WILSON — Barton College football couldn’t have asked for a much better start to the 2023 season.
Quarterback Jaquan Lynch ran for two touchdowns. Linebacker Mike Webb picked off two passes. Star running back Jordan Terrell ripped off 112 yards on the ground.
And that was just the first quarter.
The Bulldogs used an electric start to roll to a 41-0 victory in front of a pleased crowd at Truist Stadium on opening night for both teams.
Terrell, who has made preseason All-South Atlantic Conference and All-America lists, finished with a 186 yards rushing, averaging 9.8 yards per carry and getting an early night off with the game out of hand by the third period.
In addition to running for two scores, Lynch threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Kameron Johnson.
Early in the second period, Alex Gowda scooped up a fumble after a Shane Perry sack of Chowan quarterback Rashad McKee, scoring a 1-yard touchdown. That put the Bulldogs up 21-0.
Bear Huggins hit field goals of 30 and 29 yards and proved perfect on four extra points. Even backup quarterback Tyler Flippin got into the act, scoring in the final minute on a 7-yard keeper. Backup kicker Graham Walston hit the PAT after that touchdown for the final margin.
“We started the way we wanted to start,” Barton coach Chip Hester said in an interview, posted by the school. “The defense came out and got the turnover early. They were flying around.”
Webb nearly had a third interception but a ball bounced off his hands in the second quarter.
Barton dominated the stat sheet in most categories. The Bulldogs outrushed the Hawks — who played in last year’s CIAA title game — 338-27. They had 23 first downs to Chowan’s 7. Barton had no turnovers, to Chowan’s three.
The only stat the Bulldogs struggled in was penalties. Hester’s team found itself flagged 10 times for 95 yards. There were also a few drops on passes and missed assignments.
But, the fourth-year coach said he liked how his team continued to battle even after taking command of the contest by the third quarter. Barton squeezed out a 17-3 victory in last year’s opener against Chowan.
“It wasn’t perfect. We’ve got a lot to work on,” Hester said. “But I thought we finished. Last year, we let up a little bit. The experienced leaders like we’ve got here, we’ve got a chance to have a special team if we keep on going and keep our nose to the grindstone.”
The only thing Terrell didn’t do Thursday night was find the end zone. But the junior from Ramseur (Eastern Randolph), who came into the season with 3,755 career yards and 33 TDs, didn’t really need to. The game was out of reach by the break, and backups got plenty of playing time.
“The O-line did an amazing job blocking,” Terrell said. “Getting that fast start was a help.”
This could be a transitional year for Chowan. The Hawks lost their coach and a host of players after last year’s CIAA runner-up finish. They also changed conferences, joining the Gulf South for the next two years until Conference Carolinas begins offering football. Chowan (now coached by Paul Johnson) and Barton will be conference mates when that happens in two years.
Dwayne Smith led Chowan’s defense with 11 tackles, including a a couple tackles-for-loss. Jordan Brown added 10 tackles, while D’Armani Ridley and Kamari Matthews had nine apiece.
Barton will take a step up in play in week two, visiting Davidson, which has been an FCS playoff regular the past few years. Chowan also will play an impressive foe, hosting Delta State (11-2 in 2022) — the preseason favorite in the Gulf South.
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