MARYVILLE, Tenn. – Maryville College scored on five consecutive first-half possessions Saturday afternoon to key a 51-16 USA South Conference victory over visiting Shenandoah.
The victory, combined with Christopher Newport's 41-31 win over Averett Saturday, keeps Maryville's faint USA South Championship hopes alive. The Fighting Scots (5-4, 4-2) now need to win next week and have Ferrum win at CNU next week to create a three-way tie for the championship.
Shenandoah (2-7, 1-5) drew first blood in Saturday's contest when Blake Derby hit freshman EJ Brown in the back of the end zone on a 3rd and 10 pass at the 9:46 mark of the first. SU had taken over on the Fighting Scots 20 after freshman CJ Madison picked off Maryville quarterback Justin Price on the Fighting Scots first play of their second possession.
Unfortunately for the Hornets, this would prove to be their high water mark.
MC scored on its next five offensive possessions and added a team safety to take 37-7 lead into the halftime lockerroom. Price did most of the damage, as he passed over just over 150 yards and scored on runs of 1 and 67 yards. That second run, the 67-yarder, came with 2:02 to play in the half and erased any thought of a second-half Shenandoah comeback.
The Hornets did score the first nine points of the third quarter on a safety of their own and a 6-yard run by Brandon Lacey at the 8:20 mark, but Maryville got a final TD pass from Price four minutes after Lacey's run and TD pass from Daniel Dunn 1:43 into the fourth to provide the final margin of victory.
Price led his club to 559 yards in offense by finishing the day 15 for 23 for 265 yards and three TD's through the air and another 94 yards rushing on seven carries. Senior Hubert Payne led all rushers with 111 yards on 20 carries.
Shenandoah, which was held to 24 yards in total offense in the first half, finish the game with 111 yards. Junior Paul Diggs had 39 yards and freshman Keith Watson 21 on the ground. Defensively, freshman Brodis Brown had a game-high 13 tackles.
SU completes its season next week with a home game against Methodist University.
