LEBANON, Tenn. - The No. 11-ranked Lindsey Wilson football team defeated Cumberland (Tenn.) 35-14 at Nokes-Lasater Field on Saturday.
The Blue Raiders (7-2, 2-1 Mid-South Conference) outgained the Phoenix (5-4, 1-3 MSC) 384-230 and limited the Phoenix to just 9-of-21 passing for 84 yards. This is the second straight week that Lindsey Wilson has held an opponent to under 100 yards passing. For a second time this season, the Blue Raider defense forced four turnovers. Lindsey Wilson picked off two passes and also recovered a pair of fumbles in the win.
Tate Rice completed 24 of his 37 passes throwing for 226 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
Davontaye Saunders ran for 81 yards on 20 carries with a pair of touchdowns. With his two touchdowns, Saunders tied his own single-season rushing touchdowns record he set last year with 20. He also caught a touchdown pass and is now tied for the career-record in points scored at 424.
Max Gainey led the Blue Raiders in receiving with seven catches for 69 yards and a touchdown. Gainey broke his own program record for receiving yards in a season and now has 1,006. He becomes the program's first-ever 1,000-yard receiver in a season.
Kelson McKinney led the Lindsey Wilson defense with a game-high 10 tackles.
Kevin Wilson added nine tackles and one tackle for loss, while
Bennett McDougal and
Jarod Suter also had a tackle for loss.
Rashad Orr II recorded both Blue Raider interceptions.
Jamahl Gentry and
Qua'darious Lightner each forced a fumble, while Gentry and
Tae'Andre Clark each recovered a fumble.
Lindsey Wilson got the ball to begin the game. The Blue Raiders put together and 11-play, 65-yard scoring drive aided by two Cumberland penalties. Cumberland was called for pass interference on a third and eight negating a Phoenix interception. The Phoenix got called for their second pass interference penalty of the drive on a 4th and 12 at their own 28. Saunders got the Blue Raiders on the board two plays later giving Lindsey Wilson the 7-0 lead with 8:57 to play in the first.
On the ensuing kickoff, Lightner forced a fumble on the Cumberland 10 and Clark recovered the ball on the Phoenix nine. The Blue Raiders capitalized on the turnover with Rice connecting with
Patrick Kelly for six yards on the third play of the drive increasing the lead to 14-0.
Orr recorded his first interception on Cumberland's first offensive drive. The Phoenix had a 3rd and 24 on their own 27. Orr intercepted the Luke Parker pass at the 50 returning it three yards to the Cumberland 47. The Blue Raiders were unable to take advantage of the turnover going three-and-out.
Following a Cumberland punt, Lindsey Wilson went on an eight-play, 65-yard drive capped off by a 21-yard touchdown pass from Rice to Saunders pushing the Blue Raider lead to 21-0 with 12:24 to play in the half. The two teams traded possessions for the remainder of the half as Lindsey Wilson went into the locker room with the 21-0 advantage.
The Blue Raiders forced a Phoenix three-and-out on the first drive of the second half. Nolan Gottlied punted the ball out-of-bounds pinning Lindsey Wilson on its own one. Lindsey Wilson put together its longest scoring drive of the season going 99 yards. Following a hold on the Blue Raiders that made it 1st and 20 on their 37,
Stevin Mack ran it 32 yards to the Phoenix 31. On the next play, Rice found Gainey for 31 yards to increase the Blue Raider lead to 28-0.
Cumberland went on a 10-play, 64-yard touchdown drive capped off by a 20-yard pass from Luke Parker to Jarrius Rogers trimming the Lindsey Wilson lead to 28-7 with 4:21 to play in the third. The Phoenix recovered a Lindsey Wilson fumble on Cumberland's 25 on the next drive. The Lindsey Wilson defense responded stopping the Phoenix on fourth down on the Blue Raider 42.
Lindsey Wilson was stopped on fourth down on the next drive giving Cumberland the ball on its own 29. On the ensuing Phoenix drive, Gentry recovered a Parker fumble at the 50. The Blue Raiders capitalized on the turnover needing just two plays to score. Saunders ran it from 39 yards giving Lindsey Wilson a 35-7 lead with 7:15 to play.
On the next drive, Orr recorded his second interception at the Blue Raider nine. Cumberland got the ball back on the first play of the drive when Troy Stevenson intercepted the Rice pass at the Blue Raider 27. Parker found Kaiden Hatchett for five yards to give Cumberland its final touchdown.
Lindsey Wilson returns home next week to face Bethel (Tenn.) on Homecoming and Senior Day at 1:30 p.m. CT at Parnell Family Stadium.
