COLLEGE FOOTBALL: UPIKE offense erupts in win over Cumberland

The University of Pikeville jumped out to a big lead against Cumberland and the Bears held off the Phoenix, 47-37, at the Hambley Athletics Complex on Saturday. 

UPIKE, now 2-0, beat Cumberland for a fourth straight time. 

Quarterback Lee Kirkland passed for 579 yards and four touchdowns. Three receivers had over 100 yards. Derrick Griffith hauled in five passes for 127 yards and a score; Alex Sanders caught five passes for 121 yards and a touchdown; and Rashad Brown pulled in six receptions for 116 yards and two scores. 

Kirkland and Sanders each ran for a touchdown and Cameron Miller returned an interception 100 yards to paydirt. 

Kirkland passed Trevor Hoskins into second place for yards thrown in a single game. 

UPIKE will hit the road on Saturday to Bethel University (3-0) for a 2 pm kick. 

At Pikeville 

SCORE BY QUARTERS: 

CU (2-1)….7 10 7 13 – 37 

UP (2-0)…13 14 20 0 – 47 

Scoring: 

First Quarter 

UP – Rashad Brown, 5-yard pass from Lee Kirkland (pass failed), 7:40 

UP – Alex Sanders, 80-yard pass from Lee Kirkland (Jakob Hadley kick), 3:47 

CU – Nick Burge, 1-yard run Hunter Mathis kick), :15 

Second Quarter 

CU – Hunter Mathis, 24-yard field goal, 11:56 

UP – Lee Kirkland, 10-yard run (Jakob Hadley kick), 10:02 

CU – Jallen Dallas, 30-yard INT (Hunter Mathis kick), 8:28 

UP – Derrick Griffith, 74-yard pass from Lee Kirkland (Jakob Headley kick), 8:10 

Third Quarter 

UP – Alex Sanders, 1-yard run (Jakob Headley kick), 13:52 

CU – Elijah Gaskin, 42-yard pass from Luke Holloway (Hunter Mathis kick), 8:22 

UP – Rashad Brown, 31-yard pass from Lee Kirkland (kick failed), 5:15 

UP – Cameron Miller, 100-yard INT (Jakob Headley kick), 2:42 

Fourth Quarter 

CU – Jaylen Taylor, 14-yard pass from Luke Holloway (Hunter Mathis kick), 10:52 

CU – Treylon Sheppard, 29-yard pass from Luke Holloway (pass failed), 6:06 

Next up: UPIKE (2-0) at Bethel University (3-0), 2 pm, Sept. 24.