Saturday, September 18
Buies Creek, N.C.
1:00 p.m.
Davidson College
28
at
27
Campbell
Kenny Mantuo rushed for a career-high 181 yards.
Wildcats Earn 28-27 Comeback win at Campbell
9/18/2010 4:14:02 PM | Football
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Kenny Mantuo scored on a 3-yard run on 3rd-and-goal with 13.1 seconds left, and kicker Ben Behrendt added the point after to lift Davidson to a 28-27 comeback Pioneer Football League victory at Campbell Saturday afternoon.
The Camels had a last chance at a 54-yard field goal try with .5 seconds on the clock, but the kick was short, giving Davidson (1-2, 1-0 PFL) the win. The Wildcats trailed by 13 points with 1:44 left in the third quarter.
Mantuo rushed for a career-high 181 yards, and Justin Williams added 65 rushing yards and 24 receiving markers as Davidson rolled up a season-high 405 yards of offense.
Jonathan Carkhuff completed 14 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown, throwing to six different receivers. Lanny Funsten had three catches for 39 yards, and Michael Blanchard caught three passes for 31 yards and a score. John Behm led the defense with eight tackles, including two for loss.
Daniel Polk led Campbell (1-2, 0-1 PFL) with 156 yards through the air, completing 9-of-12 passes, and added 37 rushing yards. Rashaun Brown rushed eight times for 53 yards and a score.
After Davidson tied the game 14-14 on its first possession of the second half, Campbell scored 13 straight points, the last coming on a 9-yard run by Brown with 1:44 left in the third quarter. The Camels missed the extra point, leaving the margin at 27-14.
The Cats did not panic on their next possession and stuck with the game plan, grinding out an 11-play, 66-yard drive. Carkhuff hit Blanchard with a 3-yard touchdown pass, and Behrendt added the extra point, bringing the 'Cats to within six points with 11:40 left in the game.
The Wildcat defense gave up one first down on Campbell's ensuing possession, but on 3rd-and-3, Daniel Astrop tackled Carl Smith short of the first-down marker, forcing a Campbell punt.
Davidson got the ball on its own 12-yard line and embarked on a 14-play, 88-yard drive that consumed 7:23 on the clock for what would prove to be the game-winning score. Carkhuff completed three passes for 33 yards, and Mantuo rushed eight times for 23 yards, capping the drive with a 3-yard TD run after a pitch out to the left.
Mantuo carried a bulk of the workload on the 'Cats' first scoring drive of the game, rushing for 42 yards on five consecutive carries. Williams took over from there, rushing twice and scoring on a 4-yard run. Behrendt added the extra point for a 7-0 lead with 3:26 left in the first quarter.
The Camels came right back and scored on a Polk 1-yard run on 3rd-and-goal after a methodical 15-play, 70-yard drive that chewed up 6:46 on the clock.
Campbell used great field position following a bad Davidson punt to go 53 yards in eight plays for a score. Carl Smith capped the drive with a 2-yard run to give Campbell a 14-7 lead with 2:37 left in the second quarter.
Carkhuff directed the two-minute offense down to the Camels' 7-yard line just before halftime, but Behrendt's 24-yard field goal try went wide right, leaving the margin at 14-7 at the break.
The Wildcats knotted the score 2:30 into the third quarter on a Justin Williams 33-yard run, the 'Cats' longest of the season.
The Camels converted two third downs on their ensuing possession, including a 3rd-and-13, when Polk hit Harrison Jordan for 24 yards over the middle. Polk went in on the keeper from 5-yards out, putting Campbell back on top 21-14.
The Campbell defense got a stop and forced a Davidson punt, which was shanked, giving the Camels the ball at their own 45-yard line. The Davidson defense looked like it might get away with a 3-and-out, but on 3rd-and-11, Brown got the first down on a draw up the middle.
Polk hit Paul Constantine with a 36-yard pass on the next play, and Brown followed that with a 9-yard touchdown run.
The Wildcats return home to face PFL opponent Jacksonville next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Richardson Stadium.
Game Notes: Carkhuff is the first true freshman to start at quarterback for Davidson since Beaux Jones in 2004… Mantuo went over 100 yards rushing for the fifth time in his career… His total was the most for a Davidson player since Justin Williams ran for 225 at Butler in 2007… Mantuo moved into fourth on the Davidson career rushing list with 1,686 yards… Davidson improved to 19-18 all-time in one-point games.
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