RIMERSBURG — Taylor Smith spent the week taking a crash course in Running Back 101.

The Union junior hadn't played the position for more than three years, but he was thrust into the role when starting tailback Mikey Harris was injured.

Smith proved he is a fast learner as well as a fast runner.

The 5-foot-9 speedster rushed for 128 yards on 11 carries and scored three touchdowns as the Union offense showed some explosiveness in a 52-35 win over Clarion-Limestone Thursday night.

"I was nervous, real nervous," Smith said. "It took three days to learn my steps again. One day we went full contact and after I was hit a couple of times, I was ready to go."

Union (1-4 overall, 1-2 in the Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference-Small) was ready to go from the start.

Smith scored on a 7-yard run to give Union a 6-0 lead in the first quarter.

But the real fireworks came in the second period.

The Golden Knights needed only four offensive plays to score three touchdowns on a 38-yard run by Smith, a 63-yard jaunt by Aaron Graham and a 63-yard pass from Trent Corle to Brody Pollock.

Union tacked on another score late in the second quarter on a 2-yard run by Smith to lead 38-13 at halftime.

The shellshocked Lions had no answer to the onslaught.

"It seems to hit us almost every game," said Clarion-Limestone coach Jason Kundick. "Those big snowballs. One thing goes wrong and it snowballs from there."

Smith enjoyed rolling down the field like a snowball.

Even though he has played just one week as a running back, he knows to whom to give the credit.

"The line," Smith said. "They got the push. I just followed them."

Now Union can claim a victory over C-L for the first time since 1985.

It was fitting that members of the 1960 team were in attendance. They were honored before the game for an unbeaten season.

"This was huge," said Union coach Dave Louder. "We had the 1960 team here. I wanted these guys to realize it has been done before. We have had championship-style teams here before. We need to bring that atmosphere back."

Graham finished with 83 yards on six carries. Both Smith and Graham possess speed and Louder hopes to get the ball into their hands more often in the future.

"We've been talking about putting some of that speed we have in the backfield," Louder said. "That was (volunteer coach Rick Atzeni's) brainchild. Guys like Taylor and Aaron Graham have to get the ball. They are dangerous."

They were so dangerous, it opened up the passing game.

Corle completed 5-of-6 passes for 161 yards and a pair of long scores to Pollock, who had three receptions for 144 yards.

Union had 413 yards of offense. Clarion-Limestone nearly had 400 yards itself, thanks to running back Joe Tommasi, who gained 229 yards on 32 carries.

For the Golden Knights, though, a victory is a victory. And it was a much needed one.

"It'll get a spark in our team," Smith said. "I'll say we should be pretty good the rest of the season."

Union 52, Clarion-Limestone 35C-L 0 13 6 16 — 35Union 6 32 6 8 — 52C-L U20 First Downs 1048-264 Rushes-Yards 32-252134 Passing Yards 16115-26-1 Passes (Comp.-Att.-Int.) 5-6-0398 Total Yards 4133-1 Fumbles-Lost 1-05-41 Penalties-Yards 8-60

First QuarterU — Taylor Smith 7 run (pass failed), 4:36

Second QuarterC-L — Joe Tommasi 2 run (Brooks Bennett kick), 11:15U — Smith 38 run (Aaron Graham run), 10:56C-L — Billy Kelley 2 run (kick failed), 7:29U — Graham 63 run (Brady Pollock pass from Trent Corle), 7:12U — Pollock 64 pass from Corle (Corle run), 3:23U — Smith 2 run (Smith run), :21

Third QuarterC-L — Tommasi 14 run (pass failed), 9:31U — Austin Davis 1 run (pass failed), 7:18

Fourth QuarterC-L — Tommasi 13 run (Zach Kemmer pass from Kelley), 5:42U — Pollock 48 pass from Corle (Smith run), 5:29C-L — Tommasi 15 run (Jake McMillen pass from Kelley), 2:21

Individual StatisticsPassing: Clarion-Limestone, Billy Kelley 15-26-134-1; Union, Trent Corle 5-6-161-0.

Rushing: Clarion-Limestone, Joe Tommasi 32-229, Billy Kelley 10-20, Jake McMillen 4-14, Zach Kemmer 2-1; Union, Taylor Smith 11-128, Aaron Graham 6-83, Trent Corle 4-25, Austin Davis 4-15, Cody Kline 2-7, Dylan Shirey 1-6, Kaden McGregor 2-(-5), Team 2-(-7).

Receiving: Clarion-Limestone, Jake McMillen 6-43, Zach Kemmer 4-28, Taylor Port 3-56, Matt Wolbert 2-7; Union, Brody Pollock 3-144, Taylor Smith 2-17.