Teddy Allen rushed for four touchdowns, while the Bucs scored 18 unanswered points in the second half, to lead the Charleston Southern Bucs to the 31-21 win over the Presbyterian College football team in action this afternoon at Buccaneer Field in Charleston S.C.
PC dropped to 2-6 overall and 0-3 in the Big South, while CSU improved to 3-4, 2-1.
The Blue Hose finished with 14 first downs, compared to 16 for CSU, while the Bucs held the ball for 33:38 minutes with PC taking possession for 26:22 minutes. PC totaled 307 yards of offense, 208 coming from the ground. CSU had 381 yards of offense, 271 of them coming off 50 rushing attempts.
Demarcus Rouse scored three touchdowns off 12 carries and 109 yards. Lance Byrd was the only other rusher with over 100 yards after carrying the ball 17 times for 102 yards. Anderico Bailey led the Blue Hose from the air, catching the ball five times for 25 yards. Kaleb Griffin was 14-of-32 for 90 yards with one interception.
Allen led CSU with 21 carries for 153 yards and four TDs. Larry Jones, III caught three passes for 73 yards.
Donelle Williams led PC defensively with 16 tackles (12-4), including 1.5 for a loss. He also recovered his second career fumble. Elijah Lee led CSU with seven tackles (6-1).
Presbyterian College opened the first quarter with the ball on its own 25-yard line. The Blue Hose advanced to the CSU 49-yard line before being forced to punt away, CSU fumbled the punt return, with D. Williams picking up his second career recovery and first of the season to give the Blue Hose the ball back at the CSU 14-yard line.
After a seven-yard carry by Michael Ruff, Rouse took the ball in the next play for the six-yard touchdown. With Aaron Mayes' PAT successful, the Blue Hose led 7-0 with just under 13 minutes to go in the first quarter.
After a CSU punt gave PC the ball at the Buc 35-yard line, the Blue Hose drove down to the CSU 15 yard line, highlighted by two Lance Byrd rushes of 14 and 12 yards, as well as a 25-yard reception by Arthur Williams.
On first and 10 Griffin handed the ball off to Rouse again, who ran the ball 15 yards for his second score of the game and the 11th of his career. After the PAT, PC led 14-0 with 4:29 left in the first quarter.
On Charleston Southern's next possession, the Bucs used a 30-yard catch by Jones, III and a 10 and 29-yard rush by QB Malcolm Dixon to give the Bucs the ball at the two-yard line. Teddy Allen carried the ball into the end zone the next play as CSU cut the margin to seven, 7-14, with 2:47 on the clock.
After a PC punt gives CSU the ball at its own 41-yard line with 8:34 to go in the second quarter, Allen takes the ball, two plays later, and runs it back 63 yards for his second touchdown of the game. The PAT is unsuccessful as PC hangs on to the one-point, 14-13 lead with 7:43 on the clock before halftime.
A 47-yard CSU kick-off gave PC the ball at its own 24-yard line with 7:43 to go before half. On third and one Rouse broke through the CSU defense and ran a career-long 50 yards to give the Blue Hose first and 10 at the CSU 17-yard line.
After an 11-yard carry by Rouse and a one yard rush by Byrd, Rouse took the ball five more yards for his and the team's third TD of the game. The three TDs in a game by Rouse tied his career-high, which he set against Brevard the first game of the season. The good PAT by Mayes gave PC the 21-13 lead with 4:44 on the clock.
The Bucs opened the second half with an 11-play drive that took just under six minutes and was highlighted by a 31-yard pass completion from Dixon to Jones, III. On first and goal, the PC defense held and CSU was forced to attempt a field goal. Mark Deboy connected on a 21-yard attempt to cut the PC lead to five, 21-16, with 9:36 on the clock.
After an interception by Griffin cut PC's opening second half drive short, CSU took over at the PC 47-yard line with 8:48 to go in the third. The Bucs capitalized on a 13-yard rush by Dixon, an 18-yard completion to Chase Jones and a 10-yard catch to Allen to set up a first and goal at the PC six-yard line. Allen scored his third touchdown of the game with a six-yard carry. CSU went for two and converted to give the Bucs the 24-21 lead with 5:51 on the clock in the third.
With 13:35 to go in the fourth PC takes over for its first full drive of the quarter and goes six plays before having to punt on a fourth and 10. Morgano takes the snap from Cannon Jordan and instead of kicking he throws the ball back to Jordan who makes it the 42-yard line, just inches from a first down.
Charleston Southern takes over at its 42-yard line with 11:31 on the clock and can't get any offense going. On a fourth and five, Cameron Mitchell sets up for the punt, but the snap is high and he is forced to fall on the ball for a loss of eight. PC takes over at the CSU 39-yard line with 9:51 on the clock.
A PC personal foul and a CSU sack make it fourth and 22 for the Blue Hose, and they are forced to punt away.
CSU takes over at the 25-yard line with 7:12 to go in the fourth and chips away at the clock before Allen scores his fourth TD of the game, an 18-yard rush to make it 31-21 in favor of the Bucs with 1:27 left in the game.
PC got the ball back but could not get any offense going, eventually turning the ball over on downs. CSU took over and ran out the clock to preserve the 31-21win.
The Blue Hose Stony Brook Saturday, Oct. 27 at 1 p.m. at Bailey Memorial Stadium.
