Carter and Craven Help Tornados Explode for 63-7 Win Over Greensboro

Carter and Craven Help Tornados Explode for 63-7 Win Over Greensboro

GREENSBORO, N.C. –  Brevard quarterback O'Shay Carter threw for 277 yards and Bubba Craven added 169 receiving yards as the Tornados earned a 63-7 victory over Greensboro College, marking the first win in Bill Khayat era on Saturday afternoon at Jamieson Stadium. It marks the first road win for the Tornados since they triumphed 69-0 over College of Faith on Sept. 14, 2013.

Carter, who finished with five touchdowns through the air, completed 14-of-22 passes in one half under center. His 277 yards passing marks the second most in program history, 20 shy of a mark set by Kye Hamilton against Chowan on Sept. 13, 2008.

"That is what we were expecting to see when he (Carter) decided to come to Brevard College to play football," said Khayat. "He had not taken a snap in football, since last September, except for what we saw against Emory & Henry. That was the first game that he played and he only had three practices the week leading up to that game. So to be that sharp today, after six full practices, I was impressed."

Craven, responsible for three touchdowns in the contest, established the program's NCAA record for most receiving yards in a single game. The fourth wideout since 2007 to have a 100 yards receiving for the Tornados, topped the previous mark set by Donald Hudson. Hudson capped off a 128-yard receiving performance as Hamilton's primary target in the 2008 game against Chowan.

"I can't say enough about the effort that Craven provides every day," added Khayat. "He will never go soft, never go half speed and goes all out in every practice. He is the kind of kid that you have to slow him down for certain drills and I knew he was local so we put some specific plays in the package to highlight him."

Jarkevius Hopkins was also among the offensive leaders for the Tornados, finishing with 147 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. He led the way for a ground attack that finished with 300 yards as Brevard amassed 501 yards of total offense.

Defensively the Tornados limited Greensboro to 154 yards of total offense, surrendering 93 yards through the air. Samuel Butikofer led the way for Brevard in tackles with six (four solo), while Andreas Wyatt added five. Another contributor for the Tornados was Marias Watson, who returned to the field after a potentially career-ending injury to finish with three tackles on the game.

"Having been conditioned over the last two games to be out there all of the time, today we got to see what would happen if they were out for two, three and four plays," said Khayat. "They have been trained to play when they are at a disadvantage and gassed, but it was exciting to watch them turn it loose like that this afternoon."

A fresh Tornado defense halted the first Greensboro drive in the third quarter just three plays in as Jason Nieradka picked off Kamryn Webster at the 12-yard line. After an unsportsmanlike conduct call, moving the ball back to the Pride 27, Hopkins cut through the defense for an eight-yard gain.

Two plays later, quarterback Ryan Jordan found Martigus Henley for a 12-yard gain that gave Brevard a first and goal. Hopkins got the call from Khayat, running around the end for his first score of the game as the Tornados moved in front 49-0.

The Brevard defense kept the shutout intact through the close of the third quarter due in large part to an interception by Trevon Charles at the Pride's 16-yard line. The Charles interception gave Brevard the ball in red zone territory with 2:49 remaining on the clock.

Jacque Henley made a 12-yard gain on the second play of the drive, putting Brevard at the goal line. Bobby Clerisier broke the plane of the goal line on the following play to provide the Tornados with their eighth touchdown of the game.

The Tornados put their final score of the game on the board early in the fourth quarter when Hopkins found a seam in Greensboro's defensive front, streaking 73 yards down the field for the score.

Beginning their sixth drive of the game at their own 20, the Tornados capitalized on a 14-yard run from Hopkins and a 28-yard pass from Carter to Bobby Clerisier to move to the Greensboro 45-yard line.

Carter continued to pick apart the Pride defense with passes to Craven and Xavier Brown for 11 and 12 yards, respectively, before Brevard upped its lead to 35-0 on a one-yard run by Gregory.

The final score of the first half by the Tornados came at the 9:16 mark of the second quarter, when Carter wrapped up a four-play, 48-yard drive with a five-yard pass to Gregory on a post play.

Carter got the offense rolling early when he connected on a 60-yard pass with Craven, who bolted past the Pride defense to provide Brevard with the early 7-0 advantage.

Michal Phillips led the way for the Tornado special teams unit on the ensuing Greensboro possession, blocking Jonathan Pfeiff's punt, setting Brevard up at the Pride's 17-yard line.

After a holding penalty that pushed the Brevard offense back 10 yards, Hopkins scampered four yards to place the ball at the 23. Carter followed that gain with a strike to Craven in the back of the endzone to provide the Tornados with a 14-0 lead.

The special teams played a critical role in putting the ball back in the hands of Carter on offense when an onside kick by Tyler Beam, which landed untouched at the Greensboro 37-yard line was quickly recovered by Brevard's Bradley Dos Santos.

Facing a third-and-10, Carter flicked the ball to the right corner of the end zone, hitting Tyler Gregory for the third touchdown of the half.

Stout defense by the Tornados held Greensboro's offense in check, resulting in the third punt of the afternoon that allowed Brevard to start its fifth drive at the Pride 48-yard line.

Clerisier gained 20 yards in two plays, moving the ball to the Pride 28-yard line, before a third down pass from Carter to Craven provided Brevard with a 28-0 lead at the 3:44 mark. The Tornado offense wrapped up the opening frame with 216 yards of total offense, including 168 through the air.

The Tornados continue their two-game road stretch next weekend when they head to LaGrange.