Morehouse Loses to Benedict

10/22/2016 4:08:00 PM

Box Score October 22, 2016 – COLUMBIA, S.C. – In the final seconds, the Maroon Tigers had a chance to tie and send the game into overtime, but an Alexis Gonzalez field goal attempt was blocked and Morehouse fell 13-10 to the Benedict Tigers at their Homecoming.

The loss extended the Morehouse losing streak to six games and dropped the Maroon Tigers to 2-6.

Benedict broke its three-game losing streak and improved to 4-3 (3-2).

In what turned out to be a defensive battle, Morehouse got on the board first, on a 33-yard field goal by Alexis Gonzales, midway through the first quarter.

Near the end of the second quarter, quarterback Phillip Brown's two-yard touchdown run gave Benedict a 7-3 lead.

On the ensuing possession, Amyr Smith returned the kickoff 36 yards to give the Maroon Tigers good field position. Monqavious Johnson completed passes to Lake McGuffie for nine yards and Ricci Nuckles for 17 yards. Johnson ran the ball three times for seven yards, but the Maroon Tigers advanced only to the 14-yard line and faced fourth and long, with time running out in the first half. What appeared to be a makeable 31-yard field goal by Gonzalez sailed wide left.

Benedict scored their final touchdown late in the third, when quarterback Brown again plowed into the end zone from one yard out.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Morehouse offense came alive and mounted its best drive of the game. Johnson completed passes to McGuffie and Nuckles and carried it himself for 20 yards. His final pass of the 72-yard drive was a 29-yard touchdown strike to freshman wide receiver Tremell Gooden.

For his first touchdown as a Maroon Tiger, the 6'-4" Gooden leaped high over his defender and pulled in the 29-yard pass, to bring Morehouse within three points, with 4:30 remaining.

Morehouse held Benedict to minus five yards on their next possession and forced a punt that gave the Maroon Tigers the ball on their own 47 yard line.

Once again, the Morehouse offense rose up. Highlighted by a Johnson to Tamarick Vanover Jr. 33-yard pass completion, the Maroon Tigers moved the ball to the Benedict six-yard line where progress bogged down. Once again, Morehouse called on Gonzalez to attempt a field goal. But the Benedict line broke through, blocked the punt, returned it to midfield and ran out the clock.

Though Kivon Taylor started the game at quarterback, Johnson took most of the snaps. Taylor was 6 of 12, for 75 yards, with two interceptions and was sacked three times. Johnson was 14 of 25 for 176 yards. He finished with 24 yards rushing, had one touchdown and was sacked once.

As a team, Morehouse gained 73 yards rushing, but lost 49 and finished with 24 net yards.

Most of the offense came via the pass. Ryan Edwards caught four passes for 54 yards. Nuckles caught four for 48 yards. McGuffie caught four balls for 28. Vanover hauled in three passes for 45 yards. Amyr Smith and Ahmad Herron caught a 12-yarder.

For the eight game this season, David Smith topped the team in tackles. The two-time SIAC Defensive Player of the Week, made a game-high seven tackles. Joshua Burton and Robert Davis each recorded six tackles and Austin Clark and Kenneth Hagins collected four tackles. Clark had a solo sack and Burton and Rashay March shared a sack.

Morehouse returns to B.T. Harvey Stadium, Saturday, at 2 p.m., for the Homecoming game against the Fort Valley State University Wildcats. The Wildcats 2-6 (2-3) beat Central State, 1-7 (1-5) at their Homecoming.

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