Tenth-ranked Lambuth University moved to 3-0 to start the season with a 28-13 victory at Campbellsville University's Ron Finley Stadium on Saturday.

Lambuth opened its third road game of the season with a 10-play, 58-yard drive to take a 7-0 lead on a 4-yard touchdown run by Ben Stallings. While the Tiger offense stalled in four plays, the CU defense put the Tigers on the board when Jeffery Demary returned an interception 35 yards for a game-tying touchdown with 4:54 to play in the opening quarter.

Eagles quarterback Adam Wiese answered with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Bran Okechukwu to regain the lead a minute later. The Eagles stacked on another touchdown run by Kelvin Martin in the second quarter to lead 21-7 at the half. Campbellsville finished the first half inside the Lambuth 10, unable to get a play off before time expired in the period.

Both teams were near even in offensive yardage at the break, as Lambuth picked up 167 total yards on 38 plays to Campbellsville's 164 yards in 42 plays.

"We struggled a little bit in the first half. We felt all week we could go toe-to-toe with these guys," CU head coach Perry Thomas said. "We made some adjustments at halftime. We just couldn't convert on opportunities."

Campbellsville received the ball to start the second half but went three-and-out. Punting from inside their end zone, Campbellsville punter David Hon's kick was blocked and recovered by Lambuth's Stephen Moten at the 2-yard-line. The Tiger defense stood strong, dropping the Eagles for a 7 yard loss on the drive to force a 25-yard field goal attempt by Nathan O'Jibway that missed wide right.

The Tigers answered the missed Eagle field goal with one of their own, as Hon's 27-yard attempt was partially blocked and went wide left with seven minutes to play in the third quarter. Late in the third, Campbellsville reached deep into its playbook for a wide out pass with three minutes to play, as senior Russell Parker of Bowling Green, Ky., found a wide open Harold Small for a 70-yard touchdown to cut the Lambuth lead, 21-13. Hon's extra point was no good.

Lambuth tacked on an insurance touchdown midway through the fourth with an 11-yard pass from Wiese to Rod Jefferson to take a 28-13 lead. Campbellsville's next drive fell short at the Lambuth 8 as CU quarterback Nathan Cooper's pass to Parker failed to pick up any yards on fourth-and-7. Lambuth ran out the clock to end the game.

Campbellsville won the turnover battle by taking away two interceptions on defense and not turning the ball over on offense.

CU (1-2) returns home Sept. 26 to open Mid-South Conference East Division play against West Virginia Tech at 1:30 p.m. Live video of the game is scheduled to be broadcast by Wazoo Sports in addition to Campbellsville's WLCU/TV-4.

"A big thing about next week is it's a conference game. It's a winnable game though. We thought today was a winnable game. Obviously our players were a little out manned. You can look and tell Lambuth is playing with mature bodies against our young ones. We're turning the corner though. Our guys are fighting. We just need to finish," Thomas said. "We have a big challenge next week."

West Virginia Tech (2-1) averages 589 yards of offense per game.

Lambuth (3-0) will play its home opener next week, as the Eagles host the University of Virginia-Wise.