Football Defeats Campbell For First Win of Season

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BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Jonathan Carkhuff completed 31-of-44 pass attempts for 340 yards and three touchdowns to lead Davidson to its first win of the season, as the Wildcats defeated Campbell, 28-21 in Pioneer Football League action Saturday night on Ed Gore Field at Barker-Lane Stadium.

Davidson (1-6, 1-3 PFL) led 14-0 at halftime and took a commanding 28-0 lead after two third quarter touchdowns. Campbell (1-6, 0-4 PFL) did not score until the fourth quarter, but scored three touchdowns to threaten late.

Reese Williams was Carkhuff's top target with seven receptions for a career-best 74 yards and a touchdown. Danny Martinez caught a career-best four passes for 47 yards and a touchdown. Lanny Funsten added four receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown. Spencer Perry ran for 55 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown.

“We were really good for three quarters tonight,” said head coach Tripp Merritt. “In the fourth quarter I felt like we got a little sloppy, and we let them slide back into the football game.”

Campbell quarterback Dakota Wolf was held to 80 yards in the air, completing 8-of-22 pass attempts with an interception, but ran for 154 yards on 22 carries and two touchdowns. Brandon Chandler added 71 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown.

Davidson received the kickoff and marched down the field on its first drive. A 29-yard reception by Martinez moved Davidson into Campbell territory, and then later in on 4th-and-3 from Campbell's 23, Carkhuff found Williams wide open in the center of the field near the goal line for an easy touchdown.

Jelani Doeman intercepted a pass deflected by Patrick Moynahan on Campbell's first offensive drive, but the 'Cats were unable to convert a 33-yard field goal.

Campbell moved into Davidson territory on its next drive, and punted and downed the ball on the Cats' 10, but Davidson answered with an 11-play, 90-yard touchdown drive. David Rogers broke multiple tackles to turn a short pass into a 19-yard gain, and later in the drive, Perry rushed 14 yards to give Davidson 1st-and-goal from the 9. On 2nd-and-goal, Carkhuff found Martinez in back of the end zone for the senior wide receiver's first career touchdown.

The second quarter was scoreless as both teams had scores erased by penalties. Wolf appeared to have a 54-yard rushing touchdown for Campbell, but it was called back on a holding penalty, and Davidson had a 47-yard touchdown pass to William Morris called back on offensive pass interference. Davidson did not allow Campbell past midfield in the quarter.

Carkhuff completed a 16-yard pass to Funsten in the back of the end zone for a 21-0 lead with 7:34 remaining in the third quarter to cap a 13-play, 80-yard drive. Perry pounded the ball into the end zone from three yards out for a 28-0 lead as the Wildcats took advantage of a short field after Campbell accumulated 30 yards of penalties on a punt (fair catch interference, personal foul after the play).

“I thought Carkhuff did a great job of engineering the offense tonight,” said Merritt. “We took what they gave us.”

Campbell rallied though with three fourth quarter scores. Chandler rushed in from five yards out on the first play of the fourth quarter, and Wolf rushed in from three yards out with 4:12 remaining. Campbell tried an onside kick that was recovered by Davidson's Trey Huelskamp, but Davidson went three-and-out and Campbell drove down the field, where Wolf rushed into the end zone from five yards out with 1:16 remaining.

Campbell attempted another onside kick, but Lanny Funsten recovered it to seal the victory.

“I've never seen a group of 56 happier players in the locker room,” said Merritt. “I told them let's take this one and build on it and move forward.”

Davidson will return to Richardson Stadium to host Butler Saturday at 12 p.m.

Notes: Carkhuff now has 42 career passing touchdowns, and moved past Gordon Slade (1967-69) for third on Davidson's all-time list … Lanny Funsten extended his Davidson career lead in receptions to 195 and reception yards to 2408, and is now tied for third all-time in receiving touchdowns with Mike Chase (1999-02) at 18 … Davidson is undefeated in three trips to Campbell … Davidson had lost its first six games.

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