CLINTON, S.C. – A blocked field goal and a timely interception in the fourth quarter helped the Presbyterian College football team pull away from visiting North Greenville on Saturday afternoon, grabbing its first win of the season by a 38-21 score.
PC evens its record at 1-1 and breaks a 10-game North Greenville winning streak, whose record also moves to 1-1. The Blue Hose next travel to San Francisco, Calif., to take on California at 5:30 p.m. Eastern time at AT&T Park on Saturday, September 17.
Brian Davis (Charlotte, N.C.) and CeeJay Harris (Long Beach, Calif.) helped seal the PC win on a crucial special teams play midway through the fourth quarter. With North Greenville lining up to take a tying 39-yard field goal, Davis broke through the Crusader line to block the kick and Harris took the recovery 65 yards the rest of the way, giving PC a 31-21 lead with 8:34 remaining.
Justin Bethel (Blythewood, S.C.) broke up two passes on the day—one in the end zone—and hauled in an interception after Harris' touchdown to set up the final nail in the coffin, a 16-yard Lance Byrd (Jacksonville, Fla.) touchdown with 6:05 left.
PC held North Greenville scoreless in the fourth quarter and allowed only seven second-half points for the win.
Byrd led all rushers with 153 yards on the ground and a touchdown on 20 attempts. Seth Moreland (Conway, S.C.) added 44 yards and a rushing touchdown as well. PC outgained North Greenville on the ground, 232 yards to 166.
Ryan Singer (Dunedin, Fla.) went 15-for-25 passing and scored his first rushing touchdown of the year. Michael Ruff (Whitmire, S.C.) led the PC wide receiving corps with 56 yards and six catches.
North Greenville quarterback Willy Korn went 11-for-30 with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
On the defensive side, LJ Perry (Augusta, Ga.) grabbed his first interception of the year and also recorded two tackles for losses. Harris led the team with four solo tackles and four assists. Xavier Boatwright (Manning, S.C.) contributed four solo tackles as well.
A wild first quarter saw each team score twice for a 14-14 tie heading into the second quarter.
The Blue Hose wasted little time finding the scoreboard, marching for a touchdown on the game's first possession. Singer moved the team through the air and Moreland cashed in from 27 yards away on second down, giving PC a 7-0 lead 2:36 into the game.
North Greenville answered with two touchdowns of its own, both from the arm of Willy Korn. A long kickoff return put the Crusaders in range after the PC touchdown, and Korn connected with Freddie Martino on a 22-yard pass three plays after the return to tie the game at 7-7.
The Crusaders added another touchdown after a PC punted on the next series. A 44-yard Korn pass to Sean Wright took North Greenville to the PC 27-yard line and Korn found Harold Small soon after for a 22-yard touchdown completion.
The Blue Hose responded, however, taking its next possession 67 yards for a score. Singer completed three passes to three different receivers to get to the three-yard line before running the ball in himself on a fake handoff to pull PC even, 14-14.
PC took the lead for good in the second quarter, breaking the 14-14 deadlock on a fake field goal. Holder Derrick Overholt (Tryon, N.C.) pulled the ball up from the snap and found a wide-open Joey Gilkey (Woodstock, Ga.) in the end zone for a nine-yard touchdown, putting the Blue Hose head, 21-14. Overholt previously connected on a wide receiver pass for a touchdown against Wake Forest in 2010.
The Blue Hose extended their advantage early in the third quarter on a Jeremy Tommie (Greenwood, S.C.) field goal. Lance Byrd began the drive by breaking a 34-yard rush to put PC in field goal range and Tommie converted six plays later, splitting the uprights from 35 yards away to go up 24-14 with 10:06 remaining in the third frame.
The Crusaders chipped away at the PC lead with a final minute of the third quarter, working from a short field to set up an eight-yard Willy Korn rush and cut the PC advantage to three points. The Blue Hose held on to the 24-21 lead before Davis' field goal block helped decide the result and give PC the win.
