Huntingdon spoils Panthers' Homecoming with 43-0 win
Oct. 27, 2007

Huntingdon College spoiled LaGrange College's 2007 Homecoming with a 43-0 win Saturday night at Callaway Stadium. The Hawks (4-4) limited the Panthers (0-9) to 161 yards of total offense, while rolling up 459 yards of offense.

Huntingdon quarterback Zach Golson threw for 223 yards and three touchdowns in three quarters of work. The Hawks had 223 yards on the ground, led by Jamal Gardner, who had a game-high 79 yards.

There were nine turnovers in the game. Huntingdon lost five fumbles in the game but LaGrange did not convert any into points. The Hawks picked off four Panther passes in the second half and turned each one into a touchdown.

Huntingdon took the opening kickoff and drove the ball 80 yards in six plays to go up 7-0 three minutes into the game. Golson hooked up with Xavier Carroll for a 39-yard completion to the Panthers' 20-yard line on a third-and-7 play. On the next play, Frankie Vorross finished the drive with a burst up the middle for the touchdown.

LaGrange stopped the next Huntingdon drive by forcing a fumble. Golson completed a pass to Steven Laye, who was hit by Jeremy Davis. Richard Okpani recovered for the Panthers at their own 3-yard line.

The Panthers were unable to move the ball after the turnover. The Hawks went up 9-0 on the Panthers' punt attempt as the ball went out of the end zone for a safety.

In the second quarter, the Panthers forced two more fumbles inside Huntingdon territory. The first drive ended with the Panthers punting the ball away. The second drive ended with a missed field goal.

Huntingdon took advantage of great field position to score right before the end of the half. A short punt gave the Hawks the ball at the Panthers' 32. Two plays later, Golson hit Carroll to put the Hawks up 15-0 at the half.

Huntingdon's defense took over in the second half. Larry Hudson picked off a Drew Carter pass to set the Hawks up at the LaGrange 25. On the next play, Golson threw to Vorross for the touchdown and a 22-0 lead.

Hudson set up the next Huntingdon score with his second interception. The Hawks took eight plays to go 39 yards to make it 29-0. Golson finished his night with a short 3-yard touchdown pass to Eric Cagle with 4:59 left in the third quarter.

LaGrange had its longest drive of the game after the ensuing kickoff. Starting at their own 21, the Panthers moved the ball down to the Hawks' 28-yard line. Carter threw 12-yards to Erik Hardison and 10 more yards to Colt Shope for first downs. Brandon Crawford ripped off a 14-yard gain to the 28-yard line. The drive stalled as three plays lost four yards and Carter's fourth down pass to Shope fell incomplete.

Huntingdon closed out the scoring with two touchdowns in the final 1:30 of the game. Harold Willis scored from six yards out and Marlo Smith closed out the scoring with a 50-yard run.

The Panthers close out their second season of football next Saturday at Kentucky Wesleyan. Kickoff is 5:30 p.m.