MARS HILL, N.C. --- Joraye Morrison ran for 107 yards and a touchdown and Mars Hill University's defense held Tusculum University to 184 total yards as the Lions defeated the Pioneers 20-7 in South Atlantic Conference action at Meares Stadium on Saturday.
The Lions (8-2, 6-1 SAC), ranked sixth in the NCAA Division II Super Region 2 rankings, won their sixth straight game and retained a share of first place in the SAC by possessing the ball for 36:52. Mars Hill converted three fourth-down opportunities in the first half, all leading to scores as the Lions built an 18-0 lead at halftime en route to snapping a four-game losing streak to the Pioneers.
Tre Simmons, making his first career start for Tusculum (4-6, 2-5 SAC), completed 13-of-38 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown. Justice Parham had four catches for 56 yards to lead the Pioneers, including a 7-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter for Tusculum's lone score.
Mars Hill quarterback Jimmy Urzua was held to 135 yards passing on 10-for-22 through the air, but the Lion rushing attack piled up 175 yards on the ground. Morrison carried the ball 26 times, scoring on a one-yard run midway through the second quarter.
Tusculum's rushing game could manage just 21 yards on 23 attempts against the Mars Hill defense, led by Cortney Jackson with 19 yards on five carries. The Lions registered five sacks of Simmons, led by linebacker Dexter Fitzpatrick who had 2 1/2 sacks.
After an exchange of punts to start the game, Mars Hill drove inside the Tusculum 5 after converting a fourth-and-11 with a 24-yard completion from Urzua to Ty Snelson. On the next play, Tusculum's Jordan Taylor forced a fumble by Morrison that was recovered by Mars Hill's Kendell Johnson at the Pioneer 8. Urzua stumbled on the dropback on the next play, but turned the broken play into a touchdown as he hit Lafayette Gurvin in the flat for an 8-yard touchdown to cap a 12-play, 67-yard drive. Landon Honeycutt would run in for the two-point conversion on the "swinging gate" play for an 8-0 Mars Hill lead with 7:21 left in the first quarter.
The Pioneers moved into Lions territory on their next drive, aided by a 13-yard completion from Simmons to Parham and a pass interference penalty against Mars Hill on third-and-10. However, a deep pass from Simmons was intercepted by Mikial Fourney at the Mars Hill 4 to end the drive.
Tusculum's defense forced a punt and moved to the Mars Hill 27 with a pair of third-down conversions of 12 yards from Simmons to Tyler Burke and a 6-yard scramble by Simmons. But, the Pioneers were stopped on fourth-and-10 on an incomplete pass on the second play of the second quarter.
The Lions appeared to have scored a second touchdown on a pass down the middle to a wide-open CJ Thompson from 39 yards out, but the play was called back due to an ineligible receiver downfield. Mars Hill would later face fourth-and-1 at the Tusculum 20, and converted on a short pass from Urzua to Ja'Hari Mitchell for 10 yards. Three plays later, Morrison capped a 12-play, 73-yard drive as he scampered in from a yard out and Hunter Bridges added the conversion for a 15-0 Mars Hill lead with 7:30 left in the first half.
Following another exchange of punts, Tusculum moved the ball to the Mars Hill 34 on a 19-yard pass from Simmons to Parham. However, four incomplete passes turned the ball back over to the Lions with 1:53 left in the half.
For the third time in the half, Mars Hill would convert on fourth down as Bridges ran for six yards on a fake punt to the Tusculum 36 with 31 seconds left. A 31-yard pass from Urzua to Thompson set up the Lions at the Pioneer 5, and enabled Bridges to give Mars Hill an 18-0 lead at the half with a 19-yard field goal on the final play.
Tusculum drove into Mars Hill territory on its opening drive of the second half, but the Pioneers were forced to punt. Mars Hill, aided by a pair of third-down conversions and a 15-yard penalty against the defense, moved from its 4 to the Tusculum 38 but Urzua was intercepted in the end zone by the Pioneers' Ty'Korian Brown with 6:05 left in the third quarter. The period would end up scoreless, leaving Mars Hill with an 18-0 lead heading to the final quarter.
Tusculum finally broke through with 11:01 remaining as Simmons hit Parham for a 7-yard touchdown, set up by a 39-yard completion from Simmons to Aaron Fudge. The extra point from John Aiden Pittman trimmed the Mars Hill lead to 18-7. However, the Pioneers' next drive would start from their own 1 and end when Mars Hill's Octaveus Askew blocked an Andrew Cantrell punt in the end zone for a safety and a 20-7 Lions lead with 5:18 left.
Jermaine Witherspoon and Adrian Robinson shared the team lead in tackles for the Pioneers with nine apiece, while Taylor, Brown, Craig Watts and Jordan Smith had seven tackles apiece.
Mars Hill was flagged seven times for 55 yards in the game, while Tusculum was called for six penalties for 31 yards. Mars Hill was 7-for-17 on third-down conversions, and Tusculum went 6-for-14 on third downs.
Tusculum will wrap up the 2021 season on Saturday, Nov. 13 against rival Carson-Newman at 1:30 p.m. at Pioneer Field. The Eagles (1-8, 1-6 SAC) earned their first win of the year with a 27-21 victory over Limestone on Saturday. The game will be Senior Day as the Pioneers will honor the senior members of the team prior to kickoff with the Eagles.
