Football

October 3, 2009

Tigers Defeat Birmingham-Southern in Home Opener

Trinity, which played its first four games on the road, improved to 4-1. Birmingham-Southern dropped to 2-2. The Panthers games do not count in SCAC standings, because Birmingham-Southern is in transition from the NCAA Division I to Division III. Trinity now leads the series 3-0 with the Panthers, including last year’s 48-20 win in Alabama.

Tiger sophomore quarterback Patrick Dickinson threw a touchdown pass and rushed for two others. Dickinson, who went 10-13 (no interceptions, two sacks) for 150 yards in the air, completed a 62-yard TD pass to senior wide receiver Caleb Urban in the second quarter. Dickinson also rushed for touchdowns of 12 and 10 yards in the third period. He rushed eight times for 23 yards.

Urban also scored on a rushing touchdown of 49 yards, on a reverse play, in the second quarter, giving Trinity a 20-7 lead. Urban rushed three times for 61 yards, and snagged three passes for 87 yards.

First-year kicker Garrett Biel booted two field goals in the first quarter, following an 18-yard touchdown run by Birmingham-Southern wide receiver David Langston. Biel’s first field goal was for 28 yards, followed by a 48-yarder with less than a minute left in the period, as the Tigers closed to 6-7. The 48-yard field goal was Trinity’s longest since 1974, and is tied for the Tigers’ third best in school history. Duncan Pringle made two from 52 yards in 1974, and Trinity Athletic Hall of Fame member Marvin Upshaw connected on a field goal of 48 yards in 1965.

Senior wide receiver Riley Curry caught two passes for 15 yards. Curry tied Bo Edwards (1996-99) for third place on Trinity’s all-time receptions list. The game’s rushing leader was senior Chris Baer, who had 13 rushing attempts for 86 yards.

Jeremy Staska, a senior quarterback, crossed the goal line from the 1 in the fourth quarter, as Trinity led 41-7. Staska had seven rushes for 29 yards.

Birmingham-Southern freshman quarterback Jimmy Stainback went 3-3 (no interceptions) for 54 yards and one passing touchdown, of 22 yards. Starter Joe Thigpen, a junior, completed 5-11 (no interceptions, one sack) for 32 yards.

Tiger senior defensive lineman Jeff Carapetyan had seven tackles and three quarterback hurries. Senior lineman Ronald Satterthwaite picked up six tackles and a QB hurry. Junior lineman Garrett Van Dyke was credited with the quarterback sack.

Trinity, which scored a season-high in points, rushed for 268 yards and passed for 150, for 418 total yards. The Panthers, who scored the lowest total of an opponent’s points this season, had 125 yards on the ground and only 86 in the air, for 211 total yards.

The Tigers have off next week, and will host Sewanee in an SCAC game at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 17. Trinity is 1-1 in conference play.

Patrick Dickinson accounted for three touchdowns and 170 yards of offense in his first start for the Tigers

Caleb Urban gave the Tigers the lead with back-to-back scores in the second quarter on a 62-yard reception and a 49-yard reverse

Jeff Carapetyan led the Tiger defense with seven tackles and three quarterback hurries, and Trinity allowed just 211 yards total