Tusculum can only dream about what this season might have been like had they played earlier in the season like they have the last two football games.

The Pioneers knocked off visiting Mars Hill 38-28 Saturday afternoon in Homecoming at muddy Pioneer Field, severely limiting the Lions' chances of advancing to the post-season.

Freshman quarterback Bo Cordell had a big game, shaking off two first quarter interceptions to finish with 366 yds. passing and four touchdowns as the two South Atlantic Conference rivals combined for over 800 yds. in total offense.

That helped offset a phenomenal performance by Mars Hill tailback Jonas Randolph, who churned out 260 yds. on 38 carries and became the school's single season rushing leader and is only 250 yds. shy of becoming the league's all-time rushing leader.

"I think it shows the true character of this football team," Coach Frankie DeBusk said. "A lot of teams (with our record) would get down early and lay down, but we didn't do that. We had some high ambitions when the season began. We're not in that position (to win the conference), but we're reaching down and finding ways to win."

Mars Hill tallied a quick touchdown to open the game's scoring on a 17-yd. run by Randolph, but the Pioneers answered when Rashaad Carter got behind the Lions' secondary and hauled iin a 65-yd. pass from Cordell. Randolph broke free on a 67-yd. gallop later in the quarter to put Mars Hill back ahead by the close of the first canto.

The Pioneers then scored twice in the final two minutes of the opening half to take the lead and never looked back. The first came on a 7-yd. pass from Cordell to Ryan Tallent, the senior's first TD of the season receiving, and the second came on an 8-yd. pass from Cordell to Marcus Foster that gave TC a 21-13 halftime advantage.

"It's Homecoming, Halloween, Senior Day, an extra hour's sleep tonight ... just a special day," said a smiling Tallent after the game. Tallent set a school record for career receptions with 204. "I think the seniors stepped up big today."

Tusculum defensive back Lyall Harrison had two first half interceptions, his second one setting up the final TC touchdown of the first half.

"His second pick ... that was just phenomenal," DeBusk said. "And he had a chance for a third pick. He did a terrific job for us."

DeBusk said the Pioneers weren't satisfied with holding the halftime lead.

"We told our kids at halftime that we were in the same situation at Catawba (when they held the lead but wound up losing the game)," the coach said. "We didn't want that to happen again. But we made plays when we needed to (in the second half)."

Kicker Garreth Rowlands drilled a 34-yd. field goal at the 10:24 mark of the third quarter to up TC's lead to 24-13, with the big play of the drive a 55-yd. strike from Cordell to Foster.

But the Lions answered, driving 71-yds. in 10 plays with Randolph scoring his third TD of the game on a 1-yd. plunge. The PAT cut the gap to 24-20.

The Pioneers never wilted. They came up with their own 71-yd. drive, and junior quarterback Collin Wigely came in to dive across the goal line from a yard out with 1:49 left in the third. The big play in that drive was a 23-yd. pass from Cordell to Jarrell NeSmith.

NeSmith, a senior tight end, then came up large, grabbing a pass in the flat and taking it 47-yds. up the sideline for a touchdown with 12:53 left in the ball game. Rowlands, perfect on the day with his kicks, made it 38-20.

Randolph would score his fourth touchdown of the day on a 10-yd. run with 2:21 left in the contest, and Jon Richt passed to Rudy Cabral for the two-point conversion to make it a 38-28 game.

But that would be all the scoring on this Homecoming day.

"Randolph's a great player," DeBusk said. "We knew that coming in. But we got the lead and they had to throw it, and they're not a very good passing team, just like we're not very good at running the ball. But hats off to our defense. Our coaches are still clawing like they can win it all, and that's what we're going to continue to do."

The Pioneers close out the season next Saturday with a trip to Carson-Newman. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.

* Senior running back Jamar Ferguson went down with an leg injury in the second half and is likely lost for next week's game.

* John Gregory averaged 49 yds. on four punts and each punt pinned the Lions inside their own 20 yd. line.

* Coach Frankie DeBusk celebrated his birthday Saturday along with the victory over Mars Hill.

RUSHING: Mars Hill-Jonas Randolph 38-260; Garrison McDowell 2-17; Luis Cruz 2-minus 5. Tusculum-Ryan Tallent 11-37; Marcus Foster 8-23; Fred Jones 2-4; Jamar Ferguson 3-2; Collin Wigely 1-1; Bo Cordell 8-minus 22.

PASSING: Mars Hill-Jon Richt 7-17-0-139; Luis Cruz 2-15-3-28; TEAM 0-1-0-0. Tusculum-Bo Cordell 26-41-2-366.

RECEIVING: Mars Hill-Josh Johnson 4-39; Joshua Young 2-48; Travis Prince 1-33; Demetruis Smedley 1-30; Frankie Waters 1-17. Tusculum-Ryan Tallent 7-68; Jarrell NeSmith 5-92; Nate Binder 5-42; Marcus Foster 3-73; Rashaad Carter 2-74; Chris Young 2-5; Jamar Ferguson 1-10; Deonte' Gist 1-2.