Five kick returns for touchdowns. Four defensive scores. A defense that sent an opponent backwards in rushing yardage. Two players receiving national accolades.
These are highlights from week six of the college football season in North Carolina. Here’s a recap of the longest scoring plays, most prolific offenses, stingiest defenses and most notable award-winners from a busy weekend of action around the Old North State.
Kick-Six Times Five
Barton’s Khavarie Hightower returned the opening kickoff against Carson-Newman 98 yards for a touchdown on Saturday afternoon, one of five kick returns that went for scores on the day.
The redshirt freshman from Burlington (Cummings HS) caught the ball in the middle of the field, cut toward the left sideline and juked back toward the middle before racing untouched for six points. The play tied the second longest opening kickoff return in our state this season.
North Carolina A&T’s Aaron Harris had a 100-yard return to start the game against North Carolina Central in week four. Sincere Baines from UNC Pembroke returned the opening kickoff 98 yards at Charleston, also in week four.
East Carolina’s Winston Wright Jr. brought a kickoff back 94 yards in the fourth quarter against Charlotte on Saturday. Christian Rutledge from Shaw turned a kick return into a 93 yard TD against Bluefield State.
Brevard’s Zackary Orr took a punt back 88 yards for a touchdown against Southern Virginia. NCCU’s Darryl Taylor outran the Campbell punting unit for a 68-yard TD as part of a 28-point second quarter.
Longest Offensive Scoring Plays
UNC Pembroke’s Josiah Hayes hauled in an 85-yard touchdown pass from Colin Johnson in the Braves’ 35-32 comeback win at Wheeling. This was the longest offensive TD of week six.
Shaw’s Travon Tensley and Campbell quarterback Mike Chandler II enjoyed the longest scoring runs of the week. Tensley raced 74 yards for a touchdown against Bluefield State, while Chandler juked his way 72 yards to the end zone against North Carolina Central.
Defensive Touchdowns
Four defensive players turned turnovers into points.
North Carolina’s Kaleb Cost (84 yards) and Charlotte’s Stone Handy (53 yards) intercepted passes and didn’t stop until they reached the end zone. Barton’s Matthew Leach (80 yards) and Wingate’s Brandon Perry (46 yards) scooped up fumbles and brought them back for touchdowns.
Mirror Image
Livingstone and Elizabeth City State had almost identical stat sheets in Saturday’s CIAA game in Salisbury.
Both teams rushed for 140 yards, threw for 137 yards, posted 277 total yards and earned 18 first downs. Livingstone ran 65 plays, to ECSU’s 63. The Blue Bears prevailed on the scoreboard 23-17.
Speed Limit Reached
Brevard and Charlotte led the way in team scoring this week, both reaching 55 points in wins. The 49ers scored the most points in the Biff Poggi coaching era en route to a 55-24 demolishing of ECU. Brevard beat Southern Virginia 55-21.
Shooting Blanks
UVA Wise came up empty against Wingate’s stingy defense for the second year in a row, falling to the Bulldogs 33-0. Wingate won last year’s game 27-0.
Including the Bulldogs, four North Carolina teams have earned shutouts this season. The others: Guilford (14-0 over Greensboro), Elizabeth City State (20-0 over Erskine) and Louisburg College (30-0 over Georgia Warhawks).
Going Backwards
Wingate’s defense not only held UVA Wise off the scoreboard. The Bulldogs also held the Cavaliers to negative rushing yardage. UVA Wise managed minus-1 yard rushing on 28 attempts. Futility.
Wingate surrendered just 70 yards in total offense for the game, the stingiest statistical performance in total defense in the state this season — by far. The next best performance came from Johnson C. Smith in week five against Bluefield State,The Golden Bulls allowed 146 total yards.
What A Rush!
It’s no surprise to see Davidson leading the rushing stat sheet on a weekly basis. The Wildcats, who employ a run-heavy, shotgun triple-option attack, tallied 384 rushing yards Saturday in a win over Marist.
But they weren’t the top rushing team in the state this week. Catawba piled up 408 yards on the ground (and six rushing TDs) in an overtime triumph over Anderson. LJ Turner accounted for 329 of those yards and found the end zone five times — by far the most prolific individual rushing performance of the season.
Turner earned D2 National Offensive Player of the Week from D1 Rejects/The College Football Network.
Charlotte was the other rushing attack to finish north of 300 yards. The Niners pummeled ECU’s defense to the tune of 311 yards and six rushing scores.
Pass Happy
UNC Pembroke broke a four-game losing streak thanks to a 398-yard passing day from Colin Johnson (324) and Tre Robinson (74). Johnson threw four touchdown passes.
Brevard’s Ethan Beamish became the second quarterback in our state to record five touchdown passes in a game this season. He finished 18-of-28 for 315 yards. Shaw’s Christian Peters had the other five-touchdown passing day a few weeks back.
100-Yard Rushing Club Grows
Counting Catawba’s LJ Turner, 12 backs from North Carolina college teams eclipsed the 100-yard rushing plateau this week.
Mari Adams (Davidson) and Hahsaun Wilson (Charlotte) both finished with 164 yards. Wilson scored three touchdowns, Adams two. Anthony Byrd (North Carolina Wesleyan) enjoyed a 150-yard, one-touchdown day in helping the Battling Bishops win for the first time. Wake Forest’s Demond Claiborne powered the Deacs past NC State with 135 rushing yards and two TDs.
Leading Receivers
UNCP’s Josiah Hayes, who scored the longest offensive touchdown of the week, also had the most receiving yards in our state. He finished with eight catches for 183 yards and three scores.
Kameron King of suddenly pass-happy Fayetteville State had eight catches for 135 yards and a touchdown in the Broncos’ triumph over Bowie State. Brevard’s Zackary Orr added to his lengthy punt-return score with a six-catch, 134-yard, two-touchdown effort in the passing game. We learned Tuesday morning that he was named to the D3 Football national team of the week.
Defensive Menace
Marquise Fleming (Wingate) earned SAC defensive player of the week honors following his six tackles and 3.5 tackles-for-loss against UVA Wise. Johnson C. Smith’s Benari Black and Barton’s Dereck Barringer each made 16 hits this week, tops in the state.
Don’t Forget The Kickers
We track field goals of 50 yards or longer. We didn’t have any of those this week from our state’s teams, but Livingstone’s Jason Zapata nailed a 49-yarder in the Blue Bears win over Elizabeth City State.
Johnson C. Smith’s Jacob Meneses boomed a 64-yard punt in the win over Virginia State — the longest punt of the week. Meneses averaged 49.6 yards on five kicks, helping the Golden Bulls win the field-position battle by putting three inside the VSU 20.
Stephen Rusnak scored 13 of Charlotte’s 55 points. He made two field goals and went 7-of-7 on PATs. NC State’s Kanoah Vinesett made three field goals against Wake and made all three of his extra points.
Fayetteville State’s John Hernandez-Vargas booted a game-winning 22-yard field goal as time expired to boot Bowie State 27-24. The Broncos seem to do that at least once a year.
Most Fans, Fewest Fans
Here are official attendance figures recorded by all the in-state schools that played home games this week. Keep in mind Western Carolina did not allow spectators on Saturday due to hurricane relief efforts.
HOME TEAM DIV FANS WEEK OPPONENT RESULT NC State FBS 56,919 Week 6 Wake Forest L, 30-34 North Carolina FBS 46,033 Week 6 Pittsburgh L, 24-34 Charlotte FBS 17,102 Week 6 East Carolina W, 55-24 Campbell FCS 4,415 Week 6 North Carolina Central L, 14-45 Johnson C. Smith D2 3,423 Week 6 Virginia State W, 21-17 Davidson FCS 2,124 Week 6 Marist W, 42-19 Fayetteville State D2 1,920 Week 6 Bowie State W, 27-24 Livingstone D2 1,879 Week 6 Elizabeth City State W, 23-17 Catawba D2 1,205 Week 6 Anderson W, 44-41, OT North Carolina Wesleyan D3 923 Week 6 Methodist W, 19-17 Shaw D2 429 Week 6 Bluefield State W, 35-17 Western Carolina FCS 0 Week 6 Wofford W, 21-17
