Blue Raiders take the field next week at Blue Raider Stadium against No. 10 Faulkner (Ala.) on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. CT.