CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Presbyterian College football team picked up its second win over a ranked opponent this season and used one of the best defensive efforts in its Division I history to do it, taking down No. 22/23 Charleston Southern on the road Saturday, 7-3.
PC (4-3, 1-1 Big South) held the Buccaneers to their lowest point total since a shutout loss at Illinois on September 15, 2012 and limited Charleston Southern (5-2, 0-1 Big South) to only three points in three trips to the red zone. PC also allowed only 250 yards of offense, a season-low for the Buccaneers.
The Blue Hose scored on the first drive of the game with a 48-yard scamper from Demarcus Rouse (North Augusta, S.C.) and the defense made sure those would be the only points PC needed. On Charleston Southern's final four drives, PC intercepted two passes—from DaRon Dickey (Greenville, S.C.) and Shonquille Byers (Gaffney, S.C.)—and used a missed field goal on a goal line stand and a turnover on downs to secure the victory. The Buccaneers' only score came on a short field goal late in the second quarter.
The Blue Hose produced a season-high nine tackles for a loss and three sacks, including two from Ugonna Akoh (Athens, Ga.). Akoh's second sack effectively ended the game for a turnover on downs late in the fourth quarter. Dickey and Donelle Williams (Starke, Fla.) led PC with eight tackles apiece while Ed Britt (Greensboro, N.C.) and Isaiah Lynn (Fort Lawn, S.C.) each chipped in two tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
One of the game's deciding drives saw the Buccaneers get to the four-yard line without a score. Charleston Southern connected on a 39-yard pass to Kenny Dinkins into the red zone and moved closer with a roughing the passer penalty on the play. The Buccaneers worked their way to the four-yard-line but PC held strong, pushing the home side back and forcing a 22-yard field goal that missed wide right.
The win marked PC's first over a ranked team on the road in its Division I history and the second win over a ranked foe this season after a 10-7 victory over then-No. 12 Furman on September 13. The Blue Hose return home to host Monmouth on Homecoming Saturday at 2 p.m. Charleston Southern heads to Coastal Carolina for a 3:30 p.m. tilt on Saturday.
The three points, 97 passing yards, 272 all-purpose yards allowed, nine tackles for a loss and six completed passes all stand as new Presbyterian College Division I defensive records. The Blue Hose held Davidson (2011) and VMI (2012) to six points before holding the Buccaneers to only three on Saturday.
On offense, Rouse ran for a team-high 76 yards. Heys McMath went 9-for-18 through the air for 162 yards and interception. Tobi Antigha (Tampa, Fla.) caught two balls for a team-high 73 yards, including a 50-yard gain. The Blue hose held Austin Brown to 6-for-18 for 97 yards and two interceptions while Christian Reyes paced the Bucs on the ground for 81 yards on 23 carries.
PC wasted little time in drawing first blood by scoring on the game's first drive. The Blue Hose handed the ball to Rouse four times on the series and the senior broke through on the last one, finding a hole on the right side for a 48-yard touchdown and giving PC a 7-0 lead just three minutes into the game. The run marked Rouse's second-straight long run for an opening score after Rouse ran one in from 52 yards out against Coastal Carolina last week.
The Blue Hose defense forced a three-and-out on CSU's first drive, one of two in the opening half.
PC worked its way into the red zone on its next drive thanks to 45 all-purpose yards from Blake Roberts (Cumming, Ga.) and a 25-yard pass to DarQuez Watson (St. Petersburg, Fla.), but the Blue Hose could not convert a 25-yard field goal and their lead stood at seven points.
Akoh forced a fumble that CSU recovered, helping to stall a Buccaneer drive that allowed PC to take over after a punt late in the first quarter. McMath hit Antigha for 50 yards on the first play of PC's new drive, only to see a fumble end the drive deep in CSU territory.
The two sides traded possessions throughout the second quarter—PC's offense turning the ball over with a fumble and interception while PC's defense forced four first-half punts—before the Buccaneers found the scoreboard shortly before halftime. The Bucs assembled a six-play, 36-yard drive from a short punt that ended with a 27-yard David Kennedy field goal to make it a 7-3 game at the break.
PC outgained Charleston Southern 195-39 after the first quarter and 233-115 at halftime.
Charleston Southern opened the third quarter with drive that spanned half of the period but resulted in zero points. PC overcame two penalties—one on third and long a roughing the kicker call during a punt to extend the drive—by standing strong in the red zone and forcing an incompletion on fourth down 12 yards away from the end zone.
PC earned its first takeaway on the first play of the fourth quarter. Steve Osondu's (McDonough, Ga.) tight coverage forced a tipped ball for DaRon Dickey, who took the ball back to the Charleston Southern 47. A big Demarcus Rouse rush helped PC get into the red zone but a missed 29-yard field goal kept the score at 7-3.
The Blue Hose held strong with its second goal-line stand and a Snoop Byers interception on fourth down with 4:27 to go, setting the stage for the final drive of the game and Akoh's game-clinching sack.
