The Hawk’s football team was shutout by the Charleston Southern Buccaneers, 27-0, on Saturday at a rain soaked Kessler Field. With the loss, MU drops to 5-3 (0-2 in the Big South) while Charleston Southern improves to 6-3 (1-2 in the Big South).
“Obviously we didn’t play very well today,” said Hawks head coach Kevin Callahan. “When you play against a good team and you don’t play your best football, the result we had today is what is going to happen. Early in the game we had some tough field positions on defense and never really got into sync in defending the option until the second half. Even then at 14-0 at the half I thought we had an opportunity to get some things going but we really needed to stay on the field on offense and get some production there but it was difficult for us today. I don’t think the weather had anything to do with the play today, we just played a good football team and they did a better job than we did.”
The Hawks’ defense was unable to contain the Buccaneer’s triple option rushing attack. They gashed the MU defense, rushing for 338-yards. The rushing attack was led by sophomore running backs Ben Robinson and Mike Holloway who each recorded 91-yards on the ground. Robinson also added a touchdown. Charleston Southern junior quarterback Austin Brown added to the total with 54 rushing yards and throwing for 74-yards. Brown also ran for two touchdowns.
“They were just running the triple option that we were practicing,” said senior defensive end Pat O’Hara. “They were just getting outside some of our force looks that we were working on. We really weren’t able to settle in, like coach said, until the second half.”
MU’s offense was highlighted by sophomore running back Lavon Chaney. Chaney had 43 rushing yards while hauling in five receptions. Senior quarterback Brandon Hill was held in check completing 14 of 28 passes for only 97-yards while also being intercepted twice by the stingy Buccaneers defense.
“I don’t think it was so much what they did, it was us on the offense. I’ll take the blame on the offensive side. There were some passes that I could have completed and some protections I could have made right. We just got to get back to the drawing board and get ready for Liberty,” explained Hill.
The Hawks’ defense was led by junior linebacker Tyler Thompson who had 12 tackles. Junior linebacker John Sieczkowski and freshman defensive back Mike Basile added eight tackles apiece.
The game had a sluggish start with neither team able to score in the first quarter. Charleston Southern broke the scoreless game early in the second quarter. Robinson punctuated a 5-play, 60-yard drive when he scored from one yard out to give the Buccaneers a 7-0 lead with 13:37 left in the second quarter.
On the proceeding possession, Charleston Southern junior defensive back Malcolm Jackson intercepted Hill to set his offense up at the Hawk’s 25-yard line. The Buccaneers took advantage of the field position when Brown rushed for a one yard touchdown making it a 14-0 game. CSU would hold that same lead entering halftime.
The score would remain the same until 5:23 left in the third quarter. Charleston Southern finished a 10-play, 75-yard drive when Brown scored on a 12-yard rush to extend the lead to 21-0.
CSU freshman kicker David Kennedy added two 34-yard field goals in the fourth quarter to conclude the scoring.
“There was just too many big plays in the run game that flipped the field for us. When you play a team that’s option and run oriented as they are, you’ve got to get off the field on third down and you’ve got to hope on the offensive side your keeping possession of the ball to limit their opportunities,” Callahan said.
The Hawks look to rebound, and win their first Big South Conference game, when they travel to Liberty University this Saturday, Nov 8 to take on the Flames.
PHOTO COURTESY of Taylor Jackson
