Box Score
The Sewanee Tigers gave the host Austin Kangaroos everything they could handle on Saturday, but a late fourth quarter push by Austin put the Tigers away, 34-17. Sewanee falls to 1-5 on the season and 0-3 in SCAC play, while Austin picks up their first conference win of the season and moves to 3-2 overall.
Sewanee got off to a quick start, forcing Austin quarterback Travis Zambiasi into throwing an interception on the game's opening drive. Sewanee junior Alfonza Knight (Nashville, Tenn., M.B.A.) picked off Zambiasi to set the Tigers up at their own 20-yard line. The Tigers appeared to have a three and out on their hands, but Austin was flagged for roughing the kicker as senior Geoffrey Marolda (Houston, Tex., Houston Episcopal) attempted to punt early in the drive. The penalty gave the Tigers the ball and a first down at their own 31. Sewanee proceeded to march down the field behind the arm of freshman quarterback Lee Schurlknight (Darlington, S.C., Byrnes Academy). Schurlknight passed nine times on the first drive, completing seven and setting Sewanee up at the Austin ten-yard line. After failing to convert on third and eight, the Tigers settled for a field goal from sophomore kicker Trey Knighton (Arab, Ala., Arab). Knighton nailed the 29-yarder, and with five minutes left in the first quarter, Sewanee led 3-0.
Austin promptly turned around and added a field goal of their own on the ensuing drive. Mitch Anderson's 37-yarder knotted the score at three all.
Sewanee started the second quarter with a six-play drive that covered only 18 yards before being forced to punt. Austin rushed twice for a combined eleven yards before Zambiasi completed a pass to Braydon MaQuar. But Sewanee forced MaQuar to fumble and the Tigers recovered at the Austin College 40-yard line. The Tigers were unable to capitalize on the turnover, though, as they turned the ball over on downs after failing to convert on fourth and ten.
The two teams traded punts before someone found the scoreboard again. The Kangaroos needed just 1:58 and five plays to find the end zone. Zambiasi hooked up with MaQuar with 4:45 left in the first half, connecting on a 26-yard pass to put the 'Roos up 10-3.
But Sewanee wasted no time in evening the score though. Junior Ben Cleveland (Ft. Worth, Tex., Trinity Valley School) returned Mitch Anderson's kickoff 54 yards, setting the Tigers up at the Austin 43-yard line. The drive belonged to junior running back Zeke Wilson (Snellville, Ga., George Walton Academy). Rushes of 4, 17, and 18 yards, all by Wilson, set the Tigers up a the Austin 4-yard line. From there, Wilson scampered into the end zone for the Tigers first touchdown of the day. Knighton's extra point tied it up, 10-10, with just 2:05 left in the half. Austin put together a 59-yard drive in one minute eighteen seconds to add one more score to the board before heading into the locker room. Zambiasi completed a pass to Jordan Schell for a 53-yard touchdown to put the 'Roos up 17-10 at the half.
The teams traded punts, followed by one interception apiece, to start the second half. Sophomore J.D. Crabtree (Tullahoma, Tenn., Tullahoma) picked off Zambiasi with 6:57 left in the third quarter to set the Tigers up at the Austin 47-yard line. Sewanee moved the ball on runs from Wilson, Curtis Johnson (Atlanta, Ga., Holy Spirit Prep), and Cleveland before Schurlknight connected with freshman Robert Spilman (Martinsville, Va., Woodberry Forest) on a seven-yard pass for a Tiger touchdown. Knighton added the extra point, and with 2:37 remaining in the third quarter, the score was again even at 17-17.
Following Spilman's TD, Anderson converted a 36-yard field goal on the next drive to put the Kangaroos up 20-17. Sewanee was forced to punt on their next drive and Austin took the opportunity to put the visitors away. Blake Towery replaced Zambiasi at quarterback and promptly completed a 37-yard pass to Austin senior Greg Harrell for a Kangaroo touchdown, pushing the score to 27-17 in favor of the hosts. Sewanee got the ball after Harrell's touchdown but Schurlknight was sacked on the first play of the drive. Austin's Ben Youngblood scooped up the questionable fumble and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown. Youngblood's touchdown and Anderson's extra point made it 34-17, which would stand for the rest of the game.
Sewanee earned 17 first downs on the day, against 18 for the 'Roos. The Tigers out-gained Austin in rushing yards, 128-126. Austin held the advantage in passing yards, 210-117. The Tigers held the ball for over 37 minutes of the contests and were three of five on fourth-down conversions.
Schurlknight finished the day 18 of 28 passing with two interceptions. Chad Morehead (Heflin, Ala., Cleburne County) hauled in eleven receptions for 64 yards. Wilson gained 96 rushing, while also tallying 40 receiving yards. Zac Atkins (Dallas, Tex., Lake Highlands) led the Tiger defense with nine tackles, including two for a loss. Curtis Tucker (LaPlace, La, East St. John) contributed eight tackles and three tackles for a loss.
Head Coach Robert Black was pleased with his team's performance this afternoon: “We played a good football team and we played neck and neck with them until the end. We did a good job with our special teams and our game plan on both sides of the ball worked well and our effort was very good. We held the ball for 38 minutes and were able to keep our defensive guys off the field on a hot day. Defensively, I thought we contained the quarterback well and came up with some key turnovers. We took away their run game and forced them to throw the ball. Offensively, we orchestrated some error free drives and controlled the line of scrimmage most of the day. Our effort will give us momentum as we head into the second half of the season.”
Sewanee will play host to Trinity University in an SCAC clash next weekend at McGee Field. Trinity fell 42-14 to Texas Lutheran today and is 2-3 on the year and 0-2 in SCAC play.
