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LWC defeats Cumberland 48-6

The Cameron Dukes and Jay Gaudlock connection led No. 10-ranked Lindsey Wilson football team to a 48-6 win over Cumberland (Tenn.) on Saturday afternoon at Blue Raider Stadium.

Just as impressive, the Blue Raider defensive allowed just one score while recording a pair of takeaways to help Lindsey Wilson improve to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the Bluegrass Division.

Dukes and Gaudlock connected three times for touchdowns of 32, 39 and five yards. Dukes completed 17-of-21 passes for 247 yards and five touchdowns while Gaudlock finished the game just shy of 100 receiving yards with 99 on six catches. Gaudlock’s three touchdown grabs tie a program record.

The Blue Raiders outgained the Phoenix 493-261 in total yards, racking up 177 rushing yards and 316 through the air. The LWC defense limited Cumberland to just 94 passing yards and 167 on the ground. Cumberland entered the game averaging nearly 300 yards per game, including 210.5 yards via the run — third-best in the Mid-South Conference.

Luke Bowman tallied a career-high 13 tackles, six unassisted and seven assisted as James Todd tacked on eight tackles of his own.  Marcellus Campbell recorded two interceptions on the afternoon. Campbell’s two interceptions mark the 14th time in the program’s history a player has recorded two picks in a single game.

After the Blue Raiders defense forced their first of two straight CU three-and-outs of the game on the Cumberland opening drive, LWC’s offense took over from their own 40-yard line. Lindsey Wilson mounted an 11 play scoring drive that was capped off by Jaylen Boyd’s two-yard run around the end to the left pylon. The opening drive chewed up nearly five minutes of clock to give Lindsey Wilson the 7-0 lead.

Lindsey Wilson offense would keep the ball rolling on their next possession as Dukes found Gaudlock for a 32-yard strike over the middle of the field. Gaudlock hauled in the catch through double coverage to cap off the four-play drive that started at the LWC 49 yard line.

After trading possessions deep into the second quarter the Phoenix would nearly put their first points on the board with just over three minutes to play in the half. Cumberland drove deep into Lindsey Wilson territory on a 12 play 61-yard drive to the Lindsey Wilson one-yard line. The LWC defense — who has allowed just one touchdown in its last eight quarters — stuffed Cumberland’s final attempt to find the endzone on fourth down from the two-yard line.

The Blue Raider offense rewarded the defensive effort with a touchdown just before halftime to send Lindsey Wilson into the locker room leading 21-0. Lindsey Wilson used six plays to march 99 yards in 2:23 for the score to turn what looked like a 14-7 halftime lead into a three-score advantage at the break. Dukes used the deep ball on the drive as he connected with Terrill Cole Jr. for 34 yards before finding Joshua Lewis on the next play for 44 yards and the score with just 51 seconds to play in the half.

Lindsey Wilson provided the back-breaking score on its first drive of the second half. Starting from the Cumberland 47-yard line, Dukes connected with Gaudlock on the second play of the drive for a 39-yard strike down the left sideline to increase LWC’s lead to 28-0.

Cumberland’s efforts to put its first points of the game on the scoreboard went wide right on a 32-yard field goal miss on the Phoenix first drive of the half.

Facing a fourth down from their 22-yard line, Lindsey Wilson Jared Dougherty completed his first collegiate pass on a fake punt, finding Eddie Davis over the middle for 29 yards. The play allowed the Blue Raiders to score nine plays later as Dukes found Gaudlock for his third receiving touchdown of the day from five yards out.

The Blue Raiders increased their lead to 41-0 over the Phoenix with Dukes’ fifth and final touchdown toss of the day. The junior quarterback found Jaleel Warren over the middle for 24 yards and the score. 

Cumberland would score their only points of the afternoon with 10:38 to play in the fourth quarter. Kendall Johnson took a handoff up the middle for 43 yards on the fifth play to trim the deficit to 41-6.

Boyd set up the Blue Raiders at the Cumberland’s 42-yard line with his return of 50 yards on the kickoff. Del’von Dunn capped off the eight-play drive with a one-yard rushing touchdown. It was the Blue Raiders’ final touchdown of the afternoon.

Lindsey Wilson’s Campbell recorded back-to-back interceptions on Cumberland’s final two drives of the contest as LWC won 48-6.

The two takeaways are the 16th and 17th of the season for the Blue Raider defense. Lindsey Wilson is 47-1 all-time when winning the turnover battle.

The Blue Raiders return to the field on Saturday. Oct. 19, then they travel to Thomas More (Ky.) for a 12:30 p.m. CT kickoff in Crestview Hills, Ky.

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