ETSU crushes Western Carolina in rivalry game

JOHNSON CITY — East Tennessee State had its best half of the season to score its most lopsided football win over Western Carolina in 27 years. The Bucs jumped out to a 27-point halftime lead and went on to capture a 58-31 victory over the Catamounts in the rivalry game nicknamed the "Blue Ridge Border Battle." The 27-point margin of victory over Western in Saturday's game at Greene Stadium was the most since the Bucs won 38-10 in 1999. It was the most points ETSU has scored against a Division I opponent since the return of football in 2015. The 58 points were the most ETSU ever scored in the series, surpassing last season's 52 points. ETSU took a 28-27-1 series lead in what has been its most competitive rivalry. ETSU (3-2 overall, 1-0 Southern Conference) piled up 542 yards of offense against the Catamounts (2-3, 0-1). The Bucs had four different players rush for touchdowns, and starting quarterback Mason Mims was efficient, going 20-for-27 for 220 yards and a touchdown. He even had his first career reception on a wide receiver pass from Suderian Harrison. ETSU scored in all eight trips to the red zone, while the defense held Western to 1-of-3 on fourth-down conversions. "I thought for four quarters we fought really hard and played really hard," ETSU coach Will Healy said. "We had great energy on the sidelines. I don't think we've ever had a game where a team executes for 180 plays. But, we played really well. They played up tempo so I thought we were going to keep rolling." TJ Peyton led the rushing attack that had it rolling on the ground. He finished with 102 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. D'Marius Rucker had 68 yards and a touchdown on six rushes. Jason Albritton had 46 yards and three touchdowns on nine carries. Jaiden Daniels also had a rushing touchdown. "I love our running back room, top to bottom," Peyton said. "It was a great feeling seeing everyone score. We had a lot of fun out there, and I'm very proud of my guys." NEARLY FLAWLESS FIRST-HALF Tight end Charlie Browder caught an 11-yard pass from Mims to put the ball at the 2-yard line. Rucker ran the ball in for the game's first touchdown. It completed a 16-play, 63-yard drive. The Bucs then had another double-digit drive on their next possession, 10 plays for 48 yards, capped off by Albritton's 2-yard touchdown run with just two seconds left in the first quarter. Ewan Johnson booted a 33-yard field goal before the Bucs made it 24-0 on Albritton's second touchdown, a 3-yard run. Johnson then kicked his career-long field goal, 49 yards, for a four-score lead. Western Carolina finally got on the scoreboard with just 1:11 left in the half when quarterback Lex Thomas took off for a 37-yard touchdown run. ETSU wasn't done as Rucker had his longest run of the season, which put the Bucs in scoring position. They capitalized with a 12-yard pass from Mims to a wide-open Browder for a 34-7 halftime lead. The Bucs covered 73 yards in 32 seconds on the four-play drive. They nearly tripled the Cats, 343-120, in first-half yardage. STEADY SECOND HALF In the third quarter, Bucs stopped the Catamounts on fourth down and took over on the Western 34-yard line. Four plays later, Peyton scored on a 1-yard run. Thomas answered with his second touchdown, a 5-yard run, later in fourth quarter. Bryan McCollum connected on a 26-yard field goal to cut ETSU's lead to 44-17 after three quarters. Albritton hit a career best with his third rushing touchdown, a 3-yarder with 11:29 left to push the lead back to 34 points. Western responded with a 15-play, 82-yard drive. Thomas ran for his third touchdown, a 10-yard run to the right corner of the end zone. Backup quarterback Jadyn Davis led a drive for the Bucs' final touchdown. They went 75 yards in just five plays as Jaiden Daniels capped it off with a 1-yard run. Western's reserves also scored on a late drive with Santana Carlos catching an 8-yard reception from Patrick Harding. Jamari Farmer led the team with nine tackles (six unassisted), followed by Jarvis Johnson and Mike Jenkins with seven each. Jeremiah Curry had six stops. NEXT UP ETSU will have a second straight rivalry game next Saturday at 3:30 p.m. when the Bucs host Chattanooga. Although the three players in the post-game press conference are new to ETSU, they realize the importance of these games to fans and alumni. "We got to hold the trophy, and we know the history," defensive end Charles Woodard said. "We know they're close by, and they'd have the fans to support their side. A rivalry game like this game and next week just means more." ETSU 58, Western Carolina 31 WCU 0 7 7 17 — 31 ETSU 14 20 10 14 — 58 First quarter ETSU — D'Marius Rucker 2-run (Ewan Johnson kick), 5:35 ETSU — Jason Albritton 2-run (Johnson kick), 0:02 Second quarter ETSU — Johnson 33-FG, 10:36 ETSU — Albritton 3-run (Johnson kick), 6:05 ETSU — Johnson 49-FG, 1:54 WCU — Lex Thomas 37-run (Bryan McCollum kick), 1:11 ETSU — Charlie Browder 12-pass from Mason Mims (Johnson kick), 0:32 Third quarter ETSU — Johnson 43-FG, 11:22 ETSU — T.J. Peyton 1-run (Johnson kick), 8:50 WCU — Thomas 5-run (McCollum kick), 3:00 Fourth quarter WCU — McCollum 26-FG, 14:07 ETSU — Albritton 3-run (Johnson kick), 11:29 WCU — Thomas 10-run (McCollum kick), 6:33 ETSU — Jaiden Daniels 1-run (Johnson kick), 4:10 WCU — Santana Carlos 8-pass from Patrick Harding (McCollum kick), 0:19 RUSHING — ETSU: T.J. Peyton 16-102, D'Marius Rucker 6-68, Jason Albritton 9-41. WCU: Lex Thomas 11-52, Josh Perry 12-50. PASSING — ETSU: Mason Mims 20-27-0 220, Jadyn Davis 3-3-0 69. WCU: Lex Thomas 16-32-0 163. RECEIVING — ETSU: Trey Weary 4-60, Tyler Griffin 3-51. WCU: A.J. Colombo 5-60, Michael Rossin 5-40. Records: ETSU 3-2 (1-0), Western Carolina 2-3 (0-1).