By Jim O'Hara

ROME, Ga. – For the first time in three weeks, they found themselves in a ballgame and in a position to win, and doing it against a nationally-ranked opponent.

The eventual outcome, however, was all too familiar to the Shorter Hawks on Saturday afternoon at Barron Stadium when the visiting Carson-Newman Eagles, the NCAA Division II's No. 18-ranked team, fought off the upset-minded Hawks and hand Shorter a 45-28 non-conference defeat.

While the loss kept Shorter winless for the season in six outings, the outcome gave a hint that the Hawks are refusing to give up as they gave all indications that what has been a frustrating year was getting better.

The Hawks, who return to their Gulf South Conference slate next Saturday when they head to Melbourne, Fla., to play GSC newcomer Florida Tech, led for the first time since Sept. 28 when they played West Georgia and turned in their second biggest point total of the year.

In the end, however, the same woes that have hampered the Hawks in the past continued as Shorter hurt themselves by losing three of four fumbles, two that resulted in Carson-Newman touchdowns; a shaky punting game that gave the visitors great field position with three short kicks that led to TDs by the Eagles.

The loss overshadowed some notable accomplishments by the Hawks, including that of junior quarterback Eric Dodson, who led all rushers by running for 137 yards on 21 carries – the big gainer a 73-yard touchdown romp – and passed for 109 yards, 40 of those coming on a touchdown pass to senior Roderick Jones that gave the Hawks the first-quarter lead and made Dodson Shorter's all-time career passing yardage leader.

Jones, who along with fellow senior slotback Kirk Wilson, returned to action after missing three games due to injuries, added 89 yards on the ground, 83 of that on a touchdown run with just under 10 minutes left in the game that pulled the Hawks to within three of the Eagles, 31-28.

Carson-Newman, now 5-1 overall and in contention to win the South Atlantic Conference championship, was paced by Brandon Baker's 145 yards rushing on 16 carries, the big blow coming on a 63-yard scoring jaunt – his second of the afternoon – that came on the first play after Jones' touchdown and one that took the wind out from under the Hawks' wings.

Carson-Newman quarterback De'Andre Thomas added 97 yards and two touchdowns via the run for the Eagles, and completed 12-of-19 passes for 140 yards.

The Eagles ended the game amassing 503 total yards, while the Hawks finished with 392 total yards, the most since the second game of the season against SAC opponent Mars Hill.

The Eagles struck first thanks to great field position when, after a short punt by Shorter following the Hawks' first series, they began their first possession at the Shorter 41. But the Hawks' defense bent but didn't break as Carson-Newman's drive stalled and the Eagles had to settle for a 41-yard field goal by Curt Duncan.

But a muff of a Shorter punt by the Eagles late in the first quarter – it was recovered by senior Luke Wilson – gave the Hawks the ball at the Carson-Newman 40 and on the first snap Shorter took advantage of it when Dodson found Jones wide open across the middle for a 40-yard touchdown pass with 4:06 to go in the opening period. Kenny Langford added the first of four extra points.

The scoring play, which gave Dodson the record, ended a scoreless streak by Shorter, one that lasted seven quarters.

The Hawks turned the Eagles away twice after they took the lead, but after a goal-line stand that stopped Carson-Newman at the Shorter 7, the visitors got the ball back at the Hawks' 29 after a misfired punt and from there the Eagles took the lead when Thomas found an opening on a bootleg to the left side and scored from 18 yards out. Duncan converted the first of six extra points to give his team a 10-7 lead with 8:50 left in the half.

Less than two minutes later, however, the Eagles got the ball back when Dodson coughed up the football and Carson-Newman's Jerrell Emanuel scooped up the ball and rambled to the Shorter 2. On the next play Andy Hibbett broke into the end zone to help the Eagles grab a 17-7 lead that stood at the half, although Shorter had another opportunity to add to its point total but saw Guy Hunt's 43-yard field goal attempt miss its mark.

The second half began with the Eagles unable to score in a drive that took them into the red zone – the Hawks recorded three goal-line stands – when Duncan missed a 28-yard field goal try, and the Hawks making the most of the defensive stop.

On their first series of the third quarter, Dodson broke free on his 73-yard scoring run that pulled Shorter to within three, 17-14, but Carson-Newman responded with a 65-yard drive that ended with Thomas scoring from 9 yards out that pushed his team's advantage back to 10 points.

The Eagles added seven more points in the opening minutes of the final quarter when Baker scored from two yards out, but again the Hawks answered with back-to-back big-play touchdowns to cut the margin to three, 31-28, when Dodson broke free again for a 54-yard scoring run and Jones taking an option pitch up the left sideline for an 83-yard touchdown, Shorter's longest of the season.

That, however, was as close as the Hawks would get with Baker reeling off his 63-yard touchdown run and Randall Freeman adding the insurance with a 1-yard run with under three minutes left to play.

Junior linebacker Dominique Henfield led the Hawks' defense with eight solo hits and six unassisted tackles, while Luke Wilson, Jordan Shaw and Assante Manner each recovered a fumble.

After their trip next week to take on Florida Tech in the first-ever meeting between the two schools, Shorter returns home for their final home game of the season on Thursday, Oct. 24 in a GSC-TV Game of the Week showdown against Delta State.