DJ Phillips
In his first career start, sophomore DJ Phillips threw for a program-record 400 yards in Saturday's win.
27
Winner Limestone LC 4-4 , 3-2
24
Newberry NBY 4-4 , 2-2
Winner
Limestone LC
4-4 , 3-2
27
Final
24
Newberry NBY
4-4 , 2-2
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
LC Limestone 0 0 21 6 27
NBY Newberry 10 7 7 0 24

Game Recap: Football | | Ernest Meyers, Assistant A.D. for Media Relations

Limestone Football Rallies From 17-Point Halftime Deficit to Down Newberry, 27-24

NEWBERRY, S.C. – Trailing 17-0 at the half, sophomore quarterback DJ Phillips (Fayetteville, N.C.) led a furious second-half rally behind a 400-yard throwing performance as the Limestone College football team shocked Newberry College by a final of 27-24 on Saturday, October 21 at historic Setzler Field.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Limestone 27, Newberry 24
Records: Limestone (4-4, 3-2), Newberry (4-4, 2-2)
Location: Setzler Field
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
 
  • Phillips became the first player in program history to throw for 400 yards
  • He went 19-of-37 with a pair of touchdowns in his first career start
  • Senior WR Vyncint Smith (Columbia, S.C.) hauled in eight catches for 187 yards and a TD
  • Senior WR D'Anta Fleming (Greer, S.C.) posted six catches for 173 yards and a touchdown
  • Freshman Jerko'ya Patton (Charlotte, N.C.) added 40 yards on 17 rushes
  • Junior DE Kelvin Atkins (Columbia, S.C.) finished with nine tackles
  • Junior LB Lee Russell (Charleston, S.C.) added six tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack
  • Senior LB Joey Felder (Effingham, S.C.) recorded Limestone's first defensive TD of the year
  • Senior kicker Nick Smith (Plain City, Ohio) connected on field goals of 26 and 18 yards
  • The Saints put up 422 total offensive yards against the league's best defense
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
First Quarter
 
Following a turnover by Limestone on its first possession of the game, the Wolves capitalized as a 39-yard field goal by Kevin Weber at the 4:45-mark of the first quarter made it a 3-0 game. Newberry would then grab a 10-0 lead late in the first behind a 66-yard touchdown catch-and-run by Keinan Lewis
 
Second Quarter
 
The Saints put together a nice-looking drive early in the second quarter, marching 51 yards on six plays – highlighted by a 36-yard catch by Smith – but the visitors would come away empty as Nick Smith was wide right on a 29-yard field goal attempt.
 
Newberry would then extend the margin to 17-0 midway through the quarter as quarterback Greg Ruff found space on a 55-yard touchdown run down the visiting sideline. Limestone posted 151 yards in the first half, but a pair of turnovers and two long scoring plays on defense proved to be the difference.
 
Third Quarter
 
The Blue and Gold came out of the break firing on all cylinders as it moved the ball 75 yards on three plays to cut the margin to 17-7. Phillips hit Fleming for a 37-yard catch-and-run before finding Smith streaking down the sideline for a 36-yard touchdown reception – his second TD of the year.
 
Three plays later, the Limestone defense came up with its first score of the season as Felder recorded a strip sack followed by a 7-yard fumble return for a touchdown. The Wolves would get one of those scores right back, however, as a Nick Jones hit Markell Castle for a 58-yard touchdown catch, making it 24-14.  
 
Newberry would miss a 37-yard field goal attempt following a 14-play, 57-yard drive late in the third, and the Saints took full advantage by cutting the lead to 24-21 one play later. Fleming pulled in a short pass on a roll out by Phillips before turning on the jets to outrun the defense for an electrifying 80-yard TD run.
 
Fourth Quarter
 
After trailing by as much as 17, the Saints tied the game at 24-all midway through the fourth as a 26-yard field goal by Nick Smith capped a 9-play, 73-yard drive. Phillips hooked up with senior Jumill Hornsby (North Charleston, S.C.) for a 36-yard connection to set the Blue and Gold up for the tying score.
 
The Wolves would take the ensuing possession to the Limestone 35-yard line, but the drive would stall as the Saints forced a turnover on downs with less than two minutes remaining. It appeared as if the Blue and Gold was heading toward its fourth overtime game of the year, but it had one more big play left.
 
Facing a 3rd-and-16 from their own 44-yard line, Smith got a step on two Newberry defenders and Phillips hit him with a perfect ball for 55 yards as the Saints set up shop at the 1-yard line with 8 ticks left. Nick Smith would then split the uprights for the game-winner from 18 yards away with five seconds remaining.
 
TURNING POINT
 
Limestone looked like a different team in the second half, scoring a pair of touchdowns – one offensive, one defensive – within a 1:50-span early in the third quarter. That would set the tone as the Saints outscored Newberry 27-7 over the final 30 minutes.
 
NOTABLES
 
  • Phillips' 400-yard performance was 83 yards better than the previous single-game record
  • Smith and Fleming finished with the second and third highest single-game receiving mark in team history, respectively
  • The senior receiving duo combined for 360 yards and two touchdowns
  • The Saints won in regulation for the first time this season
  • Limestone won a game in which it trailed at the end of the third quarter for the first time in team history – the program was 0-26 entering tonight's game
  • The Blue and Gold knocked off the defending SAC champion for a second straight year
 
UP NEXT
 
The Saints will close out their 2017 home schedule when they welcome Catawba College to The Reservation at Gaffney High School on Saturday, October 28 at 1 p.m. Head coach Mike Furrey and the Limestone College Athletics Department will recognize the team's seniors prior to kick off next Saturday.
 
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