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Mustang fumbles help Swain roll to shutout win over Smoky Mountain
Swain turned four Smoky Mountain fumbles into touchdowns as the Maroon Devils claimed a 35-0 non-conference football victory Friday at Carr Hooper Stadium/Babe Howell Field.
The average drive for those four scores was 33.5 yards. Three of the TDs came in the fourth quarter allowing Swain to break the game open.
Cody White carried 15 times for 100 yards to pace the Devil ground game. Scotty McMahan completed six of seven passes for 91 yards.
SM’s top ground gainer was Matt Gibson with 19 yards in six carries. He completed two of five passes for 20 yards.
Smoky Mountain’s Dustin Nicholson sacks Swain quarterback Scotty McMahan in the Mustangs’ 35-0 loss Friday. Nicholson had eight solo tackles and two assists. – Photo by Mark Haskett
Swain compiled 320 yards of total offense, including 221 on the ground. The Mustangs (0-2) were held to 134 yards of total offense.
The turnover parade started on the first play following an exchange of punts that had opened the game when Matt Hawkins fumbled with Justin Evans recovering at the SM 34. Eric Stephenson’s 12-yard run was followed by White’s 17-yard TD run. Nic Zimmerman kicked the first of his five extra points for a 7-0 lead with 7:27 left in the first quarter.
The Mustangs put together a solid drive following the kickoff as they moved from their 20 to the Swain 40 before being forced to punt. The highlight was Gibson’s 17-yard run on a fake punt.
A 46-yard pass from McMahan to Josh Anthony helped the Devils move inside the 20 before a pair of penalties pushed them back. Dustin Nicholson’s sack of McMahan forced a punt.
Anthony’s 10-yard punt return put Swain in business at the Mustang 43, and five plays later the Devils had a first-and-goal at the 4. That’s when Casey Shuler fumbled with Nicholson recovering at the 7.
Aided by a penalty and a 16-yard pass from Gibson to Abram Scott, the Mustangs crossed midfield before time ran out in the half.
The Devils’ longest drive of the night was 70 yards in eight plays following the second half kickoff. White’s 20-yard run was the highlight. McMahan ran around the left side from 9 yards out for the TD and a 14-0 lead with 8:42 to play in the third period.
Stephenson recovered Cory Siler’s fumble at the Swain 44 setting up the next score. Stephenson had a run of 10 yards, and McMahan’s screen pass to Evans resulted in a first-and-goal at the 2.
Before the Devils could cross the goal line, lightning forced a delay of a half hour with just 7.7 seconds remaining in the third stanza.
When play resumed, Neil Cochran went in from 2 yards out upping the margin to 21-0 with 11:52 left in the game.
Two plays after the kickoff, Scott fumbled after catching a pass from Hawkins. Anthony scooped up the ball and returned it 17 yards to the 21.
A 14-yard pass from McMahan to Cochran led to Shuler’s 3-yard TD run and a 28-0 advantage with 9:51 on the clock.
Once again, the Mustangs gave the ball right back as Randall Crowe fumbled on the first play after the kickoff, and Steve Mercer recovered at the 23.
Cochran had a 16-yard run then scored from 9 yards out to account for the 35-0 final with 8:35 to play.
Swain SM
16 First Downs 8
46-221 Rushes-Yds. 33-89
6-8-0 Passing 4-13-0
91 Passing Yds. 45
2-46.5 Punts-Avg. 4-34.3
3-1 Fumbles-Lost 4-4
11-108 Penalties-Yds. 4-33
Swain 7 0 7 21 35
SM 0 0 0 0 0
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