GAFFNEY, S.C. – Junior RB
Jerko'ya Patton (Charlotte, N.C.) posted a career-high 140 yards on the ground and ran for two scores, but the Limestone College football team would lose a nail bitter with the nationally 14
th-ranked University of West Georgia, 24-14, on Saturday, September 14 at The Reservation.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: No. 14 West Georgia 24, Limestone 14
Records: No. 14 West Georgia (2-0), Limestone (0-2)
Location: The Reservation
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- Patton rushed 24 times in the game and averaged 5.8 yards per carry
- Junior QB DJ Phillips (Fayetteville, N.C.) went 13-of-32 for 112 yards, but threw two picks
- Phillips added 39 yards on the ground for a 5.6 yards per carry average
- Junior WR Quay Brown (Rock Hill, S.C.) finished with 61 yards on five catches
- Junior D'Meko Pryor (Cincinnati, Ohio) led the team with eight tackles
- Senior Kelvin Atkins (Columbia, S.C.) finished with seven tackles, three for loss, and two sacks
- Seniors Lawrence Williams (Kingstree, S.C.) and Timarkus Dawkins (Gaffney, S.C.) both registered six tackles on the night
- Junior DeAnthony Cowan (Goodman, Miss.) added a sack and a forced fumble
- Sophomore Tallon Campbell (Cheraw, S.C.) and freshman Loron Fleming (Charlotte, N.C.) both tallied a sack for the Saints
- Limestone rushed for 206 yards as a team, and posted 318 total offensive yards
- West Georgia finished with 404 total yards, 320 of those coming on the ground
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
The Limestone defense came up big on the first drive of the day by West Georgia as Cowan forced the ball loose before senior DB
Mannie Ogletree (North Augusta, S.C.) jumped on it. The Saints would limit the Wolves to just 70 yards of total of offense and a pair of first downs over the first 15 minutes of play.
On offense, the Blue and Gold had some early success running the ball as Patton rushed for 64 yards on seven carries in the first quarter, including a 27-yard run to set the Saints up in scoring position towards the end of the frame. Limestone finished with 120 yards overall in the period to go with six first downs.
Second Quarter
Patton added 17 yards on his first touch in the second before capping a 6-play, 60-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown plunge to stake the Saints to a 7-0 lead with 14:27 left in the half. However, a Limestone turnover deep in its own territory gave the Wolves a short field to tie things up at 7-all a few ticks later.
The Blue and Gold did a great job of keeping the Wolves pinned deep in its own territory, thanks in part to a pair of sacks from Atkins, but UWG found a hole on 3-and-14 from its own 8 to make it 14-7 on a 92-yard TD run. Limestone posted four sacks in the first half, but would trail by a score going into the break.
Third Quarter
The Saints started the second half with a bang as Patton broke off a 45-yard run, but an illegal participation penalty wiped out the big play. Limestone would get a first down on the drive after Phillips hit Brown on a 17-yard hookup, but the drive would stall and the Blue and Gold were forced to punt.
Following a three-and-out by the defense, the Saints had tremendous field position with the ball at the UWG 48-yard line. However, Limestone was unable to move the rock before turning it over on downs, and West Georgia promptly capitalized by going 56 yards on five plays to make it a 21-7 ballgame.
Two personal fouls by the visitors – one a roughing the kicker and the other a roughing the passer – and 32 yards rushing by Phillips set the Blue and Gold up with a 1
st-and-goal at the 3-yard line. Two plays later, Patton busted through with his 11
th career touchdown as the Saints cut the margin to 21-14.
Fourth Quarter
Limestone moved the ball on its first drive of the fourth, highlighted by a 16-yard run from Patton, but a false start ended the drive at the West Georgia 45-yard line. The Wolves would counter with a 12-play, 74-yard drive, making it a 24-14 game on a 28-yard field goal while taking a valuable 4:37 off the clock.
The Saints again marched over the final 1:45 of the game, reaching the UWG 39-yard line before a sack and a short pass completion inbounds with no timeouts kept the clock moving. On the final play of the game, Phillips threw his second pick with no time on the clock as the Wolves held on for the 24-14 win.
TURNING POINT
Although West Georgia capitalized on short fields, scoring off a turnover and then a turnover on downs, the biggest blow came on a 92-yard TD run late in the first half. The Wolves were facing 3
rd-and-14 from their own 8 following a sack by Atkins, but the visitors busted loose to take a lead that it would not relinquish the rest of the game.
NOTABLES
- Limestone finished with just 10 sacks in all of the 2018 season – it had five against West Georgia
- The Saints posted 20 first downs as compared to 18 for West Georgia
- The Blue and Gold held the Wolves to 84 yards passing
- Patton posted his sixth 100-yard game of his career
- With his two touchdowns, he became the program's career leader in rushing scores
- Junior kicker Thomas Cook (Moore, S.C.) placed four punts inside the 20-yard line
UP NEXT
After opening the season against two top-25 opponents, the Saints will begin South Atlantic Conference play when they host Tusculum University on Saturday, September 21 at 1 p.m.