MARIETTA - Behind a starting offensive line that averages 280 pounds, Pope's running backs scored touchdowns runs of 59, 41 and 51 yards en route to a 35-7 victory over Kennesaw Mountain in Friday's season opener at the Pope Multi-Sport Complex.

The Greyhounds, who won their season opener for the first time since 2005, snapped a three-game losing streak to the Mustangs, who hadn't lost an opener since 2005.

Marcorus Garrett rushed 12 times for 155 yards and scored three touchdowns for Pope. His partner in the backfield, Garrett Brown, carried the ball six times for 85 yards and a touchdown. Brown also caught a touchdown pass of 11 yards.

"Those were some big holes in there," Garrett said. "The offensive line did a great job. The holes just opened up, and I made a few cuts, and that was it.

"We have a lot of senior experience on the team, and we just came out with confidence. We really trust each other and believed in one another that this could be a special season for us."

Pope built a 28-0 lead by the start of the fourth quarter and had everything going its way. Offensively, the Greyhounds collected 287 yards on the ground. Defensively, they held the Mustangs to just 72 rushing yards and 13 passing yards by the start of the final quarter.

"Getting a win is always better than the alternative," Pope coach Matt Kemper said. "I'm happy for the guys. They played well in every phase of the game, including the kicking. The guys up front really did some damage.

"We don't usually get chunks of runs like that. We're a grind-it-out (team), but Garrett and Marcorus saw those holes keep opening up and they were off to the races."

Pope capped its 56-yard opening drive with a 2-yard touchdown plunge by Garrett for a 7-0 lead after the extra point.

The Greyhounds' defense didn't allow a first down on the Mustangs' first two possessions and, as the clock ticked away on the first quarter, Brown found room on the first play of Pope's third drive for a 59-yard touchdown run. The kick put the Greyhounds in front 14-0 with 32.5 seconds left in the first period.

After another punt, Garrett busted through the line for a 41-yard touchdown run, which capped an 88-yard drive for Pope that ate up 5 minutes of the clock.

Leading, 21-0, at halftime, the Greyhounds took their first possession of the second half in for a score as Garrett ran in from 51 yards out. After Pope's David Tarquinio intercepted Will Campbell's pass to give the Greyhounds the ball back, Drew Wood caught a 15-yard pass from quarterback Holland Frost. Frost then threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Brown and Pope led, 35-0, with 5:04 left in the third period.

Diamond Stewart, who carried the ball 15 times for 42 yards, scored the Mustangs' lone touchdown on a 1-yard run with 8:39 left in the game. The drive started on an interception after Kennesaw Mountain's Rashaud Moore picked off Pope's Jack Glazer to give the Mustangs the ball. Pope then committed a roughing-the-passer penalty on third-and-10 at the 13-yard-line.

Campbell was 3-for-15 for 43 yards and an interception for Kennesaw Mountain, while Frost finished 3-for-6 for 33 yards for Pope.

Moore rushed seven times for 34 yards for the Mustangs.

"Coming in, we knew it would be a struggle against that big offensive line that Pope has," Kennesaw Mountain coach Scott Jones said. "They just knocked us off the ball. We were a bit smaller than them and they played physical. Our guys fought hard, though, all night."