Jerry Claiborne Bowl, Hopkinsville, KY 8/28

I decided to make a road trip from Bowling Green to the Stadium of Champions in Hopkinsville to catch the Jerry Claiborne Bowl that included Franklin (TN) and Clarksville (TN) taking on the local schools, Hopkinsville and Christian County.

In the opener, the Franklin Rebels matched up against the Hopkinsville Tigers and it was a mismatch from the beginning. The Rebels dominated the game by using their running game to carve up the defense with pass plays. Throw in a defensive fumble return for a touchdown and a blocked punt and you have a final score of 42-0 in favor of Franklin.

The Franklin Rebel band made quite an impression on me by performing such hits as 50 Cent's "Candy Shop" and Ludacris' "Yous a Hoe" during Hopkinsville offensive drives. I did bust out with laughter on the sideline during "Yous a Hoe" as the band chanted "Hoe" in unison, wasn't expected that one!

In the nightcap, Christian County was able to run away from Clarksville late in the fourth quarter. My Flip Camcorder ran out of juice in the second quarter so I was unable to provide footage in the second half. So, from the stands I saw the Wildcats take advantage of a Christian County botched punt attempt, threw a 10 yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 13-7 midway through the third quarter. The Colonels pulled away late in the fourth quarter for a final score of 26-13.