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Costly penalties help Tuscola to win over Smoky Mountain
A pair of Smoky Mountain penalties deep in Tuscola territory sparked a pair of touchdown drives as the Mountaineers took a 28-0 non-conference football victory Friday at Waynesville’s C.E. Weatherby Stadium.
Patrick Fitzgerald gained 113 yards in 11 carries, and Adam Davis added 101 yards in 19 attempts for Tuscola.
The Mustangs (1-5) were limited to 59 net rushing yards in 28 attempts.
After missing the first four games and part of another with an injury, Smoky Mountain’s Daniel Buchanan made his first start of the year Friday in a 28-0 loss to Tuscola. Here he sacks quarterback Madison Davis. Buchanan had 12 solo tackles and four assists. – Photo by Mark Haskett
Tyson Crawford completed 10 of 22 passes for 67 yards.
The teams had played to a scoreless tie late in the half when SM made a mistake that turned the tide in Tuscola’s favor. Facing third-and-16 from their 14, the Mounties called a pass on an end-around. The pass fell incomplete, but rather than being forced to punt, a roughing the passer penalty yielded a first down at the 29. Following a couple of more first downs, including a 10-yard run by Fitzgerald, Madison Davis completed a pass in the flat to Fitzgerald, who rambled 39 yards to paydirt. Will Teague kicked the first of his four extra points for a 7-0 lead with 1:23 on the clock.
Tuscola nearly scored again before intermission. The Mustangs made no attempt to field the kickoff as the ball appeared headed out of bounds. However, Matt Ledford picked the ball out of the air giving the Mounties possession at the SM 26. The threat ended when Jordan Panther intercepted Madison Davis’ pass at the 12.
The Mustangs had a pair of scoring opportunities in the first half. The first came when they stopped a fake punt and took over at their 45.
Moments later, SM called for a fake punt, and Andy Potter gained 4 yards on fourth-and-1 to the 42. The drive stalled at the 30, and Grant Schallock’s 47-yard field goal attempt was just short as it hit the cross bar.
Siler’s 23-yard run sparked a march that reached the Tuscola 27, the Mustangs’ deepest penetration of the half. They came up empty when Derek Whitmire picked off Crawford’s pass in the end zone.
The Mounties opened the second half backed up to their 9. This time it was a pass interference penalty that got them out of a hole. Fitzgerald ripped off runs of 19 and 15 yards on consecutive plays before Madison Davis completed a 43-yard scoring pass to Justin Bacon for a 14-0 margin with 8:49 to go in the third stanza.
Tuscola drove 87 yards in 10 plays following a punt. Fitzgerald had a 10-yard run, and Adam Davis ran for 12. Fitzgerald ran the final 34 yards up the middle for a 21-0 advantage with 55.8 seconds left in the third period.
The Mounties stopped SM on a fake punt at the Mustang 34. That led to a field goal attempt that was foiled by a mishandled snap.
Tuscola got the ball back when Joey Robinson picked off Crawford’s pass at the Mountie 19. After crossing midfield, another fake punt was stopped at the 43.
The Mountaineers regained possession on downs at the SM 32. Adam Davis carried on three straight plays, the last for a 12-yard TD, to account for the 28-0 final with 3:30 remaining in the game.
The Mustangs had another scoring chance as they reached the Tuscola 30. The threat ended when Chris Haney intercepted Crawford’s pass in the end zone.
SM Tuscola
10 First Downs 21
28-59 Rushes-Yds. 48-251
10-25-3 Passing 4-9-1
67 Passing Yds. 84
3-37.7 Punts-Avg. 1-25
0-0 Fumbles-Lost 0-0
3-45 Penalties-Yds. 6-35
SM 0 0 0 0 0
Tuscola 0 7 14 7 28
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