SEWANEE, Tenn. –
Dyer Barnes caught two touchdown passes and
Quinn Johnson recovered a pair of fumbles for Sewanee, but 24
th-ranked Berry used four long scoring plays to run away for a 61-23 victory in football action here Saturday at Harris Field.
Barnes posted TD receptions of 34 and six yards and
Jo Cantrell added a three-yard scoring catch as well for the Tigers (3-4, 2-3 SAA).
Jacorin Thomas rushed for 129 yards on 27 carries, though the Vikings (6-1, 4-1) kept him in check for most of the game. He completed 6-of-14 passes for two touchdowns and two interceptions and
Jayden Bragg tossed one TD for the home team.
Brandon Cade and Colby Sikes combined for 406 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 23 carries. Berry scored on plays of 19, 68, 27, 66, 72 and 80 yards in the game, four of those on the ground and two others on special teams.
Berry's Jake Whitten picked off Thomas on the first drive of the game for the Tigers, setting up the Vikings first touchdown. Two plays later Sikes rambled 19 yards for the score but he was tackled short of the goal line on the two-point conversion.
Berry moved 62 yards on seven plays on its next possession, including a 15-yard run by Cade. He got the final 15 yards as well, scoring from three yards out, and Sikes caught the two-point try for a 14-0 advantage.
Nick Willis stepped in front of Thomas pass later in the first quarter, setting up another score for the Vikings. Sikes gained 30 yards on the second play and five yards on the third, posting his second TD of the game. Berry tried the swinging gate on the two-point conversion but Brendan Gray was tackled short.
Sewanee was finally able to put together some first downs on the ensuing possession, starting with a 24-yard screen pass to
Cooper Alford. Cantrell caught a 17-yard pass on third down and Bragg found Cantrell in the left corner of the end zone from three yards out for the score on fourth down, cutting the deficit to 20-7.
The momentum was short-lived, with Sikes rushing 68 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown on the first play of the Vikings' next drive. After a punt from the Tigers, Berry moved 71 yards on nine plays, including a 23-yard completion to Nate Lyons. Cade gained 18 yards on a run and got the final four for the TD, extending the advantage to 33-7.
Sewanee answered with a six-play, 75-yard drive, starting with a 39-yard scramble by Thomas on third down. Three plays later Barnes caught a 34-yard touchdown pass, making it 33-14.
Once again the Vikings struck quickly, with Eli Warrington catching a 32-yard pass on second down. Two plays later Sikes rushed right for a 27-yard TD, pushing the visitors lead to 40-14.
Lyons returned a punt 66 yards for a TD in the third quarter for the Vikings and Cade Petty took a kickoff back 72 yards for a score for Berry later in the period. Cade busted through the line for an 80-yard TD run after the second scoring catch by Barnes.
Barnes caught a six-yard touchdown pass from Thomas early in the fourth quarter for his second score of the game.
Sewanee travels to Centre next week and ends the home schedule November 4, taking on Trinity University at Noon.
