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Cumberland University

Jaylen Abston
7
Ave Maria (FL) AVE 0-2
55
Winner Cumberland (TN) CU 2-1
Ave Maria (FL) AVE
0-2
7
Final
55
Cumberland (TN) CU
2-1
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
AVE Ave Maria (FL) 0 7 0 0 7
CU Cumberland (TN) 14 14 20 7 55

Next Game:

at University of Pikeville

9/20/2025 | 5:00 PM

WANT FM 98.9/WCOR AM 1490

Next Game

Full Schedule
Sep. 20 (Sat) / 5:00 PM
at University of Pikeville
History

Game Recap: Football |

Cumberland Explodes for 550 Yards in 55-7 Victory over Ave Maria

LEBANON, Tenn.--Cumberland put together a dominant all-around performance Saturday night, rolling past Ave Maria (Fla.) 55-7 at Nokes-Lasater Field. The Phoenix controlled the line of scrimmage from start to finish, piling up 550 yards of offense while holding the Gyrenes to just 166, and scored in every quarter to earn their second straight victory.

The Phoenix imposed their will in the run game, rushing 59 times for 382 yards and six touchdowns behind a deep stable of backs. Jacob Cornejo led the way with 105 yards and two scores on 21 carries, while Rod Payne added 89 yards and two touchdowns, including a 55-yard breakaway in the third quarter. Lamar Childress also ran for 51 yards and a touchdown on 12 touches. 

Quarterback Jaylen Abston contributed 120 yards rushing, highlighted by a 61-yard burst, and also connected on a 59-yard touchdown pass to Jarrius Rogers. Fellow signal-caller Zach Holtzclaw was efficient, throwing for 94 yards and a touchdown to Ryan Edmiston and adding a rushing score of his own. Rogers finished with 104 receiving yards, while Nate Stephens and Ryan Edmiston each chipped in key catches.

Defensively, Cumberland swarmed Ave Maria, forcing four fumbles and recovering two while recording four sacks. Cannon Johnson picked off a pass late in the first half that set up a quick touchdown strike, and Josh Jones led the front with six tackles and two tackles for loss. The Phoenix held the Gyrenes to just 3.3 yards per play and allowed only one red zone score all night.

Ave Maria's lone bright spot came in the second quarter, when Reggie McBride capped a 13-play, 75-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 14-7. The Gyrenes struggled otherwise, finishing with just 96 rushing yards and 70 through the air. Quarterback Logan Howard completed 8-of-14 passes for 58 yards but was intercepted once and sacked three times.

Cumberland wasted no time setting the tone, driving 72 yards in 10 plays on its opening possession. Holtzclaw hit Edmiston from 16 yards out to put the Phoenix on the board with 8:15 left in the first quarter. The touchdown was Edminston's first career score for the Phoenix. Just before the quarter ended, Payne plunged in from six yards to make it 14-0. 

After Ave Maria answered midway through the second, Cumberland responded with authority, scoring twice in the final 90 seconds of the half. Cornejo's four-yard touchdown run capped a nine-play, 50-yard drive, and following Johnson's interception, the senior tailback punched in another score from five yards out with 37 seconds left to stretch the margin to 28-7 at the break.

The Phoenix buried the game in the third quarter. Following a Gyrene fumble, Payne sprinted 55 yards untouched to extend the lead to 35-7. On the next series, Childress finished a five-play, 73-yard march with a one-yard dive, and Abston and Rogers connected on their 59-yard touchdown strike late in the period to make it 48-7. Cumberland added one final statement drive in the fourth, a 19-play, 74-yard march that chewed more than 10 minutes off the clock, ending with Holtzclaw sneaking in from a yard out to put the finishing touches on a 55-7 rout.

The win pushes Cumberland to 2-1 on the season, while Ave Maria drops to 0-2.
 
The Phoenix will look to carry their momentum into next Saturday's game as Cumberland's starts off a four-game road stretch at Pikeville.
 
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Players Mentioned

Zach Holtzclaw

#10 Zach Holtzclaw

QB
5' 10"
Redshirt Sophomore
Cannon Johnson

#8 Cannon Johnson

DB
5' 9"
Sophomore
Josh Jones

#96 Josh Jones

DL
6' 0"
Junior
Rod Payne

#31 Rod Payne

RB
5' 9"
Sophomore
Nate Stephens

#9 Nate Stephens

WR
5' 9"
Sophomore
Jacob Cornejo

#29 Jacob Cornejo

RB
6' 0"
Freshman
Ryan Edmiston

#89 Ryan Edmiston

TE
6' 2"
Freshman
Jarrius Rogers

#82 Jarrius Rogers

WR
5' 9"
Freshman
Jaylen Abston

#1 Jaylen Abston

QB
6' 3"
Redshirt Freshman
Lamar Childress

#32 Lamar Childress

RB
5' 10"
Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

Zach Holtzclaw

#10 Zach Holtzclaw

5' 10"
Redshirt Sophomore
QB
Cannon Johnson

#8 Cannon Johnson

5' 9"
Sophomore
DB
Josh Jones

#96 Josh Jones

6' 0"
Junior
DL
Rod Payne

#31 Rod Payne

5' 9"
Sophomore
RB
Nate Stephens

#9 Nate Stephens

5' 9"
Sophomore
WR
Jacob Cornejo

#29 Jacob Cornejo

6' 0"
Freshman
RB
Ryan Edmiston

#89 Ryan Edmiston

6' 2"
Freshman
TE
Jarrius Rogers

#82 Jarrius Rogers

5' 9"
Freshman
WR
Jaylen Abston

#1 Jaylen Abston

6' 3"
Redshirt Freshman
QB
Lamar Childress

#32 Lamar Childress

5' 10"
Graduate Student
RB