Sewanee, TN. — North Carolina Wesleyan Football battled back from an early two-touchdown deficit and piled up more than 500 yards of total offense Saturday afternoon, but the Battling Bishops ultimately came up short in a 24-17 road loss to Sewanee at McGee Field at Harris Stadium. Wesleyan moved to 2-1 on the season following its first setback of the year.
Sewanee jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the opening quarter, but the Bishops responded before the end of the period. Jack Pearson connected with Tyson Resper for a 35-yard touchdown with 1:42 remaining, cutting the deficit to 14-7 and giving Wesleyan momentum heading into the second quarter.
After Sewanee extended its lead with a field goal, North Carolina Wesleyan answered again. Braxtyn Green drilled a 41-yard field goal with 3:54 remaining in the first half, trimming the Tigers' advantage to 17-10 entering the break.
The Bishops came out of halftime with one of their strongest drives of the afternoon. Starting at their own five-yard line, Wesleyan marched 95 yards on 13 plays and took more than seven minutes off the clock. Braden Selvage capped the drive with a two-yard touchdown pass to Jimmie West III, and Jorge Hernandez-Lara's extra point tied the game at 17-17 with 7:43 remaining in the third quarter.
Wesleyan had an opportunity to take the lead later in the quarter after another productive drive, but a 43-yard field goal attempt went wide. The Bishops continued to move the ball in the fourth quarter and reached deep into Sewanee territory before a fumble resulted in a touchback, ending a 73-yard drive.
Sewanee broke the tie with 6:35 remaining in the game on a 10-yard touchdown pass to take a 24-17 advantage. North Carolina Wesleyan responded with one final drive beginning at its own two-yard line and moved all the way to the Sewanee 32, but an interception with 1:13 remaining ended the Bishops' comeback bid.
Despite the result, the Wesleyan offense put together a productive afternoon, finishing with 504 total yards and 26 first downs while controlling possession for more than 41 minutes. The Bishops threw for 466 yards, compared to just 134 passing yards for Sewanee, and ran 84 offensive plays to the Tigers' 45.
Selvage completed 36 of 50 passes for 416 yards and a touchdown, while Pearson completed both of his attempts for 50 yards and a score. Tyson Resper turned in a huge performance in the receiving game, hauling in 16 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown. West III added seven catches for 71 yards and a score, while Ethan Fay finished with four receptions for 53 yards.
Karlen McEntyre led the Bishops on the ground with 54 yards on 16 carries. Defensively, Daviaus Johnson and Tyquan Richardson-Battle each finished with six tackles, while Jayden Courtney recorded an interception.
North Carolina Wesleyan showed plenty of fight throughout the afternoon, erasing a 14-point first-quarter deficit and tying the game in the second half before Sewanee pulled ahead late.
