CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – Four weeks of waiting paid off for Campbellsville University football fans Saturday, Sept. 28. The Fighting Tigers flipped a 15-7 first quarter deficit into a 54-22 win over Belhaven University in their first game in front of the home crowd this season at Citzens Bank Field and Finley Stadium.

"It was a great win for us. Today was a complete game. We had a kicking game score. We had defense pitch a shutout in the second half, and we had an offense that was consistent for four quarters. We have many things to work on, but that was complete football," said CU head coach Perry Thomas.

"We had a good crowd today. I think we play exciting football. If our fans come out, they'll see an exciting game. We have backs that can hit you big. We have receivers that can catch it and hit you big. We swarm to the ball on defense and play with a lot of pride, tempo and aggressiveness."

Exciting it was, as the Tigers' Blake Young recovered a bad snap on the opening play of the game to set up a three-play, 29-yard scoring drive by CU running back Ben Axon. The senior rusher capped the drive with a 7-yard touchdown run to start his 101-yard day.

Belhaven answered quickly with a 67-yard strike from Daniel Williams to Deuce Coon, but Young came up with another big play, blocking the extra point to keep Campbellsville in front, 7-6. The lead shifted on CU's next series when a snap sailed over punter Erik Krivitsky's head and was booted out of the end zone for a safety. The Blazers capitalized with a 14-play, 50-yard drive to go up 15-7 on a Rashad Wynes 4-yard touchdown run.

From there, Campbellsville put together a 28-point second quarter to carry a 35-22 lead into halftime.

Axon found the end zone for the second time on an 8-yard run, and then CU quarterback Bryan Parnes connected with Demytreus Gipson on a 44-yard TD pass to regain the lead, 21-15. The Tigers' continued to produce big plays – this time a 70-yard punt return by Trevon Chatman.

Trailing 28-15, Williams found Coon again for a 19-yard TD with 7:13 left in the half to pull Belhaven within six, 28-22. Campbellsville ate up the clock to score again before halftime, 35-22. Backup CU quarterback Tajh Milliken started the nine-play, 73-yard drive with a 34 yard quarterback keeper, his first of three runs on the drive. Larry Walls completed the series with a 2-yard TD run.

For the second straight week, Campbellsville shut out a Mid-South Conference West Division opponent in the second half – the first such feat by the Fighting Tigers defense in the Perry Thomas era. Prior to CU's 26-0 shutout win at Bethel, CU pitched second half shutouts four times in the last five years: Pikeville 2010 and 2008, Georgetown 2009 and West Virginia Tech 2009.

Campbellsville scored its first second-half offensive touchdown of the season when Parnes connected with Chatman for a 20-yard touchdown. Belhaven's Dwight Armburst blocked Will Ward's extra point try, but CU added another block moments later on a fourth-and-11 punt attempt. Stephon Tanga broke through the line and blocked Curtis Westerfield's punt and AJ Strong scooped it up at the Blazzers' 4. Two plays later, Parnes scampered 5 yards to the end zone, diving into the right pylon for a touchdown. Ward's PAT made it 48-22.

Belhaven moved the ball into CU territory on the ensuing drive but Percy Minor picked off Williams at the 34. The next trip into Tiger area, Beau Biller and Shane Williamson dropped Williams on a fourth-and-10 play at the CU 29. That set up a 12-play, 71-yard scoring drive, aided by multiple Belhaven personal foul penalties. Milliken fumbled on a scramble inside the 10, but the Tigers fell on it at the 1. Seth McFerrin punched in a touchdown on the following play, pushing Campbellsville over the 50-point mark for the first time since a 56-25 win at Lindsey Wilson College in 2011.

Belhaven's biggest scoring threat of the second half came around the five minute mark. Jude St. Julien collected 17 yards on three carries down to the Tigers' 2. Travon Montgomery and Nick Reed stood up St. Julien on the next carry to force fourth-and-goal and then Biller dropped Alvin Fairly for an 8-yard loss.

Later, CU senior Derek Mincy and Daniel DeLeon capped the day by sacking Williams on the final play.

Campbellsville stopped Belhaven's run game all day, holding the Blazers to only 99 yards on the ground and holding them to 7-of-18 on third down. Leading CU's defense were linebackers Reed, Montgomery and Biller who had 13, nine and nine tackles, respectively. Reed had nine assisted tackles and four solo stops. Davian Evans-Dufrene, Young and DeLeon each had seven hits.

Parnes finished the day with 129 yards passing and two touchdowns on 9-of-19 passing. Gipson and Chatman had 79 and 35 receiving yards, respectively.

Williams had 262 yards on 20-of-34 attempts to lead Belhaven. His primary target was Coon, who had 173 yards on 10 catches.

Campbellsville (2-2, 2-0 MSC West) will return home Saturday, Oct. 5 for Homecoming against Kentucky Christian University. Kickoff is 2 p.m. EDT.

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NOTES
- In CU's first two games, it was outscored 107-31 and was shut out in five quarters. In CU's last two games, it has outscored opponents 80-22 and has shut out opponents in six quarters.
- The last time CU posted a second half shutout twice in one season was 2009 against West Virginia Tech and Georgetown.  
- CU's 54 points are the most since Sept. 24, 2011 – a 56-25 win at Lindsey Wilson College.
- Campbellsville's coaches participated in the nation-wide Coach To Cure MD campaign Saturday to raise awareness for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
- CU is 4-0 when playing in a Coach To Cure MD game.
- It is the second time in program history CU did not play its home opener until the fourth game of the season.
- The Tigers debuted their new alternate home gray uniforms.
- Two blocked kicks in a game ties the CU record for most blocks in a game, set against Virginia-Wise in 2011 – both blocks by Dwight Houston, current CU linebackers coach.
- Trevon Chatman's punt return for a touchdown was the Tigers' first since Calvin Bini at Pikeville in 2010.
- Chatman is the 10^th Tiger in program history to return a punt for a touchdown.
- Chatman's 70-yard punt return is the third-longest in CU football history. His 95 punt return yards are the fourth-most in CU history.
- Blake Young extends his CU career record for most blocked kicks with seven.
- Erik Krivitsky's 64-yard punt in the game is the second-longest of his career.