BARBOURVILLE, Ky. – Fighting Tiger Football went to eastern Kentucky seeking their first 2-0 season start since 2017 against the Union College Bulldogs. They did exactly that winning 42-14 on the back of Bass' 192 rushing yards.
The second play from scrimmage was a rumbling 65-yard touchdown for
Tre' Bass. With the Tigers up a touchdown, Union responded with a long 67-yard drive themselves but were stalled out when
Allen Parrish blocked the Bulldogs' field goal attempt and Campbellsville recovered. Despite their subsequent offensive drive ending in a punt, a Bulldogs completed pass resulted in a fumble and turned the ball back over to the Tigers. The multiple runner attack that was so successful for Campellsville in the first week began its impact once again as Archelaus Smith took off for a 48-yard rush.
Joshua Meglis capped off the drive on a third-and-nine finding
Luke Sheperson for a 15-yard touchdown. On the resulting kickoff, the Tigers forced yet another fumble this time freshman
Travell Wright punching the ball free, and Campbellsville took over with great field position. It would be a repeat of their previous possession as Meglis again found Sheperson for a 15-yard touchdown strike.
The first quarter was 21-0 Tigers, but the Bulldogs' first drive in the second went for a score after a 35-yard pass. Campbellsville and Union would then trade three-and-outs. Meglis fumbled on their next opportunity with the ball but an interception by
Mark Pruitt ended any momentum Union was benefiting from. That would be doubly so when the Tigers marched down the field and put up another touchdown from a Bass six-yard rush bringing the game back to a 21-point advantage for Campbellsville. After each team punted,
Donsha Knox caught himself an interception. The Tigers' subsequent drive ended in a punt giving the Bulldogs one final chance to score before the half, but it would Knox with another interception taking the game into halftime.
The Tigers had 250 yards compared to the Bulldogs' 161 at the half, the big difference maker being Campbellsville's 167 to 72 rushing yards. The four-to-one turnover ratio for the Tigers was instrumental in the three-touchdown advantage as well. Bass led the offense with 11 rushing attempts, 109 yards, and two touchdowns.
Union had the ball to begin the second half and their possession was a three-and-out. On their first play, Bass rattled off a 28-yard run. Unfortunately, just two plays later, Bass lost the ball and turned it over. The Campbellsville defense responded immediately with a 13-yard sack and then another sack that forced a fumble by
Grover Russell. The offense was set up great at Union's 33-yard line and made the most of it in just five plays with an 8-yard Smith touchdown run. Leading 35-7, the Tigers forced a three-and-out from the Bulldogs. Midway through the third quarter, Bass fumbled again at midfield and Union took over. The Campbellsville defense stepped up to the plate though with Pruitt snagging an interception. The Tigers led by 28 heading to the fourth.
After a few punts both ways, Campbellsville fumbled their return and Union grabbed it. The Bulldogs capitalized on the opportunity and crossed the goal line for the second time of the night bringing the score to 35-14. The Tigers responded though marching down the field with Bass taking chunks of yards at a time behind an eight play, 53-yard drive before Smith finished the job capturing another touchdown. Yet another three-and-out defined Union's next possession and a few more back-and-forth punts brought things to close in Campbellsville's favor 42-14.
The Fighting Tiger Football's defense held Union to just 4-15 on third down and 195 yards in total offense. Campbellsville's offense was no slouch gaining 385 yards and 262 of that was from rushing attempts. Bass went for 192 yards on 23 attempts (an 8.3-yard average per attempt) and two touchdowns. Both Knox and Pruitt ended with two interceptions.
The Tigers begin their Mid-South Conference play in their next contest taking on the Saints of Thomas More University. That game will be in Campbellsville at 7pm ET Saturday, September 17
th.
