Bishop football drops 2008 season opener to HSC, 33-23

Rocky Mount, NC - The North Carolina Wesleyan football team opened its 2008 season on Sunday afternoon, dropping a 33-23 contest to the visiting Tigers of Hampden-Sydney at the Northern Nash Football Complex.  Both teams showed signs of first-game jitters as the two squads combined for 11 turnovers on the day.  The loss snaps the 18th-ranked Bishops' eight-game regular season winning streak and drops NCWC to 0-1 on the season. 

Hampden-Sydney struck first as the Tigers marched down the field in the game's opening drive for a quick 7-0 lead.  The 9-play, 65-yard drive was capped by an 8-yard touchdown run by Josh Simpson.

The Bishops answered immediately with a touchdown of their own just minutes later when junior quarterback Bo Jordan hit sophomore Avery Butler with a 30-yard TD strike down the right side. Freshman Kevin Quicker's extra point tied the game at 7-7.

Wesleyan's defense forced a three-and-out on HSC's next possession, and a bad snap to the punter on fourth down set up senior Luke Williford's 1-yard score that put NCWC on top 13-7 with 8:50 left in the period.   Unfortunately, HSC quarterback Corey Sedler later tied the game once again with a 10-yard strike to Connor Oliver that completed the first quarter scoring.

NCWC took its second lead of the contest early in the second period when Quicker connected on a 23-yard field goal.  With the score 16-13, the next five consecutive drives amazingly ended in turnovers.  When the dust settled, the Tigers were able to capitalize on an interception deep in Bishops territory that gave them a 19-16 lead.  HSC gained even more momentum just before the half as Sedler hit Simpson with a 65-yard touchdown pass that gave the Tigers a 26-16 lead at intermission.

In the second half, the two teams traded possessions before the Bishops' Damian Hopkins intercepted a Sedler pass deep in Tiger territory.  NCWC was then able to cut the lead to three at 26-23 after Williford's ensuing 9-yard TD run.

Both defenses seemed to settle in at this point as Williford's run proved to be the only score in the third.  A Tiger field goal by T.C. Stevens early in the fourth provided the 33-23 final.

Wesleyan's Jordan broke two passing records in the defeat with 29 completions in 45 attempts.  He finished with 266 yards through the air, one touchdown, and three interceptions.  His counterpart (Sedler) completed 25-of-39 attempts for 270 yards, two TDs, and five picks.

The story of the day was Simpson, who rushed for 185 yards and three scores.  The Tigers amassed 435 yards of total offense on the day.

Defensively, Wesleyan was led by junior Quentin Pope's 11.5 tackles and one interception.  Cliff Edmundson, Carlos Railey, Reshard Patterson, and Hopkins also recorded picks for the Bishops.

Wesleyan travels to Widener University next Saturday for a 1:00 p.m match-up with the Pride.