CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – It was a record-breaking night to open the 2014 Fighting Tiger football season, but Campbellsville University fell just shy of upsetting No. 18 Lindsey Wilson College in a 44-40 loss at Finley Stadium.

A sold out crowd of 3,500 filled Finley Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 28 for the first home night game in two seasons and the four-year anniversary of CU's debut game under the lights and on the turf at Citizens Bank Field.

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"I thought our guys competed well. You want to see them play until the final horn and not give up, and I thought they did. I thought we saw a lot of improvement from our offensive side of the ball tonight," CU head coach Perry Thomas said. "Something we haven't been able to do the last couple of years is score points against good teams. Lindsey is the 18^th ranked team in the country, and they are a good team."

Chatter circulated through the summer that CU was stockpiling offensive weapons, and the Fighting Tigers took to the air to prove it.
 

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Tajh Milliken earned the start and teamed up with senior transfer Jacob Russell to go 5-for-5 passing on CU's first drive, which Russell capped with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Trevon Chatman. It was just the start of the trio's record night.

Milliken, who was pulled following an interception in the second quarter, tied CU's single-game record for completion percentage (83.3 percent) after a 5-for-6 passing performance, but only 13 yards. He didn't return to the field after Russell, a senior transfer from the University of Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky University put up similar numbers. Russell closed the first half with 126 yards on 9-of-10 passing. He went on to break the school record for most yards in a game at 414 yards on 26-of-39 passing. He also threw a single-game record-tying five touchdown passes.

Chatman also matched or broke two records while extending a third. The senior from Natchez, Miss., extended his career record for receptions per game (5.5) by setting the record for most catches in a game (12) and trying the record for most touchdown receptions (3). He finished the night with 154 yards receiving, followed by 145 by Demytreus Gipson.

"If we can protect, I think we have some weapons that can do things on the ground and in the air," Thomas said. "I know Jake had a great night, but I also know Tajh could come in and have a great night. It could be one of those things that whoever is hot goes, but we'll assess that later."

On a night sparking of offense, it was the defense that helped set the tone early. Stephon Tanga stripped the ball from LWC Blue Raiders running back Dakota Brown on the CU 2 yard line. Blake Young recovered the loose ball in the end zone for a touchback. The turnover set up CU's first Russell to Chatman scoring connection.

CU junior Erik Krivitsky later added a 30-yard field goal to make it 9-0 after he missed the extra point following the first touchdown.

Lindsey Wilson responded with 23 unanswered points to take the lead. CU pulled Milliken following an interception that set up LWC's final touchdown of the half to make it 21-9, and the Blue Raiders added a safety after Alex Abner blocked a Krivitsky punt into the end zone.

Russell took over following the Milliken interception and never came out of the game. The senior transfer from the University of Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky University finished the first half with 126 yards and a touchdown on 9-of-10 passing. As a team, CU only had two incomplete passes in the first half. Milliken finished the game 5-for-6 with one interception, thus tying alum Nathan Cooper's 83.3 completion percentage performance in 2010 against LWC, a school record.

Russell quickly added his name to the CU record book early in the third quarter, connecting on a 97-yard touchdown pass to Gipson for the Tigers first score since their opening drive. The play tied CU's longest play from scrimmage and broke the record for longest pass play in school history.

CU later picked up its fifth defensive touchdown in series history against LWC, when Neil Buckeridge knocked the ball loose from Jalen Sublett's hands at the LWC 32. James Gardner scooped and scored to pull the Tigers within a point, but the PAT was no good, keeping LWC in front 23-22.

LWC backup QB Dylan Beasley and Russell traded TD passes to eventually give the Blue Raiders a 37-28 lead. The Blue Raiders also picked up a defensive touchdown, as Jeremy Bolden returned a fumble for a touchdown after Corrion Cooper sacked Russell.

Trailing, 44-28, Campbellsville found the end zone twice in the final six minutes of play, first on a 47-yard pass to Gipson, and then a short 4-yard pass to Chatman. An onside kick try with 1:42 was unsuccessful, as LWC held on for the win.

CU senior Daniel DeLeon led all players on defense with 13 tackles, while Eric Shaw led the Blue Raiders with nine stops. The Blue Raider defense sacked Russell six times, including four by Andrew Wahl.

Campbellsville (0-1) will have a week off Sept. 6 and will return to action Saturday, Sept. 13 at home against Webber International University. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. EDT.

NOTES
- Campbellsville's lead in the series is now 3-2 after two-straight season-opening wins for the Blue Raiders.

- Jacob Russell broke CU's record for single-game passing yards (414) and the single-game touchdown passes (5) record. Both records were previous set by Ross Deaton in 2008. Deaton's 397 yards passing was in his debut game as CU quarterback on Aug. 30, 2008 vs. Cumberland University.

- Campbellsville wide receiver Trevon Chatman broke the record for most catches (12) in a game and tied the record for most TD catches (3). The receptions in a game record was first set by Brad Troutman in 1999 against Cumberland (Tenn.), and since tied five times by Shane Riley, Rick Gehres (twice), Harold Small and Stan Warrenhuffman. The touchdowns record is also held by Warrenhuffman.

- Jacob Russell and Demytreus Gipson connected on a 97-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter for CU's longest pass play in school history. The previous record was an 86-yard TD pass from Bryan Parnes to Gipson at Belhaven University in 2012. The 97-yard pass also ties the school record for longest play from a scrimmage, a 97-yard run by Timmy Mays in 1997 at Georgetown College.

- During halftime of the game, the Campbellsville University Leadership Award was presented to Mid-South Conference Commissioner Eric Ward and Ronnie Hord, owner of H&W Sport Shop.

- The Tiger Marching Band dedicated its halftime performance to injured firefighters Capt. Tony Grider and Alex Quinn, who remain in the burn unit at University Hospital in Louisville following an accident on campus Aug. 21. The show's dedication also includes Capt. Steve Marrs and firefighter Alex Johnson, who were also injured in the accident but have since returned to duty.

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