CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – The No. 7-ranked Lindsey Wilson football team fell to No. 9 Campbellsville 34-31 Saturday in the Battle of Highway 55 at Finley Stadium.
This marks the first time since October 31, 2015, that Campbellsville (6-0, 2-0 Mid-South Conference) has defeated the Blue Raiders (6-1, 2-1 MSC). The Blue Raiders outgained the Tigers 452-412 and held a 327 to 247 edge in passing yards. This marks the fifth time this season that Lindsey Wilson has surpassed 400 yards of offense. Each team forced a pair of turnovers in the game.
Tate Rice threw for a career-high 327 yards completing 28 of his 41 passes for three touchdowns and had a pair of interceptions.
Max Gainey caught five passes for 133 yards while
Khia Sherrard caught seven passes for 62 yards and a touchdown.
Seth Phillips caught a pair of touchdowns.
Davontaye Saunders ran for 125 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown.
Defensively,
Cameron Rankins had a game-high eight tackles with two tackles for loss and a sack. Rankins also forced a fumble and had a pair of pass breakups.
Ronald Carr added seven tackles while
Kevin Wilson totaled six.
The Blue Raider defense opened the game, forcing a Campbellsville three-and-out. Gainey returned the punt 35 yards to the Campbellsville 40. Lindsey Wilson was a yard short on fourth down, giving the Tigers the ball on its own 19. Campbellsville got on the board first with an eight-play, 81-yard drive capped off by Tre'Bass taking a screen pass 26 yards to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead with 5:59 left in the first. On the sixth play of the next Blue Raider drive, Rice connected with Gainey for 50 yards to the Tiger one. Saunders capped off the seven-play 88-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown, tying the game at 7-7 with 1:58 left in the quarter.
Campbellsville jumped back in front 14-7 with 10:40 left in the first half after a six-play, 37-yard drive. The Blue Raiders then put together a 13-play, 70-yard drive capped off by a 22-yard field goal by
Jadan Burns to trim the deficit to 14-10 with 4:33 remaining in the half. Campbellsville responded with a 38-yard field goal to take a 17-10 lead. On the second play of the next drive, the Tigers forced the first turnover, intercepting the Rice pass off a deflection. Campbellsville took over at the Blue Raiders' 42 with just under a minute left. The Tigers converted a 40-yard field goal right as the half expired to lead 20-10.
Lindsey Wilson got the ball to open the second half and put together a nine-play, 75-yard scoring drive. On the fifth play of the drive, Rice connected with Gainey for 46 yards to the Tigers' 22. Just four plays later, Rice found Sherrard for five yards to trim the deficit to 20-17. Campbellsville responded with a four-play touchdown drive, increasing its lead to 27-17 with 7:21 left in the third.
The Tigers recorded their second interception on the next drive, taking over on their own 40. The Lindsey Wilson defense responded, forcing a three-and-out and getting the ball on their own six after the Campbellsville punt.
On the next Campbellsville drive, the Tigers had the ball on the Lindsey Wilson 13. The Blue Raider defense stepped up, forcing a Bass fumble on the two and recovering in the endzone for a touchback with 12:37 to play. Lindsey Wilson took advantage of the turnover with Rice finding Phillips for a 14-yard touchdown to make it 27-24 with 8:47 remaining.
The Blue Raider defense forced its second fumble on the third play of the next drive with Rankins punching the ball out and Wilson recovering at the Blue Raider 48. Lindsey Wilson was stopped on fourth down at the Campbellsville 33 with 6:26 to play. Campbellsville went on a seven-play, 67-yard scoring drive, increasing its lead to 34-24 with 2:38 to play.
Lindsey Wilson responded, putting together a six-play, 75-yard drive in just 58 seconds. Rice found Phillips for a second time to make it 34-31 with 1:40 to play. The Tigers recovered the onside kick and were able to run out the clock to secure the victory.
Lindsey Wilson is back in action next week, hosting Faulkner (Ala.) for Homecoming at 1:30 p.m. CT at Parnell Family Stadium.
