By Anthony Shingler | Assistant Sports Editor
With a senior loaded team, the APSU Governors football team led a the two-headed rushing attack the night of Saturday, Sept. 5, in a 34-23 win over Newberry College to open their campaign.
“The game plan revolves around our running game,” APSU head coach Rick Christophel said.
APSU outrushed Newberry 371 to 114, led by Ryan White’s career-high 210 yards on 23 carries. Terrence Holt showed why he is so dangerous, contributing 288 all-purpose yards (152 yards rushing two touchdowns, 120 kick return yards and two yards on a punt return).
“From the get-go we knew they were a blitzing team, and we knew if we got past the eight-man box we knew it was a homerun,” Ryan White said.
When asked about his career-high night, White said, “Being small you have to be determined, and breaking tackles is what I have to do.”
As the running game was clicking in all ways, APSU’s defense kept up the intensity, shutting down the Newberry running game, allowing only 114 yards and forcing two fumbles, including one on the first play of scrimmage, which was taken back for a touchdown for APSU by senior linebacker Kit Hartfield.
The senior-led defense which plugged the run saw Newberry’s quarterback Brandon Gantt light up the numbers passing for the second straight week with 335 yards on 35 completions on 47 attempts and one touchdown.
“I hope [we will keep the intensity up], it is tough every week to keep that intensity but if we can keep that intensity every week and go about our business we will be in good shape,” Christophel said.
The APSU offense did just as well as the defense, scoring on their first drive from scrimmage on a 20-yard field goal from freshman kicker Stephen Stansell to push the lead to 10-3 at the end of the first quarter.
After a three-and-out by Newberry, APSU took over with 13:09 left in the first half, moving the ball down the field with another heavy dosage of the White-Holt combo that resulted in Holt’s first touchdown of the season and a 17-3 lead at half.
To open the second half, Newberry cut the lead to 10 with a field and again APSU answered with a field goal of their own from 29 yards out by Stansell to lead 20-10. With a turnover by APSU, Newberry would score to cut the lead 20-17 heading into the fourth quarter.
From there APSU took control with a 75-yard touchdown by Holt. After Newberry answered Holt’s scamper APSU again would strike on a 25-yard pass from Trent Caffee that found Darryl Miller in the corner of the end zone for the touchdown that secured the win.
After this win to start the seasons campaign, APSU will have to travel to Ohio next week to face a physical Youngstown State team.
“They are a big physical football team I know that and we need to play a physical football when we go up there, if we cant take advantage of the things were doing,”Christophel said.
“They played Pittsburgh today; hopefully we can have a chance to get in the fourth quarter to win the football game.”
