After putting up 34 points a week ago in a victory over Caldwell County, the Hopkinsville Tigers looked to have created some offensive momentum after failing to find the endzone in back-to-back losses to start the season. However, any spark was extinguished early in Friday night’s meeting with hosts Bowling Green, with the Tigers turning the ball over five times in the opening half on the way to a 38-7 loss to the Purples.
The Tigers began firing at their feet on only their second offensive play, with Bowling Green’s Matrix Halcomb picking off quarterback Zach Moss’ first attempt.
The Purples jumped in front on a Colin Fratus 30-yard field goal midway through the first quarter and pushed the lead to 10-0 with four minutes left in the opening frame after Davis Fant stepped in front of a Moss pass and returned it 13 yards for a score.
Backed up deep in their own territory early in the second quarter, Moss put the ball on the ground and Zion Johnson recovered for the Purples at the Tiger 14-yard line. Bowling Green quarterback Deuce Bailey wasted no time extending the advantage, hitting Holcomb for a touchdown on 1st down for a 17-0 score with 7:35 left in the half.
Hopkinsville’s next possession ended in another interception, this one by Bowling Green’s Bert Kibawa, and Bailey did it himself this time with a 34-yard scoring scamper.
Forced to punt with just over three minutes until the break, the Purples fumbled and Hoptown’s Kemaure Mumford fell on it at the Bowling Green 29. Moss found Daisjuan Mercer down to the 9-yard line to give the Tigers a 1st and goal, but they went backward from there and Moss’ 30-yard field goal attempt sailed wide to end the half.
Both teams were slow out of the gate after the break, with no scoring and little offense from either side in the third quarter. However, the Purples were back in the endzone early in the fourth, with Bailey hitting Bryer Bice down to the 1-yard line and Dillon Maners punching it in from there for a 31-0 Bowling Green lead.
Moss threw interceptions on back-to-back Tiger possessions with Hoptown’s Jaron Mills recovering a fumble in between. On the second, the Purples took over just inside Hoptown territory with 7:18 left in the game, and Kibawa only needed one touch to push the score to 38-0 on a 47-yard scoring run.
The Tigers finally got on the board with four minutes left after Jaden Dillard set them up at 1st and 10 at the Purple 14 with a 61-yard run. After going backward on the first play, Emmanuel Cheatham found the endzone for Hoptown with a 16-yard run.
Hopkinsville managed only six 1st downs to the Purples’ 13 and finished -5 in the turnover battle.
The Tigers ran for 46 yards on 20 attempts with Dillard leading the way with 64 on 10 carries. Moss completed 10 of 29 passing attempts for 80 yards, 62 going to Mercer on four catches.
David Boswell led the Tigers with 8 tackles, followed by Mills with 6, and JoVaun Jackson with four.
The Purples ran 57 plays for a total of 246 yards, with most of the damage done on the ground. They ran 33 times for 177 yards, led by Tyler Moore with 50 yards on 11 carries, Kibawa with 47 on one attempt, and Bailey with 11 rushes for 45 yards. Bailey was also 10 for 24 for 69 yards through the air.
Both Hopkinsville and Christian County limp into next week’s annual rivalry game with matching 1-3 records. The Tigers have won the last two meetings after dropping the previous four with the Colonels.
