Brevard runs past Panthers 38-21
Oct. 20, 2007

BREVARD, N.C. – Brevard College ran past LaGrange College 38-21 at Brevard Memorial Stadium on Saturday. The Tornados improved to 2-6 on the season, while the Panthers dropped to 0-8 on the season.

Brevard rushed for 365 yards in the game. John Taylor rushed for a game-high 122 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown for the Tornados. Teammate Trey Wilborn added 73 yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns. Brevard finished the game with 415 yards of total offense.

LaGrange had a balanced offense; rushing for 153 yards and passing for 151 more. Brandon Crawford led the Panthers with 96 yards rushing and 167 all-purpose yards. Crawford had the longest rushing and scoring play by a Panther thus far, going 98 yards in the third quarter for his second touchdown of the game. He became the first Panther to have two rushing touchdowns in a game.

Brevard scored on its first two possessions of the game to go up 14-0. Desmond Wilson finished the Tornados opening drive with a 10-yard run for the first score. Taylor ran for 26 yards to finish the second drive midway through the first quarter.

The Panthers answered the second Brevard score with a 4-play, 56-yard drive to cut the deficit to 14-7. Quarterback Drew Carter threw 22 yards to Mario Wallace and later; 27 yards to Colt Shope to the Tornados 3-yard line. Crawford ran it in on the next play and Josh Stripling added the extra point.

Trailing 21-7 in the second quarter, the Panther defense forced a turnover by the Tornados. Wilborn fumbled after a hit from Alex Sapp and George Okpani recovered for the Panthers at the Brevard 15-yard line.

The Tornados made a defensive stand to keep the Panthers out of the end zone. Carter threw for 13 yards to Erik Hardison to the 2-yard line. The threat ended as three running plays lost three yards and Carter's pass to Shope on fourth down fell incomplete.

Brevard added a field goal before halftime after a Panther turnover to up the lead to 31-7. Wallace fumbled on a punt return as the Tornados took over at the LaGrange 29-yard line. The Tornados got to the Panthers 5-yard line before the drive stalled and Chase Henry kicked a 23-yard field goal.

The Panthers turned the ball over on their first possession of the second half and Brevard took advantage of the mistake. Robert Walsh's fumble gave the Tornados the ball at the Panther 45-yard line. Wilborn capped the short drive with a 5-yard run to make it 31-7.

The Panthers were backed up at their own 2-yard line after a Brevard punt. They needed only one play to go the distance as Crawford streaked 98 yards for the touchdown to make it 31-14.

Brevard took advantage of field position in the fourth quarter for its final score. The Tornados took over at the LaGrange 48-yard line. Wilborn got his second touchdown o f the game, scoring from 8-yards out to up the Tornados' lead to 38-14.

The Panthers answered with a 10-play 68-yard drive for their final touchdown. Carter converted on a third-and-14 play with a 14-yard completion to Eric Miller for a first down at the Brevard 21-yard line. A roughing the passer penalty moved the ball down to the 11. Two plays later, Carter scored from the 2-yard line for the 38-21 final margin.

Josh Britt led the LaGrange defense with 12 total tackles. Justin Pair and Jeremy Pickens had 11 and 10 total tackles respectively. Sapp, in addition to his forced fumble, had a quarterback sack and finished with seven total tackles.

The Panthers host Huntingdon College next Saturday for Homecoming. Kickoff is 6 p.m.