SALISBURY, N.C. — The Catawba College football team scored touchdowns on each of its five first-half possessions and totaled nearly 500 yards of offense in its definitive victory over Ferrum College in the season opener at Shuford Stadium on Saturday night.
TEAM STATISTICS
- Catawba recorded 495 yards of offense to Ferrum's 249
- The Catawba Indians racked up 25 first downs to 15 for the Panthers
- Catawba converted 7 of 9 (78 percent) third downs and its lone fourth down to Ferrum's 3-for-11 (27 percent) on third downs and 3-of-3 (100 percent) on fourth downs
- The Catawba Indians threw for 202 yards, while holding FC to 108 yards through the air
- Catawba dominated for 293 yards on the ground; Ferrum recorded 141 rush yards
- The Catawba Indians forced four Ferrum punts and did not punt offensively
- Catawba's defense forced two fumbles and sacked Ferrum's QB twice
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Bennett Galloway took 15 carries for 62 yards on the ground with two touchdowns and a team-high three catches
- Kevin Lalin rushed for a team-high 132 yards rushing in his Catawba debut
- Dee Mitchell added 42 yards and plunged in for another score
- Preston Brown completed all 11 of his pass attempts for 202 yards and three scores
- Bo Pryor took both of his catches for touchdowns, totaling 82 yards receiving in his return from long-awaited return from injury
- Evan Simons had a team-high nine tackles with four for a loss, including a sack and a forced fumble
- Ali Abdul-Barr had seven tackles in his Catawba debut; Alex Evans recovered a fumble
- Bryson Sims converted his lone field goal attempt and all six PATs
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST QUARTER
- Catawba rushed eight times in its nine-play opening drive that was capped off with a two-yard Galloway touchdown run
- Ferrum drove the ball into Catawba's red zone, but the Catawba Indians forced two incompletions and the Panthers settled for a 36-yard successful field goal
- Lalin's 57-yard run kicked off Catawba's second scoring drive, finished off again by Galloway on a 12-yard scamper
SECOND QUARTER
- A 56-yard strike from Brown to Nick Venezia on 3rd & 17 extended the Catawba drive and Brown found Lalin up the sideline for a 12-yard touchdown catch, leading 21-3
- After a Ferrum three and out, Brown fired a strike to Pryor for a 40-yard score
- A 43-yard Ferrum reception set the Panthers up in plus territory, but Evans scooped up a failed exchange for the lone turnover of the game
- Facing pressure on a 3rd & 17, Brown flipped a pass to Pryor and he took it the rest, weaving his way 42 yards for a touchdown with less than a minute to go in the half, leading 35-3
- A 36-yard run helped Ferrum set up a good 44-yarder as time expired in the opening half
THIRD QUARTER
- Ferrum opened up the second half with a 13-play drive that ended with a touchdown when a lineman jumped on a fumble in the end zone
FOURTH QUARTER
- Catawba responded with a 15-play drive of its own – all but one on the ground – finishing with a 26-yard chip shot field goal from Sims
- Mitchell took the second rush of his career 35 yards to the house to put a bow on the scoring, leading 45-13
GAME NOTES
- Most points scored in a Catawba opener since 2017
- Brown ties his own program consecutive completions record (11 - at Shaw, 9/14/24)
- First Catawba touchdowns for Galloway, Lalin and Mitchell
- Win in the first season opener at home under Coach Haines
HEAR FROM COACH HAINES
"We were really impressed with the crowd that was here. We're proud of our guys, obviously it went well. I thought we did some good things. Overall, we got out healthy and put out some good tape."
UP NEXT
- Catawba opens South Atlantic Conference play on the road on Saturday, traveling to Emory & Henry for a 1 p.m. kickoff
