SEWANEE, Tenn. – A 21-point comeback went for naught as the Sewanee Tigers football team overcame a massive Kenyon College comeback and scored 10 points in the final quarter to defeat the Lords, 31-21, Saturday afternoon at Hardee-McGee Field in the season opener for both teams.

Nearly the entire first half was controlled by the Tigers who jumped out to a 14-0 lead.

Sewanee had a 10-play, 56-yard drive after the Lords went three-and-out to take a 7-0 lead with 7:40 left. Facing third down from the 15-yard line, Tigers quarterback Cody Daniel found Steven Hearn for the first touchdown of the game.

The Tigers' defense rose to the occasion on the Lords' third offensive possession of the half when it stopped a fourth-down run denying Marcus Townsend's rush. One play later, after a 48-yard completion to Allan Parrott, Daniel had a quarterback keeper off left guard for Sewanee's second score.

Mikey Plancher pushed Sewanee's lead to 21-0 as he took an option pitch outside 28 yards with just over three minutes left in the half.

After a sluggish 27 minutes, the Kenyon offense then came alive. Jake Bates converted a fourth-and-one on the 33-yard line and the next play saw receiver Brian Hunca go 67 yards for a touchdown by out-running the Tiger defense.

The Lords carried that momentum into the second half and tied things up.

Kenyon's first offensive possession of the second half saw senior Blake Calcei scamper off the left side for 64 yards for the visitors' second touchdown of the game. That brought the score to 21-14.

After forcing a punt on Sewanee's next possession, the Lords drove 88 yards in seven plays to tie the game. On second-and-10, Bates rolled right and found Hunca just inside the right pylon for another touchdown pass tying the game at 21.

After that though, Kenyon's momentum faded.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Sewanee drove 65 yards in 17 plays to eat 8:41 off the clock. The Tigers found the go-ahead score as Kevin Bolak, who replaced an injured Daniel, found Hearn in the back of the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown pass.

The Lords, whose offense looked primed to keep pushing more points across the scoreboard, didn't have a response this time.

Sewanee added a field goal with just over a minute left in the game for the final tally.

Hunca led all receivers with four catches for 131 yards and two touchdowns, while Bates threw for 166 yards. Calcei led all rushers with 105 yards. Defensively, Jacob LaPoint recorded 10 tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-losses and half a sack to lead the Lords. Jamal Perkins added eight tackles along the defensive line for Kenyon.

The Lords are back in action in a week when they visit Oberlin College at 6 p.m. in the North Coast Athletic Conference opener for both teams.