Football unable to hold on to halftime lead in SAC loss at Limestone

Gaffney, S.C. —- The Catawba College football team took a 13-0 lead into the halftime locker room at 2022 NCAA Playoff participant Limestone University on Saturday night, but the Saints out-scored the Catawba Indians 27-3 in the second half to come away with the victory in South Atlantic Conference action.

TEAM STATS

- Limestone picked up 30 first downs to Catawba's 18

- The Saints out-gained Catawba 469-269 in total offense

- Catawba threw for 246 yards to LU's 237

- Limestone won the ground attack 232-23

- Catawba forced and recovered three fumbles, but threw the lone interception of the night

- The Saints recorded four of the five sacks on the night

- Catawba held a slight edge in time of possession 30:29-29:31

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Bo Pryor hauled in seven passes for 87 yards

- Preston Brown went 20-for-44 for 246 yards

- LJ Turner gained 45 yards on the ground and found the end zone

- Evan Simons had eight tackles, a sack and forced two fumbles

- Jakarri Martin II racked up a team-high 11 tackles and added three pass breakups

- Deno Wardlow also had eight tackles, a tackle for loss and forced a fumble

- Wardlow, Kyle Perry and Te'Veon Glover recovered the fumbles

- Bryson Sims was 3-for-4 from field goal range, including a 47-yard successful try

HOW IT HAPPENED

FIRST QUARTER

- Catawba drove the ball into Limestone territory after forcing a punt, but the Saints' Jeremiah Lomax intercepted Brown's pass to halt the potential scoring drive

- After forcing another punt, Catawba went 75 yards in nine plays and punched the ball into the end zone on Turner's 13 yards run to give the Catawba Indians the early 7-0 lead

SECOND QUARTER

- Limestone got the ball inside the Catawba five-yard line, but their 22-yard field goal attempt was no good

- Brown's 20-yard pass to Kobe Christian kickstarted a drive that got into Limestone territory, but Sims' 51-yard field goal try was unsuccessful

- Simons forced a fumble on the very first play of the ensuing possession

- A 15-yard pass interference penalty set up Catawba's 33-yard field goal to take a 10-0 lead halfway through the second quarter

- The Saints once again drove the ball down the field and came away with no points as Wardlow forced a fumble recovered by Glover at the Catawba 34-yard line

- Brown's 44-yard completion to Pryor set up Catawba's trip inside the 10-yard line, but Limestone's defense held strong, forcing Catawba to a good 24-yard field goal from Sims to take a 13-0 lead

- The Saints' 45-yard field goal try was no good, as Catawba held Limestone scoreless through the first half

THIRD QUARTER

- The teams traded punts before Brown's pass was intercepted to cut Catawba's drive short

- Dustin Noller ran it in from 10 yards out to put Limestone on the board for the first time, cutting their deficit to 13-7 midway through the second quarter

- Limestone turned a Catawba three-and-out into six points the other way, as Preston Lounds scored from 17 yards out to give Limestone its first lead of the night 14-13

- Simons' sack fumble was recovered by Wardlow in the final play of the third quarter to give Catawba a short field

FOURTH QUARTER

- The Catawba Indians cashed in for three points off the short field; Catawba led 16-14 after Sims' 47-yard field goal try was good

- Limestone's following 12-play, 75-yard drive was capped by Tre Stewart's two-yard score to take 20-16 lead at the 8:33 mark

- The Saints forced a punt and had three straight plays of at least 15 yards to go ahead two scores after Jelani Baker's 24-yard touchdown grab with just under seven minutes to go

- Catawba's 10-play drive ended with an unsuccessful 4th and 15, allowing Limestone to run out the clock and move to 5-1 in league play

UP NEXT

- Catawba returns home next Saturday, Oct. 28, hosting Barton for Homecoming and Senior Day

- Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.

Photo by Will Ridenhour.