Senior quarterback Heath Haden (Kingsport, Tenn.) accounted for 311 yards of offense and four touchdowns as the Centre College football team won its SAA-opener 44-7 over Berry College Saturday, Oct. 11 at Farris Stadium in Danville, Ky.

With the win, the Colonels remain undefeated and improve to 5-0 overall and 1-0 in the SAA. Berry, after earning its first-ever win a week ago, falls to 1-4 overall and 0-2 in league action.

Sophomore Nolan Coulter (Knoxville, Tenn.) put Centre on the board with 4:35 left to go in the first quarter with three-yard run for a 7-0 lead. The score was Coulter's sixth rushing score of the season already.

Haden added to the lead early in the second quarter on a one-yard run, and then hit junior Jake Johnson (Louisville, Ky.) for a 14-yard scoring strike in the second quarter and the Colonels led 21-0 at the half. Johnson finished with six catches for 60 yards and his second touchdown of the season.

Centre put the game out-of-reach in the second half with 23-third quarter points, while the Vikings were only able to muster seven.

Sophomore Duncan Mercer (South Charleston, Ohio) scored his first collegiate touchdown on a 14-yard pass from Haden to make it 28-0. Following Berry's only score, the Colonels then tallied a safety to make it 30-7.

With 1:45 left in the third, sophomore receiver Max Mazza (Cincinnati, Ohio) snagged an 18-yard touchdown pass from Haden, and senior Paul Megilligan (Danville, Ky.) recovered a fumble in the end zone at the end of the quarter to cap the scoring. 

The Centre defense gave the Vikings fits all day as Berry was limited to only 246 yards of total offense, including only 38 yards on the ground. The Colonels forced four turnovers, broke up six passes and had four sacks on the day. 

Senior Devon Freeman (Louisville, Ky.) had a huge game with six tackles, including 4.5 tackles-for-loss, three sacks, a pass break-up and a forced fumble to lead the defense. 

Haden finished the day 24 of 32 for 227 yards and three touchdowns through the air, and added 84 yards on 14 carries and another score on the ground. Mazza set a career-high with 116 receiving yards, while also tying his single-game high of 10 catches.

Sophomore Casey Bradley (Acworth, Ga.) followed up a 93-yard performance in his last game with 85 yards rushing on 13 carries this week.  

Centre will return Saturday, Oct. 18 on the road against Sewanee. Kick-off is set for 1 p.m. CDT in Sewanee, Tenn.