Centre Tops 'Roo Football

SHERMAN, Texas – The Austin College football team out-gained Centre in first downs and total offense, but the 'Roos had a pair of turnovers and committed 14 penalties as the Colonels left Apple Stadium with a 38-20 win. Austin College is now 1-5 overall and 1-3 in Southern Athletic Association play.

The Colonels got on the scoreboard first with a 39-yard field goal by Ben Logsdon five minutes into the game, and the lead grew to 10-0 following an 18-yard touchdown pass from Tanner Young to Jordan Gunter with four minutes left in the opening quarter. The 'Roos struck early in the second quarter, with Colt Collins firing a 23-yard strike to a diving Adonis Martin six seconds in to make it a 10-7 game. 

Centre scored four minutes later on a Colin Burnam touchdown run, and on the ensuing kickoff the 'Roos botched a fair catch attempt, giving it right back to the Colonels deep in their own territory. Four plays later, Burnam scored again to make it a 24-7 game with just under nine minutes left before halftime, and that's how things would end as the 'Roos were stopped at the goal line on fourth down with under a minute remaining. 

The Colonels got the first points of the second half with Logsdon again connecting on a field goal, this time from 28 yards out to make it a 27-7 game. The lead grew to 35-7 after Young found Thomas Jordan for a seven yard strike with 5:31 left in the third, with the two-point conversion making it a four touchdown margin. 

The 'Roos put together a big drive on their next possession, going 75 yards in nine plays, highlighted by a 26 yard run by Collins and a 19-yard completion to Broderick Hampton, capped of by Collins finding Trey Carr for a 6-yard score to make it 35-14 with 1:50 left in the period. Logsdon connected on one more field goal early in the fourth to make it 38-14, and the 'Roos would get the final points of the game as Tyler James completed an 8-yard touchdown pass to Martin. The two-point conversion attempt failed, making it a 38-20 final.

Collins finished the game completing 22-of-41 passes for 207 yards, two touchdowns, and a pick and added 105 yards on 18 carries. James came on late in the fourth to complete 7-of-9 passes for 70 yards with a touchdown. Aaron Rideaux made six catches for 57 yards to lead the Austin College receivers, and Don Ton made nine tackles to pace the defense. The 'Roos gained 413 yards of total offense to 359 for Centre.

Young completed 12-of-20 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns for Centre, and Burnam rushed 16 times for 55 yards and two scores. Jaylon Hibbs had four catches for 88 yards, and Carter Smith and Connor John each had seven stops.

Austin College is on the road for the rest of October, starting with a game next Saturday at Millsaps with kickoff set for 2:00 p.m.