JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. (September 10, 2022) -- The Franklin Pierce University football team was in the Volunteer State on Saturday afternoon, to take on the highest-profile opponent to program has faced so far in its young history. The Ravens visited eastern Tennessee to take on five-time NAIA national champion and three-time NCAA Division II national finalist Carson-Newman, in a non-conference showdown at Burke-Tarr Stadium. Senior Bryce Macina (Syracuse, N.Y.) threw for 175 yards and a score, but Franklin Pierce again struggled to get the ground game going in a 27-6 loss. Senior Ivan Corbin threw for 125 yards and a touchdown, and rushed for 64 yards and another score, to lead the way for the Eagles.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 0-2, while Carson-Newman improves to 1-1. The Ravens are back home next week to open their Northeast-10 Conference schedule against intrastate rival Saint Anselm at 6 p.m. at Sodexo Field on Saturday, Sept. 17.

The only points of the first quarter on Saturday would come via an early Carson-Newman field goal, on the first drive of the game. The Eagles started at their own 24-yard line, and got most of their 42 yards on the drive on one first-and-15 play, as Corbin and senior Braxton Westfield hooked up on an 18-yard pass play, and then 15 yards were added to the end, thanks to a personal foul on sophomore Shamil Diaz (Lawrence, Mass.). The drive would stall out at the Franklin Pierce 34, but sophomore Nate Craft drilled a 51-yard field goal to open the scoring.

After a trio of punts, the Eagles put together an 11-play, 85-yard touchdown drive, which spanned the first quarter break. On the drive, Carson-Newman fumbled once, but recovered; used a 28-yard rush by junior TJ King to convert a third-and-three; and later got a 12-yard keeper from Corbin to keep things going on fourth-and-3 near midfield. Ultimately, Corbin found Westfield for a 14-yard touchdown pass, as the Eagles pushed the lead to 10-0.

Franklin Pierce needed just six plays and 2:50 to go 75 yards and answer on the ensuing drive. Graduate student EJ Burgess (Pearland, Texas) rushed three times for 39 yards on the drive, including a 24-yard scamper on a second-and-14 play. Macina capped things off with a 39-yard touchdown pass to senior Anthony Anderson (Stamford, Conn.), for the latter's first career score. The point-after attempt failed, which left the score at 10-6. Craft knocked through a 24-yard field goal with four seconds to play in the second quarter to push the Carson-Newman lead to 13-6 heading into halftime.

It was all Carson-Neman after the intermission. Franklin Pierce's five second-half drives went as follows, as the Ravens netted just 99 yards after halftime: turnover on downs, punt, fumble, turnover on downs, punt. Meanwhile, the Eagles struck twice in the third quarter. Corbin found the end zone on a 5-yard rush early, and sophomore Tyree Nelson provided the dagger later, with a 15-yard touchdown run to cap a 12-play, 95-yard drive of more than six minutes.

Macina finished 17-for-33 through the air for 175 yards and a touchdown. Burgess added 17 carries for 61 yards (3.6 yards per rush) to finish as the team's leading rusher. Anderson had two catches for 48 yards, including the score. Sophomore Trey Sejour (Everett, Mass.) led the defense with 12 tackles (four solo), including a sack.

For Carson-Newman, Corbin went 10-for-17 for 125 yards and a touchdown, and added another score on the ground while rushing for 64 yards on 13 attempts (4.9 yards per rush). He was one of three Eagles to top 60 rushing yards. Nelson added seven carries for 69 yards (9.9 yards per rush) and a touchdown, and King ran for 60 yards on 14 attempts (4.3 yards per rush), as Carson-Newman outrushed Franklin Pierce, 256-57. Westfield had six catches for 79 yards, including a touchdown. Three different Eagles had seven tackles apiece, including junior DeAndre Williams, who added a sack along the way.