GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – The Barton football team (4-4) fell behind by 27 points early in the second quarter and couldn't overcome Tusculum (4-4) in a 41-17 loss Saturday afternoon at Pioneer Field.
Tusculum quarterback Ivan Corbin (Warner Robins, Ga.) threw a touchdown pass on three straight possessions in the first half and added another score on the ground as the Pioneers built a 27-0 advantage early in the second quarter and never looked back in the win.
Corbin passed for 147 yards for the Pioneers, whose first four touchdown drives were all three plays. The second score – a nine-yard scoring toss to Tyler Burke (Delray Beach, Fla.) – began at the Bulldogs' four-yard line following a muffed punt attempt by Barton.
Barton scored two quick touchdowns early in the third quarter capped off by a 65-yard touchdown pass from redshirt freshman quarterback
Jaquan Lynch (Rocky Mount, N.C.) to redshirt freshman wide receiver
Kameron Johnson (Rocky Mount, N.C.) to cut the margin to 27-17 at the 11:19 mark but the Bulldogs were left off the scoreboard the rest of the way.
Barton, which came into the game ranked eighth in the nation in rushing at just over 237 yards per game, was limited to just 25 yards on the ground. Barton redshirt freshman running back
Jordan Terrell (Ramseur, N.C.), the nation's second-leading rusher in NCAA Division II, was held to 37 yards but did score his 10th touchdown on the year.
Tusculum capped off the scoring with two more touchdowns including Cortney Jackson's (Abbeville, S.C.) two-yard scoring run with 10:41 left in the fourth quarter, his second of the game. Tusculum finished with 232 yards rushing on the day.
The Pioneers' defense limited the Bulldogs to 210 yards of total offense. Johnson had four catches for 92 yards while redshirt freshman defensive back
Kendarius Jenkins (Tarboro, N.C.) was the team's top tackler with 12 takedowns.
Barton will look to bounce back next Saturday, October 30, when the Bulldogs host Bluefield State for Homecoming beginning at 2:00 p.m., while Tusculum travels to Salisbury, N.C., to take on Catawba on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
