Wolves Turn Back Late Tusculum Surge for Fifth Straight Win
The Newberry College football team held off a fourth-quarter rally from Tusculum University on Halloween night, securing a 26-20 victory at Setzler Field to push their winning streak to five games. The result lifts the Wolves to 7-2 overall and 5-2 in South Atlantic Conference play, while Tusculum slides to 4-5 overall and 3-4 within the conference.
Newberry established early momentum when the defense forced a turnover on downs during the Pioneers’ opening possession. Capitalizing on the stop, Mason Kidd engineered a 67-yard, nine-play drive that concluded with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Will Young V. Jake Spadavecchia added the extra point to stake the hosts to a 7-0 lead.
The defense struck again shortly after. Elijah Vereen intercepted a pass from Tedros Gleaton near midfield, setting up another nine-play march that ended with an early second-quarter field goal from Spadavecchia to make it 10-0.
Tusculum responded before halftime by putting together a 64-yard drive over nine plays, capped by an eight-yard touchdown run from Cam Ferguson that trimmed the deficit to 10-6 with 7:03 left in the half.
Newberry Extends Lead with Offensive and Defensive Touchdowns
The second half began with a quick burst from the Newberry offense. Tyleke Mathis found an opening and raced 36 yards into the end zone, stretching the advantage to 16-6 just 48 seconds into the third quarter.
Minutes later, the Wolves' defense delivered the game's most critical sequence. With the Pioneers pinned deep, Newberry forced a fumble that Cortez Thomas recovered in the end zone for a defensive touchdown. Spadavecchia’s kick pushed the lead to 23-6.
Ferguson answered for Tusculum on the first play of the fourth quarter with a 23-yard scoring run, cutting the gap to 23-13. After Newberry missed a 34-yard field goal attempt, the Pioneers mounted a 76-yard, 10-play drive that chewed more than six minutes off the clock. Javon McMahan finished the march with a four-yard touchdown run, bringing the visitors within three at 23-20 with 5:11 remaining.
Securing the Finish Line
With momentum squarely with the visitors, Mathis provided a vital field-position shift via a 49-yard punt return. The return set up Newberry inside Tusculum territory, allowing Spadavecchia to drill a 40-yard field goal with exactly three minutes left on the clock.
Tusculum advanced near midfield on its final possession before Newberry’s defense forced a turnover on downs with 1:53 remaining, enabling the Wolves to run out the clock.
Kidd finished the night completing 21 of 30 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown without an interception. Jonah Norris paced the ground game with 60 rushing yards on 10 carries, while Devron Williams and Charles Smith anchored the defense with seven tackles apiece. The Wolves finished with four sacks and two takeaways.
Looking Ahead to Carson-Newman
Newberry hits the road on Saturday, November 7, for a South Atlantic Conference matchup against Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City, Tennessee. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. as the Wolves look to extend their winning streak to six games.
