PIKEVILLE, Ky. -- Behind a career-high three rushing touchdowns from Jamar Kirksey and a dominant defensive performance, the University of Pikeville football team was able to capture an important 31-7 win over Cumberlands in a Mid-South Conference East Division matchup on Saturday.

UPIKE kept itself in the hunt for a divisional title as it improved to an even 4-4 overall and 3-0 in league play. Cumberlands falls to 3-5 overall and 2-2 in the division after being outscored 28-0 in the second half.

The Patriots entered the game ranked fifth nationally in rushing yards per game at 283, but the Bears had other plans, holding them 174 yards below their average. The 109 yards gained on the ground by Cumberlands were the fewest since gaining 67 against Georgetown in 2011.

Making things even sweeter for UPIKE was registering the win without giving up a single turnover. Conversely, the Patriots fumbled early in the third quarter and threw a pick six later in the period, helping the Bears outscore them 28-0 in the second half.

Defense was the story in the opening half as it ended with Cumberlands taking a 7-3 lead into the locker room before UPIKE came out and started to overpower the Patriots on the ground. For the game, UPIKE outgained Cumberlands 350-257 in total offense, including a 235-109 lead rushing.

Kirksey did the bulk of that damage, gaining 128 yards on just 13 carries for an average of 9.8 yards every time he touched the ball. Austin Pray was the standout in the passing game, hauling in four catches for 60 yards, including a long of 30.

Starter Bowen Smith finished 7-of-12 through the air for 115 yards while also rushing five times for 26. Cumberlands' Josiah Robbins was just 9-of-24 passing for 127 yards with one interception and a fumble.

UPIKE's Tanner Fiser collected double digits in tackles with 10 and Andre Williams chipped in with his first sack of the season. Romon Morris' 58-yard interception return for six was the Bears' first of the season as he also had a tackle and broke up four passes. Camron Parley, Jack Hopkins, Emmett Kersey and Zach Bowens were trouble as well, finishing with seven tackles each.

HOW IT WENT DOWN

• UPIKE won the toss, elected to receive, then kept the ball for nearly seven minutes on its opening possession until Damir Karapandzic drilled a 42-yard field goal (3-0).
• Cumberlands didn't stay down long as five minutes later it went on a five-minute drive of its own. Uncharacteristically, the Patriots hurt UPIKE through the air, completing passes of 30 and 11 yards along the way before Robbins punched the ball in on a 1-yard keeper (3-7).
• To open the second half, UPIKE forced Cumberlands into a quick three-and-out, then promptly scored just three plays later. Kirksey rushed for 30 yards on the first play, then finished the drive with a 9-yard scamper into the end zone (10-7).
• The Kirksey train was just gaining steam as midway through the third quarter the Bears started a drive on their 21-yard line, then used 10 plays to get into the end zone. Along the way Smith connected with Anfernee Brown on a 30-yard completion, Xondre Willis got around the corner for 18 yards on the ground, then Kirksey scored for the second time from 22-yards out (17-7).
• UPIKE broke things open on Cumberlands' next drive when Morris intercepted Robbins at his own 42-yard line, then took it 58 yards to the house for his first career pick six (24-7).
• The final touchdown of the game was scored just three minutes into the fourth quarter when UPIKE used nine plays to go 62 yards over a five-minute span. It started with Pray catching a 30-yard bomb down the sideline from Smith, then the Bears handed off seven straight times to score. The biggest gain was 15 yard from Willie McCloud before Kirksey traveled the final six (31-7).  
•      

QUOTABLE

"Coach always tell me to stay in my assignment and you'll be there to make a play, and that's what I did. Coach had us prepared and preached to us how this team has put us out of the conference championship run in the past, so it made us hungry to come out victorius." - UPIKE junior defensive back Romon Morris.

UP NEXT

UPIKE looks to stay undefeated in MSC East play with a trip to Barbourville, Ky., next weekend to take on Union at 1:30 p.m. ET.

-UPIKE-