5 National Championships | 21 SAC Titles | 104 All-Americans | 40 NFL Players | 1 Coach 2015 Carson-Newman Football Game Notes #TalonsUp | cneagles.com | @CNAthletics | Facebook.com/cneagles | @CNFootball #22 Carson-Newman 2015 Schedule Game (9-2, 5-2 SAC) at #17 Valdosta State Thursday, Sept. 3 W, 59-56 (8-2, 5-2 GSC) University of the Cumberlands Bazemore-Hyder Stadium (11,423) Mossy Creek Valdosta, Ga. Nov. 14, 2015, 1:00 PM Saturday, Sept. 12 W 20-7 12 Shorter Mossy Creek BREAKDOWN Saturday, Sept. 19 L 14-7 Valdosta State Carson-Newman Catawba Record .................................................8-2, 5-2 GSC Record .................................................9-2, 5-2 SAC Mossy Creek Ranking ......................17 (AFCA)/15 (D2Football) Ranking .....................22 (AFCA)/NR (D2Football) Last Game ........................... 39-21 v. Florida Tech Last Game ...........................W 65-32 v. Tusculum Saturday, Sept. 26 W 62-38 Head Coach ..........................................David Dean Head Coach ..........................................Ken Sparks at Mars Hill Career Record ...............................78-26/9th year Career Record .......................334-91-2/36th year Mars Hill, N.C. School Record ................................................ same C-N Record ...................................................... same Dean v. C-N .......................................................... 2-0 Sparks v. VSU ...................................................... 3-4 Saturday, Oct. 3 L 52-17 vs. Sparks ............................................................ 2-0 vs. Dean ............................................................... 0-2 Offense .........................................................Multiple Offense .................................Split-back veer option at # 22 Lenoir-Rhyne Defense ................................................................ 3-4 Defense ................................................................ 4-3 Hickory, N.C. C-N v. Valdosta State .......................................... 3-4 Saturday, Oct. 10 W 45-14 Brevard Mossy Creek STORYLINES • C-N will effort to buck a recent trend of road struggles in the playoffs. Trips outside Jeff City haven’t Saturday, Oct. 17 W 27-20 been fun for Carson-Newman. The Eagles are 2-14 away from Burke-Tarr Stadium in the Division II play- Newberry offs. The Eagles’ two victories came in the quarterfinals of the 2009 playoffs against North Alabama Mossy Creek - Homecoming and in the first round of the 2003 postseason with a win over Valdosta State. Carson-Newman is 39- 19-1 in postseason play all-time under Sparks. The legendary head coach is 17-1 in Division II playoff Saturday, Oct. 24 W 41-38 OT games played at Mossy Creek • In Carson-Newman’s 15 trips to the NCAA Division II playoffs, this marks the fifth time the Eagles at #21 Wingate will open up with a road playoff game. C-N lost in 1993 and 1994 at North Alabama, won in 2003 at Wingate, N.C. Valdosta State and lost in 2008 to the Blazers. Carson-Newman is 13-3 all-time in the first round of the Saturday, Oct. 31 W 69-28 NCAA playoffs, albeit just 1-3 on the road. • Valdosta State ended Carson-Newman’s run in the 2012 playoffs 46-28, not many Eagles were on at Limestone the roster back then. Carson-Newman counts longsnapper Dusty Nance, offensive lineman Tyler Scott, Gaffney, S.C. wideout TraShaun Ward (who returned three kicks for 46 yards) and wideout Steven Isom (targeted for two passes that were both broken up) as players who dressed out and appeared. Goose Manning and Saturday, Nov. 7 W 48-45 De’Andre Thomas also made that trip as a freshman. North Greenville • Now VSU’s all-time leading rusher, Cedric O’Neal was just a freshman on that 2012 squad. That Mossy Creek game, he carved Carson-Newman for 193 yards on 15 carries and three scores. Saturday, Nov. 14 W 65-32 BROADCAST INFORMATION SPORTS INFORMATION Tusculum Mossy Creek RADIO: .......................Joy 620 (WRJZ-AM, Knoxville) SID: ....................................................... Adam Cavalier WEBCAST: .....................................cneagles.com/live Office Phone: ��������������������������������������� 865-471-3513 Saturday, Nov. 21 12 PM PXP: ...................................................... Adam Cavalier Office Fax: ............................................ 865-471-3965 at #17 Valdosta State Color: ...............................................Michael Wottreng Cell Phone:...........................................304-552-4519 Valdosta, Ga. Sidelines: .............................................Leannda Carey Email: .............................................. [email protected] Host ............................................................... Evan Ellis Website ..................................................cneagles.com Mail ..................................... 2130 South Branner Ave ..............................................Jefferson City, TN 37760 5 National Championships | 21 SAC Titles | 104 All-Americans | 40 NFL Players | 1 Coach Newman maintained that lead after a goal-line SERIES HISTORY LAST TIME V. VALDOSTA ST. stand, holding off the Blazers on a fourth and goal at the one-yard line, giving the Eagles a six-point VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Carson-Newman Eagles SERIES INFORMATION halftime advantage. Series record: 3-4 Valdosta State (9-3) fell to the Valdosta State Blazers (10-2) First Meeting: 19-7 C-N (1996) by a score of 48-26 in the quarterfinals of the In the third quarter, the first Eagle drive ended Last Meeting: 46-28 VSU (2012) 2012 NCAA Division II Football Championship at in Duncan’s longest field goal of the day, a 42- Largest C-N win: 28-7, 21 points (1997) Bazemore-Hyder Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Closest C-N win: 35-29, 6 points (2003) yard kick that put the lead at 23-14. Cochran Largest VSU win: 38-12, 26 points (2004) connected with Seantavious Jones on a 37-yard After leading 20-14 at halftime, the Eagles were Closest VSU win: 31-28, 3 points (2002) touchdown pass for Valdosta State that ended outscored 34-6 in the second half as the Blazers Carson-Newman’s 20-0 run and cut the Eagle lead clinched a berth into the national semifinals with to 23-21. Carson-Newman’s next drive ended in the victory. Valdosta State VSU 3-4 Duncan’s fourth field goal from 22 yards out to put the lead at 26-21 with 8:09 left in the third “We fought hard,” said Carson-Newman head quarter. 1996 Carson-Newman 19-7 coach Ken Sparks. “We’ve got a group of kids that have great heart. We’re not as good as a lot of Duncan’s field goal would be the last points of teams in the country in ‘inches and pounds’ but 1997 Carson-Newman 28-7 the day for Carson-Newman. The Blazers took the we’ve got a lot of heart. I’m really proud of these lead on their next drive with Cochran completing a guys and what they accomplished this year.” 2002 @ Valdosta State 31-28 20-yard touchdown pass to Chris Anderson to give Valdosta a 28-26 lead. 2003 Carson-Newman 35-29 After Carson-Newman’s first drive ended with a Curt Duncan (Morristown, Tenn.) 27-yard field Early in the fourth quarter, the Blazers extended goal, Valdosta State scored a pair of rushing 2004 @ Valdosta State 38-12 their advantage with a Cedric O’Neal three-yard touchdowns to lead 14-3 at the end of the first touchdown rush, yet the point-after attempt was quarter. 2008 @ Valdosta State 24-20 no good, putting the score at 34-26 with 11:50 remaining in the game. After the Eagles could The Eagles grabbed the momentum in the second not convert on third and nine on their next drive, 2012 @ Valdosta State 48-26 half with a 15-play, 97-yard drive that ended in a Carson-Newman attempted a fake punt with a one-yard touchdown rush for Andy HIbbett (Cor- direct snap to Hibbett, yet he was stopped for a Totals 173-196 ryton, Tenn.) to cut the Blazer lead to 14-10 with one yard gain to give the ball back to Valdosta at 7:11 left in the quarter. After the Eagles forced the Carson-Newman 32 yard line. Valdosta State to go three-and-out on the next drive, Brandon Baker (Miami, Fla.) rushed for a Despite the short field, the Carson-Newman stood 32-yard touchdown run on Carson-Newman’s first tall on defense for the next three plays before play of the drive to give the Eagles a 17-14 advan- Valdosta State chose to go for the first down on tage with 5:44 left before halftime. fourth and seven. The Eagles had a strong pass rush on Cochran, but he scrambled and hit an Valdosta State’s next drive ended when Carson- open Quin Roberson in the endzone for a 29-yard Newman’s Issac Kinley (Johnson City, Tenn.) touchdown pass that would give the Blazers a 41- intercepted a Cayden Cochran pass and returned 26 lead with just over eight minutes remaining. it to the Blazer 22-yard line. Duncan added his second field goal of the half to give the Eagles The Blazers added their final touchdown on their a 20-14 lead with 3:27 before halftime. Carson- next drive when O’Neal rushed for a 16-yard TOP PERFORMANCES Valdosta State Individual Team Rushing Attempts .................... 20, Shane Kelley 11/22/03 Rushing Attempts ...........................62, 12/1/12 Yards ........................ 155, Brandon Baker 12/1/12 Yards ............................... 362, 12/1/12 Touchdowns..............3, Buck Wakefield 11/15/08 Touchdowns ����������������������3, 11/15/08 Passing Attempts ................21, Leonard Guyton 11/30/02 Passing Attempts ........................ 24, 11/15/08 Completions .................... 11, Alex Good 11/15/08 Completions .................