PIKEVILLE, Ky. – A short-yardage drive that lasted only 26 seconds ended when junior quarterback Jagger Gillis threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Ashton Auker with 13 seconds left gave Campbellsville University a 34-33 season-opening win over the University of Pikeville on Thursday night.
 
The drive began at the Bear 32 after a 37-yard return by Auker and a 15-yard penalty on the Bears.
 
UPike had just taken their first lead of the night with 39.9 seconds left when quarterback Lee Kirkland scored on a keeper from inside the one. Austan Shuffler make the extra-point to make the lead 33-28.
 
In spite of the loss, Kirkland had another remarkable performance and came away with two new school records. The grad student from Bluffton, S.C., was 34-of-55 for 441 yards and four touchdowns in the air to go with the rushing score.
 
In the process, he established new career records for completions and touchdown passes.
 
Campbellsville answered with an amazing performance on the ground from junior tailback Tre' Bass, who had 237 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries. In addition, he caught two passes for 61 yards.
 
The teams had a relatively even battle in the first half. Campbellsville got on the scoreboard first when Bass covered the last 16 yards for a touchdown with 9:59 to play in the opening period. A Colin Fratus kick made it 7-0.
 
The Bears battled back to tie the game early in the second when Kirkland found D'Andre Stafford from six yards out for the score. Jakob Headley tied the game with the extra-point with 10:48 left in the half.
 
It stayed that way until the 2:09 left when junior quarterback Jagger Gillis hit junior Andre Siler from five yards out. Fratus made it 14-7.
 
The Bears rushed downfield, with Kirkland throwing the record-breaking touchdown to Diego Soto from 12 yards out with 58 seconds left. The extra-point, however, failed to find its mark, with the teams going to the half 14-13.
 
The Tigers wasted no time getting on the scoreboard after halftime. They needed only 51 seconds to score when Bass sprinted 60 yards for the score, moving the lead to 21-13.
 
Kirkland pulled the Bears within two with 7:21 left in the third when he hit Jalen Royal-Eiland down the middle for a 49-yard touchdown. A two-point conversion, however, failed, keeping the Tigers on top 21-19.
 
Gillis extended the lead when early in the fourth when he found Nate Monroe on a 40-yard scoring strike with 13:40 left, making it 28-19.
 
The Bears would begin the charge back when Kirkland again hit Royal-Eiland from six yards out, and a Shuffler PAT made it 28-26 with 9:57 left, setting the stage for the last-minute excitement.
 
Kirkland hit seven different targets in the game, with Royal-Eiland covering 126 yards on four carries and two scores. Amon Williams hauled in nine for 76 yards, while Jordan Williams and Stafford each caught six for 73 yards.
 
Gillis finished 19-of-34 for 283 yards and three touchdowns. His favorite target was Siler, who caught five for 61 and the score.
 
Chuck Moore led the Bears on defense with 13 tackles, 12 of them solos. Brett Coleman followed closely with 11, nine of them solos.
 
Campbellsville, meanwhile, got five tackles each from Obie Wilson and Ellis Reed.