MELBOURNE, Fla. - Newberry quarterback Raleigh Yeldell dove for a 7-yard touchdown carry with 34 seconds remaining in the game and a 51-yard Florida Tech field goal attempt at the gun clanked off an upright, as the Newberry Wolves escaped with a 31-28 win in the 2015 season opener at Florida Tech Panther Stadium on Saturday night.
Newberry (1-0) drove 92 yards on 11 plays in just 2:52, with Yeldell (Edgefield, S.C.) diving for the score and sending the Wolves into a jubilant celebration. Florida Tech (0-1) challenged the defense and was aided by a penalty, but the last gasp 51-yarder bounced off the left upright to give the scarlet and gray the win.
The Wolves were held scoreless until the opening play of the second quarter, when Kyle Clark (Beaufort, S.C.) hit a 21-yard field goal to cut an FIT lead to 7-3.
After a Panther touchdown pushed the hosts lead to 14-3, Newberry responded on a 9-yard touchdown rush by Yeldell and a 6-yard touchdown rush by Braxton Ivery (Florence, S.C.) to take a 17-14 halftime lead.
The second half went back and forth in terms of momentum. FIT opened the scoring on the first drive of the third quarter on a 14-yard scoring completion from Sean Ashley to Kenny Johnston.
Newberry responded when Yeldell found Jalen Cook (Lexington, S.C.) for an acrobatic 26-yard touchdown catch to put Newberry back on top by a 24-21 count with 9:28 left in the third quarter. FIT regained the lead when Ashley and Johnston connected for a 28-yard scoring play with 5:19 left in the third quarter.
The teams settled down some, with many chances squandered on both sides. As time ran out on the Wolves, Yeldell engineered an 11-play, 92-yard drive that was capped with his 7-yard scoring scamper.
UP NEXT
Newberry will return home for a three-game homestand, starting with Division I-FCS opponent Jacksonville University (1-0) at 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 12.
GAME CHANGER
Raleigh Yeldell was an offensive dynamo, rushing 15 times for 119 yards and two touchdowns and completing 16-of-30 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown. He also had a 22 yard reception.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Joining Yeldell in the 100-yard rushing category was Kevin Miller (Lexington, S.C.), who carried the ball eight times for 121 yards.
- This is the first game since 2005 that Newberry had two different 100-yard rushers.
- Miller was also a special teams threat, averaging 19.5 yards per punt return and 21.2 yards per kickoff return. He racked up 266 all-purpose yards.
- Kyle Clark averaged 40.7 yards on six punts to go along with his 21-yard field goal and a perfect 4-for-4 on PATs.
- Newberry outgained FIT 495 yards to 451. The Wolves averaged 7.5 yards per carry, putting up 324 rushing yards on 43 carries.
- The Panthers had success on third down, going 12-of-18. Newberry converted on 7-of-15 third down attempts.
DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS
- Safety Arnez Gray (Greenwood, S.C.) led the team with nine tackles, while Taylor McDonnell (Bluffton, S.C.) had seven stops.
- Defensive lineman Alstevis Squirewell (Great Falls, S.C.) had six tackles with two tackles for loss.
- Outside linebacker Nate Sichali (Anderson, S.C.) had three tackles but was on the receiving end of both FIT turnovers, picking off an interception and recovering a fumble.
