JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – No. 13-ranked Humboldt State football opened the 2016 season with a 52-45 win over perennial power Carson-Newman Thursday afternoon at Burke-Tarr Stadium.
 
The non-conference victory was a statement for the Lumberjacks who are coming off arguably the best season in program history. HSU advanced to the NCAA postseason in 2015, and Thursday's result will set the North Coast squad up for a return trip.
 
"I thought today's win showed great character, poise and composure," said Head Coach Rob Smith. "It's a huge win for our program to go on the road and beat a team like Carson-Newman. Carson-Newman has won multiple National Championships at this level, and it was a great win for our program. Humboldt Nation should be very proud of this group."
 
Carson-Newman's electrifying offense struck first on the opening play of the game. Despite allowing the early touchdown, HSU showed resiliency and proved it was ready to take part in what became an offensive shootout.
 
"There were a lot of kids playing for the first time and a lot of nervousness," said Smith. "We are very proud of how our defense responded. We are a young team, and we were going to make mistakes, but we were able to come back and overcome."
 
Cameron Southward connected on a 30-yard field goal and All-American Ja'Quan Gardner capped a 10-play, 81-yard drive with a touchdown in the first quarter. But it was the efforts of newcomer James Clark that gave HSU its first lead of the game. Clark batted down a punt off the foot of Jonathan King, scooped up the ball and scored to give the Jacks a 10-7 advantage following the Southward field goal.
 
The Eagles opened the second quarter with another rushing touchdown, but the Jacks were ready to answer. On 4th-and-1, Sage Burmeister hauled in a 28-yard pass from Robert Webber on a play-action fake to put HSU up 24-14.
 
Back-to-back touchdowns for Carson-Newman gave it a 28-24 lead with 1:16 to play in the first half. With limited time before the half, Webber led the Green and Gold offense on a three-play, 75-yard drive. A 56-yard touchdown strike to Marjani Ellison gave HSU a 31-28 edge heading into the locker room.
 
After making halftime adjustments, the Eagles defense stalled the Jacks on consecutive offensive possessions to begin the third quarter. A 41-yard field goal evened the game at 31 points apiece with 5:11 remaining in the third quarter.
 
Carson-Newman's Jason Williams was hit with a targeting call that resulted in an extended drive for the HSU offense. The Jacks capitalized on the Eagles miscue when Chase Krivashei snatched a 35-yard pass from Webber putting HSU back up 38-31.
 
A Jamal Jones rushing score put the Eagles on the board and tied the game at 38-38 as the third quarter came to an end.
 
Gardner rushed for a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including a 35-yard scamper that sealed the win with 34 seconds left in regulation. He finished the game with 138 yards and three touchdowns.
 
Not to be outdone, Webber had one of his best performances in the Green and Gold. The junior signal caller completed 24-of-33 passes for 380 yards and three scores. His 380 passing yards were the second highest total in his HSU career.
 
"Robert has had some good games over the last two years, but this one ranks right up there," said Smith. "He just took command of our offense. That's what impressed me the most, he knows exactly what it is we want to do, and he gets us into position to do just that. He was the guy in charge today, and time and time again, he delivered the ball. I thought last spring he was able to elevate his game and was doing a better job at seeing the entire field. He showed up today and had a tremendous game."
 
Ellison, Burmeister and Krivashei each had a touchdown reception in the win, but it was Gardner that led the team in receiving yards. The Ceres, Calif., native caught three passes for 86 yards, and he finished with a game-high 224 all-purpose yards.
 
For the HSU defense, Jeff Shott (12), Josh Hinson (12) and Julian Owens (11) finished with double-digit tackles, and Hinson tallied a team-leading 2.5 tackles for loss.
 
Azusa Pacific visits the North Coast for HSU's home opener on Saturday, Sept. 10. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. The first 300 fans will receive a rally towel courtesy of tri counties bank.
 
"We have nine days to heal," said Smith. "This was a very physical game. We have some players right now that are very sore and dealing with some bumps and bruises that go along with playing a physical game. The extra time in preparation for week two is important for us, but we are going to relax and enjoy the night. Like I said, this is a big win for these kids."