ATHENS — This is why Trinity Valley Community College head coach Brad Smiley wants home playoff games so bad.

When you’re on your own turf, it just seems like the bounces go your way more often than not.

Smiley’s Cardinals scored two touchdowns in the final 1:50 and recovered an onside kick to set up the game-winning score in a 55-51 win over the defending national champion and rival Navarro College Bulldogs Saturday at Bruce Field.

The No. 9-ranked Cardinals (8-1, 5-1 in Southwest Junior College Football Conference) earned the right to host No. 6 Navarro next week in the semifinals of the conference playoffs. The winner moves on to the conference championship game Nov. 12.

“Mission one — accomplished,” Smiley said of securing a home playoff game. “Now we’re ready to go out and win a championship. I’m so proud of these guys.”

He then proudly pointed to black armbands the Cardinals wore in memory of Dr. W.P. “Rip” Drumgoole — the college’s vice president of student affairs who died of cancer this past week at age 61.

For the Bulldogs (7-2, 4-2), the loss eliminated them from repeating as national champs barring an unprecedented shakeup in the national polls.

It was fitting that the highest-scoring game in 88 meetings between these two teams (the previous combined high-point total was 85 points in 1954) included a wild fourth quarter.

Navarro quarterback Adrian Nelson’s sixth touchdown pass of the game put the Bulldogs ahead, 51-42 with 11:26 left in the game. It was Nelson’s third straight touchdown pass, rallying the Bulldogs from a 42-31 third-quarter deficit.

Nelson torched the TVCC defense for 543 yards passing, but on Navarro’s final three series he  hit just five of 14 passes and threw an interception to open the door for Cardinals.

And they walked right in. Well, it was a fast walk.

Following a Navarro punt, the Cardinals got the ball on their own 33 with 3:25 left in the game. Quarterback Tucker Carter marched the Cardinals the length of the field in eight plays, capped by his own one-yard touchdown run to trim the Bulldog lead to 51-49 with 1:50 left.

Included on the drive was an 11-yard completion to James Jackson on third-and-10 from the Navarro 12. Oh, and defensive back Kent Gainous also had to run two plays at quarterback after Carter took a big hit on a pass attempt. Gainous — a quarterback at his high school in Florida — completed a six-yard pass and then scrambled 11 yards for a first down before Carter came back into the game.

After the touchdown, Smiley sent all-conference punter Brad Dunavant onto the field to attempt an onside kick. Dunavant bounced the ball high into the air, and it was recovered by teammate Adrian Henderson at the TVCC 44-yard line.

Two plays later, Carter — who was 24 of 37 for 342 yards with four passing touchdowns and two rushing scores — hit Derel Walker on a 55-yard post to give TVCC a 55-51 lead. Carter’s two-point pass failed.

To add to the drama, Marquez Clark — who seems to be a lock for an all-American spot as a wide receiver after setting school and conference records for receptions in a season — returned the ensuing kickoff 41 yards to set the Bulldogs up at the TVCC 49. Completions of 17 and 22 yards thrust Navarro into a first-and-goal with 12 seconds left, but the Cardinal defense stuffed a shovel pass to end the game.

“This win lets us know that as a team and as players, we’re dedicated and ready to do whatever it takes,” Gainous said. “It’s hard to beat a team twice in a row, but we’re ready.”

CARDINALS 55, BULLDOGS 51

    NC    TVCC

First Downs    27    26

Rushing Yards    30-148    36-141    

Passing Yards    543    342

Total Yards    691    483

Passes Att.    44    38

Passes Comp.    29    25

Interceptions    1    1

Fumbles/Lost    5/3    4/2

Penalties    11/86    2/10

Punts    2/35.0    5/36.6

SCORE BY QUARTERS

NAVARRO    10    21    14    6    —    51

TVCC    14    14    14    13    —    55

SCORING SUMMARY

TVCC — Tucker Carter 32 run (Saul Martinez kick) 13:24, 1Q

NC — Trevor Pinkston 37 FG, 9:49, 1Q

TVCC — Carter 8 pass to K’Sean Wesley (Martinez kick) 3:25, 1Q

NC — Adrian Nelson 50 pass to Eddie Johnson (Pinkston kick) 2:40, 1Q

TVCC — Dakorey Johnson 68 fumble return (Martinez kick) 14:26, 2Q

NC — DeMarcus Jackson 8 run (Pinkston kick) 12:15, 2Q

TVCC — Carter 18 pass to Drew Hellriegel (Martinez kick) 9:07, 2Q

NC — Nelson 33 pass to Robert Primes (Pinkston kick) 5:29, 2Q

NC — Nelson 27 pass to Marquez Clark (Pinkston kick) :09, 2Q

TVCC — Carter 46 pass to Derel Walker (Martinez kick) 14:33, 3Q

TVCC — Carter 6 run (Martinez kick) 12:56, 3Q

NC — Nelson 37 pass to Clark (Pinkston kick) 10:04, 3Q

NC — Nelson 55 pass to Clark (Pinkston kick) :57, 3Q

NC — Nelson 20 pass to Primes (Pinkston kick) 11:26, 4Q

TVCC — Carter 1 run (Martinez kick) 1:50, 4Q

TVCC — Carter 55 pass to Walker (Martinez kick) 1:17, 4Q



INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — NC: Adrian Nelson 1-4; DeMarcus Jackson 15-66; Tyler Middleton 9-35; Marquez Clark 1-27; Johnny Haynes 4-16. TVCC: Vedial Johnson 4-0; Adrian Henderson 3-29; Tucker Carter 15-42; Rufus Mason 9-18; Mason Hayes 4-41; Kent Ganious 1-11.

RECEIVING — NC: Marquez Clark 9-179; Marcus Vaughn 2-26; Johnny Haynes 1-3; Eddie Johnson 4-146; DeMarcus Jackson 3-39; Robert Primes 6-109; Gerard Shillow 1-8; Tyler Middleton 1-9; Wareall Grogan 1-13; Keywon Pickens 1-11. TVCC: K’Sean Wesley 2-21; Derel Walker 7-142; Drew Hellriegel 5-59; James Jackson 6-60; Buddy Nunn 1-20; Rufus Mason 1-10; Jack Brown 2-33; Mason Hayes 1-(-3).

PASSING — NC: Adrian Nelson 29-44-543-6-1. TVCC: Tucker Carter 24-37-336-4-1. Kent Ganious 1-1-6-0-0.