Rainey honors former teammate; The Citadel wins finale

Nov 30, 2018, 04:14 am

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Quarterback Brandon Rainey, wearing a special jersey to honor a former high school teammate who died earlier in the day, ran for a touchdown and passed for another as The Citadel beat Charleston Southern 43-14 in the teams' season finale on Thursday night.

Rainey wore No. 82 in remembrance of Vanderbilt tight end Turner Cockrell, who was a high school teammate of Rainey's at Allatoona High School in Acworth, Georgia. Cockrell died at home after battling cancer for more than a year.

Thursday's game was a makeup for a Sept. 15 contest that was postponed because of Hurricane Florence. The makeup was dependent on neither team making the FCS postseason.

Rainey ran 8 yards for the game's first score and Joe Douglas blocked a punt that Dante Smith returned 24 yards for a 14-0 first-quarter lead.

Theo Goodwin blocked a Citadel punt that Darin Smalls returned for a score but the Keydets responded with a safety, a 77-yard kickoff return by Raleigh Webb, a Grant Drakeford 21-yard TD run and Rainey's 18-yard scoring pass to Ryan McCarthy to lead 37-14 at halftime.

The Citadel (5-6) outgained the Buccaneers 328-75, holding Charleston Southern (5-6) to minus-1 yards rushing. There were 231 yards of penalties.

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