WILSON, N.C. - The Barton football team (4-4) will look to bounce back this Saturday when the Bulldogs host Bluefield State (4-2) for its annual Homecoming game. Kickoff at Truist Stadium and Electric Supply Company Field is set for 2:00 p.m.
Barton is coming off a 41-17 loss to Tusculum last Saturday on the road in Greeneville, Tenn., to fall back to .500 on the year. A slow start hurt the Bulldogs as the Pioneers jumped out to a 27-0 advantage early in the second quarter and never looked back in the win.
Barton cut the margin to 10 points – 27-17 with 11:19 left 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.) but the Bulldogs couldn't get any closer the rest of the way.
Tusculum quarterback Ivan Corbin passed for 147 yards and three touchdowns while the Pioneers took advantage of a bad snap on a punt attempt to score one of their touchdowns. Barton redshirt freshman running back
Jordan Terrell (Ramseur, N.C.), one of the top rushers in NCAA Division II, was limited to just 37 yards on the ground.
Terrell ranks fourth in NCAA Division II in rushing yards per game (160.2 ypg) to go along with 10 touchdowns while the team ranks No. 18 in the country is rushing offense (210.8 ypg). Lynch has 1,265 yards through the air and 15 total touchdowns while Johnson (30 catches for 571 yards and five touchdowns) is the team's top wideout.
The Barton defense is anchored by redshirt freshman defensive back
Kendarius Jenkins (Tarboro, N.C.) with a team-high 72 tackles, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. In addition, redshirt freshman linebacker
Shane Perry (Holly Springs, N.C.) has 69 tackles and 3.5 quarterback sacks.
Bluefield State, located in Bluefield, W.Va., is in its first season as an intercollegiate football program. The Big Blue are 4-2 on the year including a forfeit win over UNC Greensboro's club team. Last Saturday, Bluefield State fell to Erskine by a 24-19 score in Due West, S.C. Big Blue quarterback J'Rell Joseph (Shreveport, La.) passed for 212 yards and two scores while running back Kishion Grandberry (Chattahoochee, Fla.) added 144 yards rushing including a 91-yard run and a touchdown in the setback.
On the season, Joseph has passed for 941 yards and 11 scores while Grandberry (248 yards) is the team's top rusher and Kentavious Jefferson (Shreveport, La.) has 22 catches for 320 yards and five scores. On defense, Jhordan Inniss (Naples, Fla.) is the team's top tackler with 31 takedowns to go along with five pass break-ups.
Barton, under second-year mentor
Chip Hester, will be an Associate Member of the South Atlantic Conference for football for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
