’Roos Cruise Past Birmingham-Southern

SHERMAN – Austin College piled up 422 yards on 64 rushing attempts and scored six times on the ground as the ’Roos rolled past Birmingham-Southern College 43-17 on Saturday afternoon at Jerry Apple Stadium. This is the third straight win for the ’Roos and brings their record to 4-3 on the year, and is also the program’s first three-game win streak since the 2002 season.

Both Ryan Cowley and Ross Hasten topped 100-yards rushing in the game, which was the second of the year in which the ’Roos went for more than 400 yards on the ground. Cowley carried 17 times for 181 yards and two scores and Hasten hauled it 15 times for 114 yards and a score.

Freshman fullback Travis Bromley got things started for the ’Roos when he broke through the middle of the Birmingham-Southern defense and found the endzone from 16 yards out just under five minutes into the first quarter, and after a John Reisig punt pinned the Panthers inside their own 1-yard line Nick Zitaglio ran down quarterback Joe Thigpen for a safety to make it 9-0 with 2:51 left in the opening frame.

The Austin College ground game went right back to work on the ensuing possession, with Bromley capping off a six play, 51 yard drive with his second score of the quarter coming on a five yard rush with 13 seconds in the quarter. Bromley carried three times for 23 yards on the drive.

On the next Birmingham-Southern possession the Panthers lined up for what would have been a 28-yard field goal, but elected to run a fake to kicker Jonah Fryfogle with the ball coming loose and recovered by Zitaglio, who returned it 41 yards to the BSC 41-yard line. Two plays later Kent Bell went around the right side of the line for a 30 yard rush into the endzone at the 11:53 mark in the second quarter to make it 22-0 after Jonathan Hersh’s point after hit the upright.

Austin College struck again just over two minutes later to make it 29-0 when Ryan Cowley took a handoff and appeared to be stopped for a minimal gain, but managed to bounce outside while losing a shoe in the process and raced down the sideline for an 80 yard touchdown run.

The Panthers got on the board late in the half on a seven play, 43 yard drive orchestrated by Thigpen in which the quarterback completed 3-of-5 passes for 25 yards and rushed for 23 yards to set up a 41-yard field goal by Fryfogle to make it 29-3 with 1:27 left before halftime.

After taking the kickoff to open the second half, Austin College put together another long drive covering 51 yards in eight plays capped off by a 32 yard run by Hasten to make it 36-3 at the 9:29 mark, but the Panthers scored 61 seconds later on a 40 yard pass from Thigpen to Anthony Mostella.

Birmingham-Southern managed to cut it to a 36-17 game with nine minutes left in the fourth when Thigpen found Donte Rome in the endzone for a four yard touchdown strike to finish off an 11 play, 81 yard drive, but the ’Roos answered back with an 11 play drive of their own with Cowley going untouched into the endzone from three yards out with 2:45 to play.

The win was the second time in the past three games that Cowley and Hasten each topped 100 yards. Bromley finished with 52 yards and two scores on nine carries, and Bell had 39 yards on eight carries with a touchdown. In all, 10 different players carried the ball for Austin College.

Defensively the ’Roos were led by Scooter Means and Zitaglio, who had seven tackles apiece. Zitaglio also recorded a sack and a fumble recovery, while Matt Finke made five stops and had an interception in the game.

Thigpen led the Panthers with 55 rushing yards on 10 attempts and also completed 24-of-45 passes for 277 yards and two scores and an interception. Mostella made nine catches for 101 yards to lead BSC. Vincent Webb, Tyler Worley, and Brad Stockdale led the BSC defense with eight tackles each.

The ’Roos will be looking to make it four in a row when they head to Memphis next weekend to take on Rhodes College with kickoff set for 2:00 p.m.

Austin College athletic teams participate as a member of the NCAA Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Austin College is a leading national independent liberal arts college located 60 miles north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas. Founded in 1849, making it the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter, the college is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA). Recognized nationally for academic excellence in the areas of international education, pre-professional training, and leadership studies, Austin College is one of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book “Colleges that Change Lives.”

Jeff Kelly

Sports Information Coordinator

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