Photo courtesy of UNCP Athletics
Without starting quarterback Dominick Samson, who suffered an injury in last week’s game against Mars Hill, the UNCP football team struggled to execute on both sides of the ball as they fell on the road to Carson-Newman 45-10.
Although UNCP’s defense held Carson-Newman quarterback Derrick Thomas to under 100 yards passing and picked him off twice, he was the leading rusher of his team’s ground attack that racked up 383 yards.
Thomas accounted for 126 of those yards on the ground. He was also responsible for the longest play from scrimmage by either team when he took off for a 79-yard run on the first play of the game.
The Braves faced a 35-0 deficit at half time and couldn’t find the end zone until the beginning of the fourth quarter, when redshirt tight end Jalen Nixon hauled in his third touchdown of the season on a 17-yard pass from quarterback Austin Foley.
Foley, who was filling in for Samson, was 18-of-25 passing for 109 yards and tossed two interceptions. Receiver E.J. Williams ended his senior season by once again leading the Braves in both receptions and receiving yards with seven catches for 34 yards. Running back Miles Grant led the Braves in rushing with a net yardage of 37 yards on 10 carries.
Freshmen kicker Alex Alvarado set a new career best when he converted on a field goal from 47 yards out to bring the Braves’ point total to 10 on the afternoon.
While the UNCP defense didn’t register a sack, they were able to corral two picks off of errant passes.
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