DEFENSE KEYS SHUTOUT WIN OVER MANSFIELD

With 4:26 left in the first half and the Bearcats leading 7-0, Mansfield had the ball at the Bearcat 26-yard line.

The Tigers would get a pass interference call that wiped out a Jace Washburn interception to move to the 13, only to turn the ball over on downs and the Bearcats went 92 yards to double their lead, then dominated the second half on the way to a 35-0 win.

From the Bearcat 13 a first down rush got 3 yards with Dunn Daniel on the stop, a pass on second down got 1 with Peyton Tatum making the play, a third down pass was incomplete, and Tatum broke up a fourth down pass.

The ball was placed at the 8 and a 92-yard drive — one of three 90-plus yard drives — that featured a 34-yard completion to Washburn made it 14-0.

Elliot got the touchdown from 12 yards out with 1:36 left in the half.

The Bearcats (6-1, 4-0 Conference 3A-1) actually got the ball back before the intermission on an interception that Washburn (shown) got to keep.

Otherwise it had been largely a sloppy first half in which the Bearcats were dominant both offensively and defensively but were assessed 78 yards in penalties.

The Bearcats were in complete control in the second half resulting in a 35-0 shutout.

Daniel returned the second half opening kickoff to the Bearcat 28 and in seven plays — five straight resulting in first downs — it was 21-0.

Elliott got his second touchdown from the 2. Elliott ran 15 times for 105 yards on the night.

Mansfield (4-3, 1-3) reached the Bearcat 21 on the ensuing possession but a Trace Hall interception at the 6 ended that threat.

From there the Bearcats scored again in just two plas as Dax Goff got loose for 87 yards and it was 28-0 with 4:54 left in the third quarter.

Goff wouldn’t carry the ball again but still finished with his fourth straight 200+ game, going for 244 yards on just nine carries.

Kicking off from the Tiger 45 due to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, Marcos Mullor sent the kick out of the end zone.

Mansfield’s ensuing possession included a holding penalty, one for illegal motion on a play that saw a completion to a lineman, and a 5-yard tackle for a loss by Brendan Dove to bring up a fourth-and-42 from their 2.

Following a punt the Bearcats scored in five plays with Tatum scoring his first touchdown of the year from 7 yards out to make it 35-0, with Mullor’s fifth PAT.

Over the final 11:11 Frank Gil forced a fumble — Mansfield saved possession but had to punt — and Farris Danes picked off a pass to preserve the 80th shutout in Bearcat Stadium.

Mansfield started the game by picking up a one first down on a penalty and one on a third down pass before punting.

The Bearcats moved the chains twice on their opening possession, once with Tatum rumbling for 25 on a fourth down, before a turnover on downs.

Mansfield, which had 65 yards of offense at halftime and 117 on the night, punted again with 3:53 to play in the first quarter with the ball downed at the Bearcat 1.

Two carries by Elliott had the Bearcats at their 22. Hall would seemingly move the chains three plays later but lost it to a holding call.

On a second-and-15 Goff went 70 yards to make it 7-0 with 1:18 left in the quarter.

The Bearcats next got the ball in Tiger territory but a holding call, then an ineligible receiver down field call took away a first down completion and the Bearcats ultimately punted

After another Tiger punt a block in the back flag pushed the Bearcats to their 9.

Unable to move the chains the Bearcats punted and after a return to the Bearcat 26, a pass interference call moved the Tigers to the 13 setting up the crucial series.

The Bearcats are home again this week to take on the Charleston Tigers. Charleston beat Hackett 57-0 Friday.