| Posted on Sun, Aug. 29, 2004, The State Newspaper
Tigers overcome shaky first half
Benedict quarterback Lyle engineers victory in season opener
By JOHN DEVLIN
Special Correspondent
Benedict College opened the 2004 football season Saturday night to mixed reviews in a 21-14 win against Stillman at Bolden Stadium.
John Hendrick’s Tigers were guilty of too many penalties, turned the ball over twice and were inconsistent in the kicking game in a disappointing first-half showing, but things came together after halftime.
“It was a first game, and it looked like it at times,” said Hendrick, who led Benedict to a 6-5 record a year ago in his first season with the Tigers.
“Yes, we made too many mistakes, and we were not fundamentally sound at times, but the good thing is that those mistakes are correctable. We did a lot of good things, and we won the game.”
Benedict, clinging to a 7-6 lead at halftime, became much more efficient in the second half.
Offensively, new quarterback Tremaine Lyle overcame a rough performance in the opening 30 minutes and led the Tigers on two decisive third-quarter touchdown drives. Lyle, an option-style quarterback, was 0-for-4 in the passing department with two interceptions in the first half, but came alive after receiving some encouragement in the locker room at the break.
“Those two interceptions were all my fault,” the junior from Baltimore said. “Sometimes I get happy feet, and look to run too much. The coaches told me to just settle myself and play my game.”
After Steven Clay opened the second half with a 62-yard kickoff return to the Stillman 33, Lyle got into a rhythm. His 18-yard pass for a first down on third-and-9 to Gerald Robinson seemed to lift the weight off his shoulders. On the next play, Lyle scampered 18 yards around the left side for a touchdown and a 13-7 Benedict lead.
Later in the third quarter, Lyle needed three plays to put together a 59-yard, game-winning drive.
On first down, Lyle hit Robinson for a 14-yard gain, and followed that with an 18-yard run for another first down at the Stillman 27. Next, Lyle zipped a scoring pass to James Fuller with 2:39 left in the quarter. Titus Curry’s two-point conversion run made it 21-7.
“I guaranteed my teammates 28 points tonight,” Lyle said. “Everybody on the unit did a great job, especially the offensive line. I just didn’t do my part.”
Terrance Bunting paced Benedict’s attack with 59 yards rushing on nine carries. Lyle finished with 41 yards rushing and 90 passing.
The Benedict defense, which finished seventh in NCAA Division II last season, overcame a penalty-marred showing in the first half to control the game after the break. In all, Benedict yielded 144 yards in the season opener.
“Defensively, we have some guys who can make plays,” Hendrick said.
| Stillman |
0 |
7 |
0 |
7 |
-- 14 |
| Benedict |
0 |
7 |
14 |
0 |
-- 21 |
Second Quarter
B— Bunting 4 run (Degazon kick), 13:25.
S— Murphy 1 run (Felmming kick), 6:32.
Third quarter
B— Lyle 18 run (run failed), 12:04.
B— Fuller 27 pass from Tremaine (Curry run), 2:39.
Fourth quarter
S— Harvest 17 pass from Green (Flemming kick), 9:13.
A— 7,253.
| |
SC |
BC |
| First downs |
17 |
19 |
| Rushes-yards |
29-72 |
51-274 |
| Passing yards |
144 |
90 |
| Comp.-Att.-Int. |
13-41-0 |
5-14-2 |
| Return yards |
66 |
130 |
| Punts-avg. |
7-40.6 |
6-34.0 |
| Fumbles-lost |
2-1 |
1-0 |
| Penalties-yards |
7-56 |
12-118 |
| Time of possession |
28:03 |
30:44 |
Individual statistics
Rushing: Stillman— Murphy 11-31, Armstrong 5-23, Green 9-17, Smith 4-1; Benedict— Bunting 15-100, Nobles 9-54, Lyle 13-41, Clay 9-37, Kelley 4-26, Carson 1-16.
Passing: Stillman— Green 13-41-0-144; Benedict— Lyle 5-14-2-90.
Receiving: Stillman— P. Bryant 4-59, M. Bryant 3-36, Harvest 3-33, Kimble 1-12, Smith 1-7, Armstrong 1-(-3); Benedict— Robinson 3-36, Fuller 2-54.
SEE ALSO Football Summaries/Statistics |
