Cumberland Rushes Past Ave Maria in 31-10 Road Victory
AVE MARIA, FL - Cumberland University relied on a punishing ground game and an explosive 21-point second quarter to overpower Ave Maria University, securing a 31-10 victory on Saturday night at Gyrene Field.
The Phoenix (1-1) dictated the tempo from start to finish, racking up 411 total yards of offense while controlling the football for more than 36 minutes. Cumberland’s multi-faceted rushing attack accounted for 266 yards, while the defense completely shut down Ave Maria’s ground game, holding the Gyrenes to just 19 rushing yards and 205 total yards.
Dual-threat quarterback Jake Parker orchestrated the Cumberland offense with precision. Parker led all rushers with 101 yards on 11 carries while adding 145 yards and two touchdowns through the air on 14-of-24 passing. Former Lebanon standout Jaylen Abston and tailback Jordan Cason provided strong secondary options, each logging 66 rushing yards and a touchdown.
After a scoreless opening frame, the Phoenix cracked the game open early in the second quarter. Cason capped a five-play, 38-yard drive with a 25-yard touchdown burst at the 13:07 mark to put Cumberland ahead 7-0.
Following a defensive stop, Cumberland mounted a methodical 11-play march that took over six minutes off the clock, finishing with Parker finding Kaiden Hatchett for an 11-yard touchdown pass. Just moments later, Tristan Bohannon recovered a Joseph Thole fumble at the Ave Maria 18-yard line. Two plays after the turnover, Parker connected with Hatchett again—this time from 10 yards out—to send the Phoenix into the locker room with a commanding 21-0 halftime lead. Hatchett finished the night with five receptions for 39 yards and the two scores.
Ave Maria (FL) briefly generated momentum right after halftime when Thole hooked up with Logan Howard for a 78-yard touchdown strike just 47 seconds into the third quarter. However, Cumberland’s defense quickly steadied, and kicker Jack Kantner later answered with a 37-yard field goal to stretch the lead back to 24-7.
The Gyrenes added a 28-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to cut the margin to 24-10, but Daniel Doegan shut the door on the comeback attempt by intercepting a Ty Keller pass at the Cumberland 26-yard line. Parker immediately broke free for a 43-yard run on the ensuing drive, setting up an eight-yard touchdown run by Abston to seal the 31-10 win with 2:32 remaining.
Knox Watson paced the defense with nine total tackles, three tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. Cumberland recorded 10 tackles for loss, seven quarterback hurries, and forced two turnovers overall.
Cumberland returns home to Nokes-Lasater Field next week to host Pikeville.
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