Pikeville, Ky. – UPIKE football showed out for the home crowd at Hambley Saturday afternoon with a 66-41 win over Campbellsville. The win pushes the Bears over .500 on the season at 4-3, claiming their third conference victory. The 66-point total is the second highest in program history, behind a 70-28 victory over KCU in 2017.
No Surprise Here
Showcasing the depth of talent at the quarterback position, Xavier Malone strongly made his case with a six-touchdown, 417-yard performance. The sophomore completed 17-25 with one interception to earn a passer rating of 279.31.
Malone found eight different targets, two of which finished with over 100 yards, led by Derrick Griffith with 141 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Cameron Brown offered his best performance of the season, going 101 yards on two receptions, including a 57-yarder for one of his two touchdowns. Rashad Brown totaled 93 yards on three catches and a touchdown. Six of the Bears' 10 touchdowns came through the air.
Don't Count Out the Ground Game
For the third straight game, running back Alex Sanders helped keep the offense guessing with over 100 yards on the ground. On 16 carries, the senior went 112 with a long of 44 yards, averaging 6.8 yards per carry. Adrian Medacco took 10 carries for 43 yards and a house call while Tyrese Christian wrapped up the game with a statement five carries for 35 yards and a touchdown.
Pressure
The Bears' defense continued to impress, tallying a season-high five sacks, which cost the Tigers 31 yards. Ben Tate and Matthew Horn finished with 1.5 sacks a piece, and Josh Ervin recorded a solo sack. Team sack leader Myson Livingston was credited with a half sack, facilitating a third and goal stop to cost Campbellsville seven yards. UPIKE's defense came together when it mattered, allowing the Tigers just a 6-18 conversion rate on third and 2-5 on fourth downs.
Late Start
The first quarter opened with a touchdown on Campbellsville's inaugural drive as they marched 71 yards to go up 7-0. The Bears went three-and-out on back-to-back drives before a defensive stop on the goal line forced Campbellsville to settle for a field goal after a nine-play drive at the 3:03 mark. On the next drive, Malone found Griffith on a route across the middle, which the wideout would take to the house for an 81-yard touchdown. The defense forced a three and out on the following Tigers' drive to close the first quarter.
On the very first play of the second half, Malone found Rashad Brown for 22 yards, giving the Bears the lead which they wouldn't give up the remainder of the contest.
Found the Rhythm
In the second and third quarters, the Bears scored on six of seven drives, including a touchdown catch for Griffith and a pair of rushing touchdowns for Jayden Neace. In the same span, the Bears allowed the Tigers to score just three times, leading 54-34 heading into the fourth quarter.
Seal the Deal
The Tigers left some gas in the tank in the fourth quarter, scoring a touchdown with 5:13 to go but the task was too tall. On the ensuing drive, the Bears put the ball in the hands of Tyrese Christian who brought an undeniable spark to the late-game offense, leading a 43-yard touchdown drive that hung the final score.
Moving Forward
The Bears move to fourth in the MSC rankings, butting heads with two of their next three opponents, Thomas More and Faulkner, who are also 3-2. The upcoming week ahead pins the Bears against Thomas More on the road, slated for a 1:30 PM kickoff.
