COLUMBIA, Ky. – The No. 10-ranked Lindsey Wilson football team defeated (RV) Faulkner (Ala.) 48-10 on Homecoming Saturday at Parnell Family Stadium.
The Blue Raiders (7-1, 3-1 Mid-South Conference) outgained the Eagles (4-4, 1-3 MSC) 440-277. This marks the fourth straight game and sixth time this season Lindsey Wilson has surpassed 400 yards of offense. The Blue Raiders had 251 passing yards and 189 on the ground. Lindsey Wilson limited Faulkner to just 137 passing yards on 34 attempts and an interception.
Davontaye Saunders ran for 164 yards on 17 carries and a pair of touchdowns. Saunders has now rushed for over 150 yards in five games this season. He also surpassed 1,000 rushing yards this season, bringing his total to 1,111.
Tate Rice completed 13 of his 20 passes for 157 yards and three touchdowns.
Max Gainey caught seven passes for 94 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Gainey also returned a punt for a touchdown in the victory. Gainey has now returned two punts for touchdowns this season.
Ronald Carr led the Blue Raider defense with 10 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a sack.
Cameron Rankins added six tackles while
Kevin Wilson recorded five and 1.5 tackles for loss.
Jermaine Allen recorded an interception.
The two teams each punted twice on their first two possessions to begin the game. On Faulkner's second punt, Gainey fielded it at the Blue Raider 30 and took it 70 yards to the end zone, giving Lindsey Wilson a 7-0 lead with 5:59 remaining in the quarter. Following another Eagle three-and-out, the Blue Raiders put together a 10-play, 71-yard drive capped off on a 14-yard run from Saunders, making it 14-0 with 14:17 to play in the first half.
On the next Lindsey Wilson drive, Rice found Gainey, giving the Blue Raiders a 21-0 advantage in the second quarter. The Eagles did not get the ball into Lindsey Wilson territory until their sixth drive late in the first half. Facing a 4th and 10 with just under a minute remaining in the half, Rice found Sherrard, who made a leaping grab into the end zone to extend the lead to 28-0
Lindsey Wilson needed just one play on its first drive of the second half to find the end zone. Saunders took the carry 88 yards to increase the Blue Raider advantage to 34-0. His 88-yard run is the second-longest in program history. Saunders now owns two of the five longest runs in program history. Faulkner got on the board with a 34-yard field goal to cap a seven-play, 65-yard drive. Rice connected with Gainey for a second time on the next Lindsey Wilson drive, increasing the lead to 41-3 with 4:53 to play in the third quarter. Allen picked off the Deuce Marshall pass at the Blue Raider four on the next Faulkner drive, returning it to the Lindsey 22.
Byron Kirkland-Lundy recorded the final Lindsey Wilson touchdown of the game on a three-yard run with 11:33 to play. Faulkner's lone touchdown of the afternoon came on a 30-yard pass from Marshall to Darian Riggs with 5:58 remaining.
The Blue Raiders head into a bye next week and are back in action on Saturday, November 8, hosting (RV) Cumberland (Tenn.) on Senior Day at 1:30 p.m. CT at Parnell Family Stadium.
