Football ends skid on Homecoming, 28-24

Jonathan Carkhuff '14 completed 35 of 61 pass attempts for 297 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a 41-yarder to Tim Hines '15 with 47 seconds left to lead Davidson to a 28-24 come-from-behind victory against Morehead State on Saturday. The victory snapped a six-game losing streak for the Wildcats and marked their first league win of the season. Hines caught six passes for 90 yards and a touchdown, and Lanny Funsten '13 led all receivers with nine catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Chris Gorman '14 led the Davidson ground attack with 18 carries for 82 yards.

Both teams struggled out of the gate, with each having their first two drives end in a three-and-out. On Morehead State's third possession, quarterback Zach Lewis found a wide-open Dante Sawyer for an 85-yard touchdown, which put the Eagles up 7-0. At the end of the first quarter, the Wildcats drove the ball down for a first-and-goal from the one. However, the Eagles made a goal line stand, and the 'Cats settled for a Chazzo Habliston '13 field goal.

With the score 7-3 in the second quarter, the 'Cats played relentless defense. Michael Corbett '15 intercepted a Lewis pass to stop a promising drive, and then the punt coverage team forced a fumble, causing Morehead St. to retreat to their 24-yard line. On the ensuing Morehead St. punt, a bad snap resulted in a safety for the Wildcats, making the score 7-5. Adam Dulberger '13 blocked a punt on the next Eagle drive, but the Wildcats were unable to make anything of the great field position as time ran out in the half.

The second half began with an impressive drive by the Eagles, which culminated in a 7-yard touchdown pass from Lewis to Desmond Cox to put the Eagles up 14-5. Davidson responded with an equally exciting drive following a Dulberger interception. Carkhuff completed 6 of 9 passes on the drive, including a 15-yard touchdown to Funsten, and pushed through the line on a critical 4th-and-1 to keep the drive alive. The offensive effort put the Wildcats back in the game, down 14-12. On the very next play, Patrick Hunt '12 forced a fumble, which was recovered by Dulberger on the Morehead St. 16-yard line. The Wildcats added a field goal before the end of the third quarter to take a 15-14 lead.

Morehead St. began the fourth quarter with a field goal to recapture the lead 17-15. On the next Davidson drive, Carkhuff had an interception called back due to a Morehead St. penalty, and he proceeded to use the second chance to throw his second touchdown pass to Funsten. The score put Davidson up 21-17, as the Wildcats were unable to convert a 2-point attempt. With the game hanging in the balance, Lewis completed his third touchdown pass with 6:48 to play, giving the Eagles the lead 24-21. Following a missed field goal, the Wildcats needed a quick stop on defense, and that's exactly what they got. An Eagle 3-and-out resulted in the Wildcats taking possession with 1:42 to play. After a few short completions, Carkhuff aired it out to Hines for the eventual game-winning score to Hines.

The Wildcat defense came through in the victory, forcing four turnovers, while the offense had no giveaways. Offensively, Carkhuff has now completed 314 passes for 2,955 yards on the season, both school records. Likewise, Funsten will set a new school record for receptions if and when he catches a pass in this week's contest. The Wildcats look to finish the season with a second consecutive win as they take on Valparaiso at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Richardson Stadium.