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Dexter McCluster rushes for 25-yard TD (video)

By John Buhler

Sep 21, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Tennessee Titans running back Dexter McCluster (22) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 33-7. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 21, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Tennessee Titans running back Dexter McCluster (22) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 33-7. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dexter McCluster finds a ton of daylight, bursts through the right side, and tiptoes the sideline for a 25-yard touchdown on the Carolina Panthers.

The Tennessee Titans evened the score against the undefeated Carolina Panthers on a 25-yard rushing touchdown by Dexter McCluster and a Ryan Succop extra point with 3:38 remaining in the first quarter.

The normally stout run defense of the Panthers did not show up on that well-designed run of the Titans. Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota orchestrated a drive for Tennessee reminiscent to what he did at the University of Oregon. His handoff to Dexter McCluster had the Panther’s defense flat-footed, as there was so much space between the right guard and the right tackle for McCluster to run through.

McCluster is one of those athletes that does his best work in space. It was an easy 10-yard pickup solely on how well the Titans did on run blocking on that particular play. What McCluster did next was one of the better runs of the season. He made a powerful cut to the right sideline and tiptoed for around 10 yards before diving full sprint to touch the pylon with the football for six points.

It was McCluster’s first rushing touchdown of the season, his second of his career and most importantly it allowed the Titans to tie up the game with undefeated Carolina at home. Tennessee is coming off a great overtime victory over the New Orleans Saints in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

The Titans have one of the four best run defenses in football and with Mariota back healthy at quarterback, Tennessee seems like a team that’s not afraid of the Panthers. At 2-6, Tennessee is still very much alive in the AFC South divisional race, as the leader Indianapolis entered their bye this week at 4-5.

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