COOKEVILLE, TENN. -- Carter Brown booted a pair of second half 52-yard field goals to help FCS 15th-ranked Tennessee Tech beat Furman, 20-15, in Southern Conference football action Saturday afternoon at Tucker Stadium.
After Furman's
Connor Adams blocked a punt by for a safety and
Nathan Chapman drilled a 53-yard  field goal to cut Tennessee Tech's lead to 14-8 in the third quarter, Brown knocked home his first of two 52-yard efforts to push the Golden Eagles' advantage to 17-8 early in the fourth quarter.
The Paladins pulled to with 17-15 on a 23-yard touchdown strike from
Connor Ackerley to
Luke Shields 6:38 remaining. Â Tennessee Tech responded with a nine-play, 39-yard possession to set up Brown's second field goal of the half, with 2:50 remaining to give the Golde Eagles a 20-15 lead.
Furman threatened on its final possession, moving to TTU 24 before a illegal procedure penalty and two incomplete passes set up a fourth-and-15 play. Â Ackerely, however, was sacked on the play by Hudson Tucker at the 36-yard line with 1:04 remaining.
The loss was the fourth straight for Furman (2-5, 1-2 SoCon). Â Tennessee Tech (5-1, 3-1 SoCon), in its first year of SoCon play, represented the Paladins' fifth-ranked foe of the season.
Ackerley completed 24-of-39 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown.
Shields paced Furman's receiving corps with seven catches for 87 yards and a score. Â
Daniel Haughton matched Shields with seven grabs for 54 yards.
Jax Leathwood hit on 24-of-36 passes for 212 yards and a score.
AK Burrell led Furman's defense with nine stops.
Idle next Saturday, the Paladins return to action on Oct. 24 when they play host to Samford in a 2:00 p.m. Homecoming contest.
