Thursday. October 10, 1985
The Pendulum
Spofts
Page 9
Elon stops Bears for Homecoming
By Jeff Plummer
Staff Writer
A Homecoming crowd of more
than 6,000 saw the Fightin'
Christians come from behind last
Saturday with two fourth-quarter
touchdowns to defeat upset-
minded Lenoir-Rhyne, 33-27.
Elon takes its 3-0 slate and
NAIA national No. 2 ranking on
the road this weekend to face Fer-
rum College in Ferrum, Va. It
will be the first meeting ever bet
ween the two colleges. Ferrum
until recendy was a junior col
lege. Both the Christians’ and
Bears’ defenses took i. holiday as
the offenses piled up more than
800 yards each. But Eton’s
defense came up with the big
plays when they were needed
most.
The Christians took a 27-24
lead with 9:29 remaining when
quarterback Mike Brodowicz
fired 31 yards to end Stanley
Hairston. That proved to be the
winning score.
On the next possession, the
Bears charged to the Christian 29.
On a fourth and one, comerback
Al Hendricks stopped Bear nm-
ningback Rex Tonkins cold.
From there the Christians used a
ball-control offense behind QBs
Brodowicz and Garrett Robinson
to drive for the clincher.
Jonas Davis, who had 162
yards on 27 carries for three
touchdowns, churned up the field
along with fidlback Mike O’Lari,
who enjoyed a good game with 41
yards on eight carries. But it was
Robinson’s 26-yard pick-up that
put the extra spark in the drive.
Davis capped it with an 11-yard
jaunt that put the score at 33-24
with only 2:28 remaining.
The Bears managed to tack on
three more for the 33-27 final.
This time it was Grady Williams
who came up with the big play
when he sacked QB Brian Bryson
at the eight, forcing the three-
pointer. It was Williams’ second
sack of the drive.
Overall, the Bears outgained
the Christians, 431 yards to 410
yards. Bear QB Bryson threw for
225 yards, hitting 22 of 30 with
one interception.
That one interception led to
Elon’s first score on their open
ing posession. Hendricks picked
it off at the L-R 34. Two plays
later Davis scampered around the
left end for 33 yards and the TD.
Paul Mullen added the extra point
for the 7-0 lead.
Two possessions later,
Brodowicz guided the Christians
80 yards to go up 13-7. A lO-yard
pass to Chuck Ward fmished the
drive. From here it looked like it
DEEP THREAT: Elon’s AI Hendricks (38) and Jake Welbom (46) close in on L-R’s Terance Steward
(I), who caught 10 passes on the day.
would be a breeze on the crisp,
clear autumn afternoon.
Lenoir-Rhyne, starting from
their own 18, ripped the Elon
defense for big gains. Using three
running backs and All-American
end Terence Steward, Bryson
guided them the distance to cut it
to 13-7. Steward had a 10-catch
day for 121 yards.
From then until shortly after
the half Elon would have its pro
blems.
A muffed hand-off at the Bears’
21 ended one drive. On the next
possession, a partially blocked
punt traveled only 19 yards and
gave L-R the bdl at midfield.
ii
Cuda
Transfer QB ready, despite delay
Pwry Cuda
By Steve Johnston
Staff Writer
“I’m just here to help,” says
Perry Cuda, a much-publiciz^
transfer quarterback from the
University of South Carolina who
originally played for legendary
coach ftul “Bear” Bryant at
Alabama.
With that kind of background,
Cuda was seen by some Elon fans
as the possible starting QB on this
year’s team. But he missed spring
practice and upon arriving here
this fall became ensnared in an
eligibility controversy that was
only last week resolved in his
favor.
As a result, Cuda’s playing
time so far has been minimal. He
played in one series of downs
against Carson-Newman, han
ding the ball off three times in the
final quarter. Last Saturday
against Lenoir-Rhyne, Cuda held
the ball for two point-aftex
.lyglijs—hnjh of whirh failgH
However, head coach Macky
Carden insists Cuda will probably
be a more important part of the
team. “We just have to get him
in a game situation where his
passing ability will be tested,”
Carden says. Cuda was declared
ineligible on Sept. 20, only one
day before Elon's season opener.
Fightin’ Christian Athletic
Director Dr. Alan White, with
the help of Faculty Athletic
Chairman Wes Alexander, ap
pealed the ruling and had it
overturned.
Cuda’s eligibility was question
ed because he received a “D” in
a three-hour course that he took
at South Carolina, which the
NAIA executive committee con
sidered non-transferable.
The NAIA eligibility regula
tions state that a transfer athlete
must have passed 24 hours in the
past two semesters; the rules say
See Cuda, page 11.
Behind their surprisingly tough
ground attack, the Bears look the
lead with only 2:13 left In the
half
With Brodowicz passing to
Ward and Hairslon, the Chris
tians seemed to be headed for the
goal line. Elon got as far as the
30 before an interception sent
them to the intermission trailing
by one.
On their first posession after
the half, Elon took back the lead,
19-14. This time Davis and
O’Lari moved the ball on the
ground for big gains.
Lenoir-Rhyne came right back
with a drive starting at their own
12. The drive was stopped at the
34, but a roughing the kicker
penalty kept things alive. The
Bears ate up more than seven
minutes en route to the 44-yard
field goal that brought the score
to 19-17.
Christians
ranked no. 1
Elon is rated number one in this
weeks NAIA Football poll
following the 33-29 loss by
former number 1 Central State
(Okla.), which bowed last Satur
day to Angelo State.
This represents Elon’s first top
ranking since the 1982 season.
The Christians were NAIA Na
tional Champions in 1981 and
1982. .