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David Bennett’s had a few days since his Catawba College football team defeated Carson-Newman13-10 in Division II’s biggest game of the year. And he still shakes his head in amazement.
Not because the 8-0 Indians won. But because of how the Indians beat Carson-Newman (7-2, 4-2).
“If you had told me going into that ballgame that we’d make four turnovers and Carson-Newman would have none and we’d win the football game, I’d have told you that you’re crazy,” he said Tuesday during his weekly press conference at Western Steer. “So it’s a credit to our young men for playing like a team.”
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WHOWOUDATHUNKIT? Who would’ve thought that quarterback Mitch Ellis would commit four turnovers and go 9-of-23 passing, especially considering he is 12th nationally in passing efficiency?
“You look at the film and think, ‘Gosh, if Mitch had a good day, we’d have had something going on,’” said Bennett. “But no one’s perfect. You’re going to have bad days. His teammates picked him up.”
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WHOWOUDATHUNKIT,PART2?Also, who would’ve thought that anyone could hold Carson-Newman and its 344-yards-per- game rushing average to just one yard after halftime? We’re talking about a team that had averaged 60 points and 656 total yards in its last three contests.
Bennett admitted that defensively, the team may have gotten too cute in its attempt to stop the Eagles early on.
“We were putting our ends on the quarterback and letting the linebackers try to tackle the dive, and that wasn’t working,”Bennett said. “We just went back to regular, let the defensive ends take the dive and the linebackers take the quarterback, and they did an outstanding job. Our guys just hunkered down in the second half.”
The linebackers made the most of it. Shawn McBride and Todd McComb led the way with 11 tackles.
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GROSSMEOUT: Wasn’t it appropriate that Matt Gross, who had missed a field goal against Carson-Newman in a 28-25 playoff loss last season, won the game with a last-second boot?
How did he respond to the pressure? Bennett said Gross gets a good dose during practice.
Bennett laughed at how defensive linemen like David Huey cajoles poor Gross, jumping up calling timeouts, asking if Gross is wearing pink underwear ....
“During the week on Thursday practices, the defense does that,”Gross said. “I’m more nervous in practice than Iam right there. They talk to me in practice, make jokes at me. It gets me thinking, and sometimes I make it, sometimes I miss it. They helped me prepare for that.”
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THEOTHERKICKER: Bennett’s preacher gave the pre-game devotions and after the win, he mentioned the “great kick” to Bennett.
“Yeah, Gross put it right through there,” Bennett said.
“Oh, Gross’ kick was good too,” the preacher said, “but where’s your punter?”
He was talking about Danny Jenkins, who came up with the biggest kick of his career with three minutes left of a 10-10 game. Backed up to his goal line, Jenkins boomed a 51-yarder to get Catawba out of trouble.
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THERANKINGS: So what did third-ranked Catawba’s win over fifth-ranked Carson-Newman do to the national and regional rankings?
In the national Division IIcoaches poll, Catawba remained third behind No. 1 and defending champion Northwest Missouri State (9-0) and UC-Davis (8-0). Carson-Newman fell to 10th.
The South Region rankings became very interesting.
“Catawba is still No. 1, followed by West Georgia (9-0), Delta State (9-0) and Valdosta State (8-1). Tuskegee is fifth and Presbyterian has quietly moved up to sixth.
Bennett says Presbyterian has a great shot to make the playoffs if it wins out.
Here’s the scenario. Presbyterian wins its last two games and finishes 9-2. Valdosta State loses to West Georgia and drops Tuskegee won’t play in the Division II playoffs, even if it finishes in the top four. So Presbyterian moves past both into the playoffs.
Carson-Newman fell all the way to seventh in the South. Ken Sparks’ team must wait until Nov. 12 to find out if it is in.
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SACTIME: Gross and DeVonte Peterson were named South Atlantic Conference players of the week.
Gross won the special teams award after scoring seven points on an extra point, and field goals of 49 and 25 yards.
Peterson, a 6-4, 285-pound end, won the defensive award after seven tackles, three for losses and three quarterback hurries.
He is first in the SAC in tackles for losses with 23.
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DON’TFORGETKEVIN: Kevin McKenzie ran for 149 yards on 24 carries and was Catawba’s offensive player of the week. Atotal of 103 yards came after halftime.
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THISWEEK: Catawba hits the road for the first time in three weeks, going to Mars Hill for a 1:30 p.m. game. (A preview will appear in Saturday’s Post.
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AROUNDTHESAC: Lenoir-Rhyne jetted to California to meet Humbolt State, the site of the Bears’ 1960 NAIA championship win. It lost 37-10. ... Tusculum scored 40 unanswered points to beat Newberry 50-27. ... Presbyterian walloped UVA-Wise 56-7. ... Mars Hill scored in the last two minutes to escape at Wingate, 25-18.
This week, Presbyterian goes to Tusculum, Carson-Newman entertains Wingate and Lenoir-Rhyne hosts Newberry.
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NOTES: Bennett (49-14)will be going for Win No. 50 Saturday at Mars Hill .... Gross’ 49-yarder tied his career best. He has made 9-of-11 this season. ... Defensive back Corey Reese had 10 tackles against Carson-Newman. ... Catawba has outscored its opponents 162-20 in the first half. ... The Indians are second in the nation in rush defense and fifth in total defense. ... In only two years, junior college transfer Kevin McKenzie has moved up to seventh in rushing yards (1,652). He is on pace (817 yards)for a 1,000-yard season. ... Sophomore Nick Means is on pace to break Ike Hill’s record for receiving yards. He has 1,037 on 67 catches. Hill finished with 2.089.
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