WILSON, N.C. – The Catawba College football team dropped their eighth straight game after a late fourth quarter burst by the Barton Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon. The Indians led 21-17 midway through the fourth quarter, but Barton scored three times in the final eight minutes to pull away with a 38-21 victory.
Saturday's contest featured a pair of teams banged up at the quarterback position, and as a result, only 19 combined passes were attempted by both teams in a run-heavy SAC matchup.
The Bulldogs were the first to strike with a 36-yard field goal with five minutes to play in the first quarter. On Catawba's next drive, Barton blocked Clayton Crile's punt and recovered the loose ball in the end zone to make it a 10-0 lead with 3:59 left in the first.
Offense was at a premium for the rest of the first half as neither team found the end zone, and Catawba went into the locker room down ten points.
Both squads started to gain offensive traction starting in the opening possessions of the second half. Barton drove the ball 75 yards in nine plays and punched in a two-yard touchdown to extend their lead to 17-0.
Needing an answer, Catawba countered with a ten-play, 71-yard drive to get on the board. LJ Turner capped off the scoring drive with a 16-yard run.
With the momentum on their side, Catawba's defense got a quick stop on Barton's next drive to give the ball right back to the offense.
The Catawba offense took over with under three minutes left in the third quarter and used ten plays to go 50 yards and get down to Barton's five-yard line. On third down and two, the Indians were called for holding which backed the ball up to the 15. On the next play, Kujuan Pryor found Will Sheehan in the end zone for one of three Catawba passing completions for a touchdown reception. Catawba moved closer at 17-14 with 13:17 left in the game.
The defense stood firm on the Bulldogs' next drive again forcing them off the field in just three plays. Catawba got the ball back with eleven and a half minutes left, and on the fourth play of the drive, LJ Turner busted through for a 43-yard scamper. This gave Catawba the lead, 21-17, with 9:57 to go.
That lead did not last long as Barton scored on their third play of their next drive after big plays for 49 and 11 yards set them up in short-yardage. With 8:42 to play, Barton moved back ahead 24-21.
Catawba's offense faltered in three plays on their next possession, and Barton scored on their very first play on a 68-yard rush to pull ahead 31-21.
The Indians' next offensive drive went backwards, and the red-hot Barton offense regained possession. The Bulldogs once again gashed Catawba on their first play from scrimmage for a 53-yard touchdown run to put things out of reach, 38-21.
LJ Turner finished the game with 11 rushing attempts for 92 yards and two touchdowns while Daniel Parker had 15 carries for 109 yards. Barton's running back Jordan Terrell finished the game with 34 rushing attempts, 302 yards, and four scores.
The football team will return home to face Lenoir-Rhyne at 1:00 p.m.
