It wasn’t pretty, or nearly exciting as the last time Georgetown College met Cumberland University on the gridiron.
But on a rainy February night under the unconventional Friday night lights in Lebanon, Tennessee, the end result was equally satisfying.
No. 19 GC’s defense dominated in a 19-7 victory, keeping the Tigers undefeated two games into this delayed, streamlined Mid-South Conference Bluegrass Division season.
Nearly 16 months ago, GC scored five consecutive second-half touchdowns to overcome a 35-7 deficit and clip Cumberland to close out the 2019 campaign.
In a rematch that featured eight total turnovers, evenly divided, the Tigers amassed all the offense they ultimately needed in the first quarter.
Nick Conley punctuated Georgetown’s third series of the night with a 5-yard touchdown run. Quarterback Hunter Krause scrambled for 10 yards and completed passes to Jake Johnson and Isaiah Cobb along the route.
Chris Cline’s extra point made it 7-0 with 8:23 remaining in the first quarter.
Marcus Omosule sacked Avery Harris for a 13-yard loss to stymie Cumberland’s next drive and force a punt.
The Phoenix (0-3) took an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after a sack of Zach Dampier, fueling the ensuing GC drive with a first down at the CU 33.
Dampier’s keeper for 11 yards extended the march, and a short completion to Darius Barbour set up Cline for a 30-yard field goal and a 10-0 advantage with 1:03 left in the period.
GC nearly scored again after recovering a fumble on the ensuing kickoff. Three more completions from Dampier included a 22-yard strike to Noah Kremer.
Two plays later, Conley barreled from the 13-yard line to the 1 before Jalen Dallas punched the ball free. Champ Leddon fell on it for the Phoenix.
The Tigers couldn’t capitalize on three additional forays into Phoenix territory in the half. Terron Smith stopped Johnson at the 14 after a 35-yard catch from Krause on the final play.
Georgetown put it away in the third, though, starting with a defensive gem.
A holding penalty on the kickoff backed up Cumberland to its 15. Rob Sheffield – who also sealed the game with a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions – stuffed Harris for a five-yard loss.
Harris then dropped back to pass and was decked by Derek Wellman for a safety, increasing the lead to 12-0 only 51 seconds after intermission.
The ensuing free kick started GC’s next drive just on the Cumberland side of midfield. Cobb ran for a pair of first downs, including a three-yard gain on fourth-and-1 from the 28.
That set the table for a 25-yard TD strike from Krause to Johnson, last year’s leading receiver, who sat out the opening-week 27-20 win at University of the Cumberlands.
CU’s first chance to break the shutout fizzled at the 7-yard line, where Rafael Rhone forced a fumble, and DJ White recovered.
Jamaal Thompson picked off Krause to put the Phoenix back in business at the GC 41.
Runs by Brandon Edmondson and Bret Robinson moved the chains, the latter on a fourth down, setting up a 7-yard TD scamper by Treylon Sheppard with 3:30 remaining in the third. Austin Nunley kicked the extra point.
The teams combined for five punts and a turnover on downs over the next six series, with two lost fumbles by Georgetown and the pair of Sheffield interceptions pulling the curtain on the sloppy final scene.
Georgetown held Cumberland to 215 total yards, including a 9-for-27 nightmare for 46 yards through the air.
White batted down a pair of passes in addition to his fumble recovery. Sander Roksvag led the Tigers with seven solo tackles. Payton Standifer had seven total stops.
Senior signal-callers Krause (9-for-19, 154 yards) and Dampier (9-for-15, 81 yards) both were effective, although Cumberland collected five sacks.
Johnson caught six passes or 89 yards. Barbour (five receptions, 41 yards) and Cobb (three for 58) also were keys in the aerial attack.
Cobb was Georgetown’s leading rusher with 12 carries for 41 yards. Including returns, he finished with 150 all-purpose yards.
Sheppard gained 127 yards on 27 rushes for Cumberland, which lost to Georgetown for the fifth consecutive season.
GC’s home opener at 3:30 p.m. Friday is a big one. The Tigers will host No. 4 Lindsey Wilson, which has won the past six games in the series. It was rescheduled to what was originally a bye week due to last week’s snow and ice storms.