GAFFNEY, S.C. – Redshirt-senior RB Jerko'ya Patton (Charlotte, N.C.) finished with 144 yards of total offense and pair of touchdowns, but the Limestone University football team fell in heartbreaking fashion, 28-24, to UVA Wise in a contest that came down to the final seconds on Saturday at The Reservation.   
 
GAME INFORMATION
Score: UVA Wise 28, Limestone 24
Records: UVA Wise (4-5, 3-4), Limestone (0-7, 0-5)
Location: The Reservation
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
 

• Patton became the first Limestone player in team history to rush for over 3,000 career yards
• He rushed for 105 yards and a TD to go with 37 yards and a score through the air
• Freshman QB Ethan Beamish (Simpsonville, S.C.) went 18-of-34 for 145 yards and a touchdown
• Beamish also added a rushing touchdown – the first two touchdowns of his career
• Graduate WR Cedric Smith (Columbia, S.C.) hauled in a pair of catches for a team-high 57 yards
• Graduate RB Anthony McAfee II (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) rushed seven times for 40 yards
• Junior K Nathan Baker (Easley, S.C.) went 1-of-2 on field goal attempts, hitting a 28-yarder
• Sophomore LB Chandler Matthews (Dillion, S.C.) led the Saints with nine tackles
• Junior DL Dylan Reeves (Raleigh, N.C.) added six tackles
• Junior LB Dedric Lewis (Evans, Ga.) posted four tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack
• Junior DB Kris Williams (Clinton, S.C.) finished with three tackles and a pick
• Sophomore DB Mark White (Charleston, S.C.) had three tackles, a sack, and a fumble recovery
• Junior DB Ray'Quan Ryant (Orangeburg, S.C.) added his first career interception
• Limestone put up 312 yards of total offense while UVA Wise had 354 yards
• The Saints won the turnover battle, 3-1, but would only get three points off turnovers

 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
First Quarter
 
Limestone picked up a first down on their opening drive when Beamish hit freshman Kodi Jones (Greenville, S.C.) for a nine-yard gain, but the Blue and Gold would have to punt the ball away. The Cavaliers then took their first drive 80 yards on eight plays to move ahead 7-0 with 8:37 left in the first.
 
UVA Wise started its next drive at its own 10-yard line, but Williams quickly ended the possession as he stepped in front of a pass for his second pick of the year. Limestone did not get much inside the redzone and had to settle for a 28-yard field goal by Baker, cutting the lead to 7-3 midway through the first period.
 
Second Quarter
 
The Limestone defense played inspired following the opening-drive score, getting sacks by both White to end the first period before an eight-yard sack by Lewis knocked the Cavs out of field goal range early in the quarter. The Cavaliers would then pin the Blue and Gold deep in its own territory at the four-yard line.
 
However, the Saints would engineer one of their best drives of the 2021 campaign, a scoring drive that ended a touchdown famine that had spanned over 12 quarters. McAfee got the momentum rolling with a 31-yard run on second down before Patton hauled in a reception down the home sideline for 20 yards.
 
Facing a fourth-and-1 from the opponents 36, Patton took a pitch 16 yards for a first down inside UVA Wise's redzone. Patton then appeared to score on an 18-yard touchdown, only to have it called back for holding, but Beamish would scramble for 15 before he found Patton for a 13-yard score to make it 10-7.
 
Third Quarter
 
With the rain coming down to start the third, both defenses stepped up and forced four straight punts. Following a short kick, UVA Wise was driving but the Limestone defense came up a stop as sophomore DL JaHaven Phillips (Gresham, S.C.) forced a fumble on a QB scramble before White recovered the ball.
 
The Saints were unable to do anything with the change in the momentum, again going 3-and-out, before another short punt set the Cavaliers on the Limestone 42-yard line. Four plays later, UVA Wise retook the lead, 14-10, with 4:17 left in the third period following a 36-yard run to set up a 1-yard touchdown plunge.
 
That lead was short-lived, however, as Patton found a hole up the middle before beating the defense by breaking off a 75-yard touchdown run down the home sideline – the longest TD run of his career and putting him over 3,000 career rushing yards – as Limestone moved on top, 17-14, at the end of the third.  
 
Fourth Quarter
 
Following a three-and-out by Limestone at the end of the third, a punt would put the Cavs at midfield to start the fourth and the visitors capitalized with a 47-yard touchdown strike, making 21-17 early in the final period. Once again, the lead would not last long as the Saints marched 64 yards for the go-ahead score.
 
Beamish found Smith wide open for 29 yards before they again hooked up for a 28-yard gain down to the 5-yard line. Beamish snaked his way into the endzone two plays later to give Limestone a 24-21 edge, but the back-and-forth would continue as UVA Wise responded with a fast 40-yard drive to make it 28-24.
 
The Blue and Gold went three-and-out, but junior punter Austin Kemp (Liberty, S.C.) pinned the Cavaliers deep in their own territory before the defense again came up huge as Ryant pulled down an interception just outside the redzone. The Saints got nine yards before getting stopped on 4^th-and-1 on a broken play.
 
The defense again got a stop before the UVA Wise punter dropped the ball to give Limestone excellent starting field position at the Cavaliers' 27-yard line with 1:23 left in the game. On 2^nd-and-9 with less than a minute to play, Beamish had a perfect bead on senior WR Jadarius Hector (Stapleton, Ga.)  behind the defense, but a UVA Wise DB got a fingertip on the ball to prevent the winning score in the 28-24 decision.
 
TURNING POINT
 
After both teams combined for 17 points in the first half, the offenses seemed to thrive when the rain began falling to start the third quarter. Limestone and UVA Wise traded scores in the second half, combining for 35 points, but it was defense in the final minutes that allowed the Cavaliers to hold on.
 
NOTABLES
 

• The game between Limestone and UVA Wise in the spring was also a last-second decision
• The Cavaliers posted their first win over the Saints in three meetings
• Limestone, who entered the game with two rushing touchdowns, doubled its total with two on Saturday – Patton added his 23^rd career rushing touchdown while Beamish posted his first
• Patton logged his 14^th career 100-yard rushing game
• After breaking its touchdown drought, Limestone tied a season-high with three touchdowns
• The Blue and Gold put up over 300 yards of offense for the third time this year
• The defense limited the Cavaliers to 354 yards of offense, its second lowest total of the year

 
UP NEXT
 
Limestone will close out its 2021 road schedule when it travels to Jefferson City, Tenn. next weekend to take on winless Carson-Newman University on Saturday, November 6, at 1 p.m.