KENOSHA, Wis. – The Carthage College Red Men football team opened the 2016 season Saturday at Art Keller Field with a 51-11 win behind a dominant second half performance that saw Carthage record three defensive touchdowns and a safety in the win.
 
With the win, Carthage opens the season 1-0 for the second time under fourth year head coach Mike Yeager, while dropping the Spartans to 0-1 on the season.  Additionally, the 50-point win was the second largest week one win in program history, only behind the Red Men's opener win in 1915 when Carthage defeated Hannibal-La Grange Junior College, 59-0.
 
""Bad first thirty.  Great second thirty," said head football coach Mike Yeager.  "They've got a good offensive line, a good defensive line, well coached and physical. They came to play. We weren't ready. We didn't play well enough in the first half and didn't execute on either side of the ball but really happy with the second half…I think we just got a little more aggressive on defense because of what they were doing. I think it was a good decision by Coach Dustin Hass to bring a little more pressure. We were a little bit more decisive on our side."
 
The Red Men started the scoring in the game on the fourth play from scrimmage as Lafayette McGary busted a 42-yard touchdown run, which after the Lance Unland PAT, gave the Red Men a 7-0 lead.
 
After forcing a turnover on down at the one yard line, the Red Men weren't able to break out of the end zone on their ensuing possession and Aurora capitalized with a safety.
 
Following an Aurora field goal to open the second quarter, Carthage found the end zone again as Cedrick Fry took a scoop and score 42 yards to extend the Red Men lead to 14-5.
 
Aurora answered right back before the half with an eight play, 1:57 drive ending in a Aurora touchdown pass.  However, a missed PAT kept the Red Men at the halftime break at three at 14-11.
 
The second half was not so much of a back-and-fourth affair, as Carthage came out of the locker room and dominated in every aspect of the game the final 30 minutes.  Carthage outscored Aurora 37-0 in the second half courtesy of five touchdowns and a safety, while limiting Aurora's offense to just 28 total yards of offense.
 
Looking at the defense Saturday Yeager stated, "You know the defense did great in terms of turnovers today. There were a couple more balls on the ground that we could have been there for five or six [turnovers]. We do our turnover circuit and we emphasize it. We know those are game changing plays and obviously when you get a couple of those early in the second half the game obviously changes."
 
James Cobbs III started the third quarter with an explosive 71 yard touchdown reception  from Ethan Olles as Cobbs found himself all alone behind the Spartan secondary before outrunning everyone to the end zone.  It was Cobb's only catch of the day but was good enough for a game high in reception yards, while Olles finished Saturday completing 9-of-16 passes for 176 yards, with the one touchdown and one interception.
 
Following a safety via a bad snap on a punt that found its way through the end zone, Carthage used the running game to power the first of a pair of touchdown runs by Jamel Davis to push the Red Men lead to 30-11. 
 
Carthage then erased any doubts with a pair of pick-sixes by Kameron Stubblefield and Amani Dennis within a 1:30 of each other to increase the lead to 44-11.
 
Davis later capped off his day with 4:48 remaining in the game, punching in his second touchdown to closeout the scoring.  Earlier in the drive Davis had the longest play from scrimmage with an 84 yard run with the Red Men backed up at their own two-yard line.
 
Davis ended the day as the game's leading rusher with 107 yards on eight carries; all coming in the second half.  McGary finished with 76 on 11 touches.
 
 As a team Carthage owned the ground, rushing for 232 yards and three touchdowns compared to Aurora's 105 yards and no touchdowns.  The Spartans held a slight advantage in the air, outgaining the Red Men 197-176. 
 
It was Carthage's four takeaways that proved the difference, leading to 21 points for the Red Men on the three defensive returns for touchdowns.
 
Carthage hits the road next week for their first away game of the 2016 season, as the Red Men travel to St. Paul, Minnesota to face Bethel University, Saturday, September 10th at 1:00 p.m.
 
Looking ahead to next week Yeager said, "It's going to be a great challenge and I don't think we've ever shied away from our scheduling and trying to be the best. We'll have a great idea of where we're at."