Hound Dogs Rout South Carolina Skyhawks

[This is a fictional sports article]

MEMPHIS, TN - Defense once again played big as the Tennessee Hound Dogs (4-0) remained undefeated with a 31-6 win over the South Carolina Skyhawks (1-2-1) in USA Football League action on Monday.

Aaron Kupp tracked down South Carolina Quarterback Ben Styles with a strip sack on his first pass attempt, Eric Glasgow recovered the fumble to set up the Hound Dogs offense in the red zone on their first offensive possession of the game. Tennessee took advantage of the gift from the defense as Rich Lewis hit Oscar Perine on a post route to the end zone for a 7-0 lead. 

Leading 10-0, the defense recovered another fumble in the second quarter.  Otis Louis scored two plays later from the one to extend the Hound Dogs' lead to 17-0.  The Skyhawks got on the board right before halftime on a 40-yard field goal by Joshua Gallup to make it 17-3 at the break.

The Skyhawks took the second half kickoff and drove 71 yards but the Hound Dogs got one of their six sacks in the game on Styles which forced another Gallup field goal to narrow the gap to 17-6.  The Hound Dogs responded on their next drive going 10 plays for 76 yards which ended with a 6-yard pass from Lewis to Darnell McCoy to make it 24-6.  Louis added a 1-yard touchdown run before the end of the third quarter.

"I thought we came out flat after halftime and let them drive it down the field, but our defense got the big play to stop them," said Tennessee Head Coach Colton Preston.  "When they cut the lead to 17-6, I told the guys we needed to keep our foot on the gas, and they went out and did it."

The defense had another solid performance for the Hound Dogs as Glasgow and Dane Gabbert had two sacks a piece.  Kupp and Julian Barron also had sacks.

"We just got after it," Kupp said.  "That first one kinda got us fired up and we felt we could be stronger than their O-line."

Next week, the Hound Dogs will travel to Birmingham, Alabama for a showdown with the Alabama Hammers (4-0).  The winner will have sole possession of the Southeast Region.