The Citadel’s defense posted seven sacks and 12 tackles for a loss of 62 yards as the Bulldogs defeated ETSU, 26-7, in Southern Conference football Saturday in Charleston, S.C.
“The defense put in two new schemes this week in practice that worked really well,” Citadel head coach Ellis Johnson said. “Our players did a really nice job on that side of the ball today and that is a reflection on the outcome of the game.”
The Citadel (2-4, 1-2 SoCon) started the scoring on its first drive of the game as sophomore fullback Nehemiah Broughton scampered 12-yards for his first touchdown of the game.
The run capped off a four-play drive that covered 23 yards and lasted 1:44. The short drive was set up by a 41-yard punt return by sophomore wide receiver Jermaine Anderson.
“I really thought field position was most key,” Johnson said. “It determined the outcome of the game.”
ETSU (3-4, 2-2 SoCon) scored their only touchdown of the game as junior tailback Gaven Varner plowed two yards for the score with 33 seconds remaining in the first quarter. The run finished off a 12-play, 62-yard drive that lasted 5:57.
On the Buc offense, wide receiver Andrew Nuckolls pulled in three receptions for 25 yards and defensively, ETSU was led by linebacker Mike Corengay, who tallied 13 tackles, including seven solo.
“We have to have character enough to get up and have a positive rest of the season,” ETSU head coach Paul Hamilton said. “We have the chances, but we are not making the plays.”
The Bulldogs didn’t look back as their defense held the Bucs scoreless for the remainder of the game.
Place kicker Travis Zobel, who nailed a 38-yard field goal with 7:50 to go in the second quarter, finished the Citadel’s next scoring drive. Zobel helped his own cause in the drive as he rushed 43 yards on a mishandled punt to give The Citadel a much-needed first down.
“The punt play probably turned the first half around,” Hamilton said. “We had built some momentum and hoped to have the lead going into halftime.”
Broughton added his second touchdown of the afternoon as he bulled through ETSU’s defensive line for a 2-yard score to push the Bulldogs’ lead to 17-7. The drive lasted nine plays, covered 44 yards and ran 3:20 off the clock in the second quarter. The Citadel took the 17-7 lead into the intermission.
The second half only produced nine points, all of which were in the Bulldogs favor. Zobel added his second field goal of the game, a 37-yarder at the 6:58 mark in the third quarter. The only other score of the half came as QB Jeff Klein recovered a fumble by senior tailback Nate Mahoney on the 1-yard line and dove in for the score. The Citadel went for the 2-point conversion but was stopped as sophomore tight end Ross Armstrong was unable to push across the goal line.
Offensively, Broughton totaled 99 yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns to lead The Citadel. Junior wide receiver Scooter Johnson chipped in with five catches for 85 yards on the day.
The Citadel’s QB, Jeff Klein, had a tough day, completing less than half his passes (10-22).
“The ETSU defense had a lot to do with his performance today,” Johnson said. “Their peri-meter defense is the most physical in the conference that we have seen.
The Bulldogs’ defense held ETSU to a total of 134 yards of offense, the Bucs posted 62 negative yards rushing as a result of the Bulldogs’ 12 tackles for loss. Senior Cliff Washburn posted four sacks on the afternoon for a loss of 29 yards. The seven sacks by The Citadel’s defense stands as the most in a game since 1994 when the Bulldogs posted seven against Georgia Southern on Nov. 19.
“Give them a lot of credit. They are a great football team,” Hamilton said. “It was a tough day. We know coming in here that we would face a big challenge from a good football team and that was the case today.
“I hope that we can build on Citadel’s enthusiasm because there is a lot of season left.”
ETSU returns home to face soon to be Southern Conference member Elon University at 2 p.m. in the Memorial Center.
“My biggest concern is getting up off the deck and getting ready for our homecoming Saturday,” Hamilton said.
The Citadel returns to action on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. to take on Furman in Greenville, S.C. The game will be televised on Comcast Sports Southeast (CSS).

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