PC-CSU Box Score
CHARLESTON, S.C. ? Antwan Thomas finished with a career-high tying 15 tackles in Presbyterian College's 29-18 loss to Charleston Southern on Saturday afternoon at Buccaneer Field.
Thomas, who had nine solo stops and six assists against CSU, also had 15 tackles in PC's victory over VMI during the 2007 season. He now has 351 tackles overall in his Blue Hose career.
The 351 tackles moved Thomas past Sam Pickney (347) into sole possession of second place in career tackles in PC football history. He passed Pickney with a sack of CSU quarterback Tribble Reese late in the second half. Thomas had entered the CSU contest tied with Jimmy Turner for third place with 336 tackles.
Thomas now needs just three tackles over the next two games to tie Steve Stalvey (354) for most career tackles in a Blue Hose uniform. He has 98 tackles in 2008. Three more by Thomas would also set his career high. Thomas finished with 100 total tackles during PC's 2005 South Atlantic Conference championship season.
Brandon Miley (Wilmington, N.C./JT Hoggard) and Brandon Clark (Duluth, Ga./Buford) led the Blue Hose offensive attack against CSU. PC's starting quarterback, Miley, concluded Saturday's loss 23-for-36, passing for 230 yards and one touchdown. Clark hauled in a game-high tying six catches for 103 yards and one touchdown.
CSU was led in its victory by Reese, who passed for 214 yards (16-21-1) and four touchdowns. Reese also ran for 22 yards. Gerald Stevenson was Reese's favorite target in the contest, bringing in a game-high tying six catches for two touchdowns.
The Blue Hose had a total of 261 yards of offense in the game, while CSU finished with 319. The Blue Hose had 16 more yards passing (230-214) than CSU, but the Buccaneers held the advantage in rushing at 105-31. CSU had 18 first downs in the game compared to PC's 16.
PC received the opening kickoff. The Blue Hose stalled on their first offensive possession and the Buccaneers took advantage by scoring on their inaugural offensive possession of the game. Tight end Tyrese Harris hauled in the opening touchdown of the contest on a three-yard pass from Reese that earned the Buccaneers an early 7-0 lead after the extra point.
Two possessions later the Blue Hose used some costly penalties by CSU to pull behind by just one at 7-6. Miley scored the touchdown with 54 seconds left in the first quarter when he dashed into the end zone from 15 yards out untouched. Cam Miller (Lyman, S.C./Byrnes) missed his first extra point in five tries to leave PC behind by the one point.
The Buccaneers on their next possession were able to negotiate their way through a fourth and one to keep possession and to push their lead to eight points at 14-6 after a touchdown pass from Reese to Stevenson.
The Blue Hose once again could not get anything going offensively on their next possession, ending their series having to punt to the Buccaneers.
PC's special teams were able to put PC back in the game though after CSU muffed Bryson Summers' (West Columbia, S.C./Airport) punt deep in their own territory. The Blue Hose were able to jump on the football in great field position. A couple of plays later, Miley found a streaking Clark for a 35 yard touchdown that pulled PC back into the game at 14-13 after Miller's extra point.
The Blue Hose had the opportunity to pick up their first lead of the game in the final minute of the first half, but Miller's 25-yard field goal attempt with 45 seconds left went just wide left to keep the score 14-13 in favor of CSU entering intermission.
Miller made up for his missed kick on PC's first offensive possession of the second half, hitting a 30-yard field goal in the opening minutes of the second half to give PC its first lead at 16-14. The Blue Hose had placed Miller in range after recovering the opening kickoff of the second half on another muff by the CSU special teams unit.
The Buccaneers went back on top 22-16 with 11:12 left in the third quarter when T.J. Latimore scored on a 41-yard pass from Reese. CSU acquired a two-point conversion on a pass from Reese to Stevenson to go up by the six points. The touchdown and two-point conversion would prove to be the game-winning points for CSU.
Reese connected with Stevenson once again with 9:23 left in the fourth quarter to give CSU a 13-point lead at 29-16.
The Blue Hose scored their final points when freshman defensive back Justin Bethel (Blythewood, S.C./Blythewood) blocked a CSU punt that rolled out of the end zone for a safety. The safety pulled PC back to within 11 at 29-18.
CSU (5-5) would not allow PC to get any closer, holding on for the 11-point win.
PC (4-6) will next return home for its final home game of the 2008 season against Coastal Carolina at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15 at Bailey Memorial Stadium. It will be Senior Day and Youth Day with PC honoring its football seniors prior to the game.
