Football drops season opener to #8 Bethel
VALLEY, Ala. (Aug 26, 2023) - The Point University football team hosted the #8 ranked Bethel Wildcats at Ram Stadium Saturday night for the season opener. The Skyhawks would drop the home opener by a score of 51-13.
FIRST QUARTER
The game kicked off with both teams displaying their offensive capabilities early on. Bethel (Tenn.), ranked #8 in the nation, struck first with a 65-yard drive culminating in a 1-yard touchdown run by Joaquin Collazo at the 13:06 mark. Andrew Welch's successful extra-point kick gave Bethel an early 7-0 lead. Responding with determination, the Point Skyhawks orchestrated an impressive drive of their own. Quarterback Mitchell Gosset showcased his skills, connecting with Emery Bryant for a 31-yard touchdown pass at the 7:18 mark. Christian Ceja's successful extra-point kick leveled the score at 7-7.
SECOND QUARTER
As the game progressed into the second quarter, Bethel (Tenn.) demonstrated their prowess again. Mitchell Faulkn's 20-yard touchdown run put Bethel back in the lead at the 14:37 mark, bolstered by Andrew Welch's accurate kicking to give the Wildcats a 14-7 lead. Welch extended the lead further with a 23-yard field goal at the 3:52 mark to make it 17-7 in favor of the Wildcats. Undeterred, the Point Skyhawks showcased their offensive capabilities with Gosset's 22-yard touchdown pass to Kareem Keye at the 0:20 mark. Although the ensuing extra-point attempt was unsuccessful, the Skyhawks remained competitive, trailing 17-13 as they headed into halftime.
THIRD QUARTER
The third quarter continued to witness both teams' determination to secure victory. Bethel (TN) executed a remarkable 89-yard drive, with Joaquin Collazo scoring his second 1-yard touchdown run of the game at the 2:03 mark. Andrew Welch's reliable kicking extended Bethel's lead to 24-13.
FOURTH QUARTER
As the fourth quarter unfolded, Bethel (Tenn.) maintained their momentum with well-executed plays. Graham Lyell's 10-yard touchdown run at 8:21 would make it 31-13. Back-to-back interceptions to the house for Bethel's Demetrice Gilbe would seal the deal. Gilbe's interception return for a touchdown at the 7:57 mark, and then he added to his already impressive performance with another interception return, covering 33 yards for a touchdown. Conner Allen's 4-yard touchdown run at the 2:14 mark served as the final scoring play of the game, securing Bethel (Tenn.)'s comprehensive 51-13 victory.
| Bethel (TN) 51 |
Point 13 |
| Scoring | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethel (TN) (1-0, 0) | 7 | 10 | 7 | 27 | 51 |
| Point (0-1, 0) | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Valley, Ala. | Ram Stadium | |||||
| Prd | Time | Scoring Summary | Bethel (TN) - Point |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13:06 | Bethel (TN) - Joaquin Collazo 1 yd run. (Andrew Welch kick is good). Drive: 4 plays, 65 yards in 1:44. |
7 - 0 |
| 1 | 07:18 | Point - Emery Bryant 31 yd pass from Mitchell Gosset. (Christian Ceja kick is good). Drive: 8 plays, 89 yards in 3:17. |
7 - 7 |
| 2 | 14:37 | Bethel (TN) - Mitchell Faulkn 20 yd run. (Andrew Welch kick is good). Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards in 2:05. |
14 - 7 |
| 2 | 03:52 | Bethel (TN) - Andrew Welch 23 yd field goal. Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards in 5:58. |
17 - 7 |
| 2 | 00:20 | Point - Kareem Keye 22 yd pass from Mitchell Gosset. (Christian Ceja kick failed). Drive: 5 plays, 45 yards in 3:32. |
17 - 13 |
| 3 | 02:03 | Bethel (TN) - Joaquin Collazo 1 yd run. (Andrew Welch kick is good). Drive: 12 plays, 89 yards in 6:17. |
24 - 13 |
| 4 | 08:21 | Bethel (TN) - Graham Lyell 10 yd run. (Andrew Welch kick failed). Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards in 3:19. |
30 - 13 |
| 4 | 07:57 | Bethel (TN) - Demetrice Gilbe 58 yd interception return. (Brayden Johnson kick is good). | 37 - 13 |
| 4 | 05:49 | Bethel (TN) - Demetrice Gilbe 33 yd interception return. (Andrew Welch kick is good). | 44 - 13 |
| 4 | 02:14 | Bethel (TN) - Conner Allen 4 yd run. (Andrew Welch kick is good). Drive: 3 plays, 65 yards in 1:23. |
51 - 13 |
| Bethel (TN) | Statistics | Point |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | FIRST DOWNS | 16 |
| 12 11 3 |
Passing Rushing Penalty |
7 5 4 |
| 38% (3 of 8) | THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY | 31% (5 of 16) |
| 0% (0 of 0) | FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY | 0% (0 of 0) |
| 424 | TOTAL OFFENSE | 257 |
| 60 7.1 |
Total Offensive Plays Average gain per play |
65 4.0 |
| 224 | NET YARDS PASSING | 150 |
| 17-28 8.0 0-0 0 |
Completions-Attempts Net yards per pass play Sacked: Number-Yards Had intercepted |
11-27 5.6 3-15 3 |
| 200 | NET YARDS RUSHING | 107 |
| 32 6.3 |
Rushing Attempts Average gain per rush |
38 2.8 |
| 4-200 | PUNTS: Number-Yards | 8-298 |
| 50.0 | Average | 37.3 |
| 117 | TOTAL RETURN YARDS | 140 |
| 0 0 2-27 3-90 |
Punt Returns: Number-Yards Kickoff Returns: Number-Yards Interception Returns: Number-Yards |
0 0 6-140 0 0 |
| 8-76 | PENALTIES: Number-Yards | 7-54 |
| 1-0 | FUMBLES: Number-Lost | 1-0 |
| 3-15 | SACKS: Number-Yards | 0 0 |
| 3-90 | INTERCEPTIONS: Number-Yards | 0 0 |
| 27:07 | TIME OF POSSESSION | 32:53 |
Bethel (TN) |
Point |
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| # | Point | Solo | Ast | Total | Sacks-Yds | TFL-Yds | FF | FR-Yds | Int-Yds | BrUp | Blks | QBH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Kemorion Larkin | 2 | 6 | 8 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | ||
| 7 | Roman Jones | 1 | 3 | 4 | - | - | - | - | ||||
| 92 | Tyrone Tumblin | 4 | 0 | 4 | - | 1 - 3 | - | - | ||||
| 4 | Davyon Dukes | 3 | 0 | 3 | - | - | - | - | ||||
| 23 | Alfred Braxton Jr. | 2 | 1 | 3 | - | - | - | - | ||||
| 41 | Ethan Binns | 3 | 0 | 3 | - | - | - | - | ||||
| 44 | Cortez Thomas | 2 | 1 | 3 | - | - | - | - | ||||
| 11 | Caleb Wade | 0 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | - | ||||
| 12 | Shakwan Bickley | 2 | 0 | 2 | - | - | - | - | ||||
| 13 | Barry Finley | 2 | 0 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 1 | |||
| 14 | Kere Thomas | 2 | 0 | 2 | - | - | - | - | ||||
| 20 | Kijuan Figgs | 2 | 0 | 2 | - | - | - | - | ||||
| 40 | Liam Rogers | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | ||||
| 52 | James Bryant | 2 | 0 | 2 | - | 1 - 3 | - | - | ||||
| 95 | Julius Bullard | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | ||||
| TM | Team | 2 | 0 | 2 | - | - | - | - | ||||
| 35 | Jakari Nobles | 1 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | ||||
| 63 | Dajuan Rawls | 1 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | ||||
| 94 | Quay Calloway | 1 | 0 | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | |||
| 97 | Thad Parson | 0 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | ||||
| 99 | Kassidy Deans | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Next Game: The football team will be on the road next week to take on NCAA Div 2, Valdosta State, at 7:00 P.M. The Blazers are coming off a 5-6 season, where last season they started their season against another NAIA opponent in Keiser. In that contest, they won 36-21. This will be the Blazers 2023 season opener.
