Montgomery, Ala. – The Southern Virginia University football team (6-3, 3-3) fell to Huntingdon College (5-4, 4-2) on the road Saturday afternoon, dropping their final away game of the season in a hard-fought 44-21 contest.
The Hawks struck first, opening with a 12-play scoring drive capped by a passing touchdown to take an early 7-0 lead. The Knights looked to respond, but a sack stalled the drive and forced a punt.
Southern Virginia's defense quickly swung the momentum when Ty Smith, the reigning USA South Defensive Player of the Week, snagged his fourth interception of the season and returned it for a pick-six. Alex Passey's extra point tied the game at 7-7.
Huntingdon responded immediately with an 86-yard kickoff return touchdown, regaining the lead 13-7 after a missed extra point. The Knights countered with a gutsy final drive to end the first quarter, converting a fake field goal as Javen Ball rushed for a first down on the 1-yard line. To start the second quarter, Roger Adam punched it in from one yard out, and Passey's kick gave the Knights a 14-13 advantage.
The defense continued to hold firm, forcing a short punt to set up another offensive opportunity. Jireek Washington connected with MJ Laws and Watson connected to Scott DuPaix for big gains, but a red-zone interception halted the promising drive. The Hawks capitalized with a 77-yard touchdown on theird next drive to reclaim the lead 20-14.
The Knights defense forced a missed field goal on the next possession, but another interception late in the half sent Southern Virginia into the locker room trailing 20-14.
Out of halftime, the Hawks extended their lead with a 39-yard touchdown pass and later added a 71-yard punt return score to make it 34-14.
The Knights battled back as Devin Watson led a strong drive, connecting with Washington, Adam, and Jalen Lackey before Antione Mills punched in a two-yard rushing touchdown. DuPaix's kick cut the deficit to 34-21.
An onside kick attempt gave the Hawks a short field, and they tacked on a field goal before returning another interception for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to seal the 44-21 win.
Defensively, Spike Adams led the team with 11 tackles, while Lucas Martin added eight. Smith finished with five tackles, one interception, and three pass breakups, and Jemaar Robinson forced a fumble and tallied four tackles.
Watson threw for 229 yards, while Crew Sage totaled 136 yards on kickoff returns.
Southern Virginia now turns its attention to Senior Day and the final game of the season on Saturday, November 15th, when they host USA South Conference Champion LaGrange College (8-1, 6-0) at 1:00 PM in Buena Vista.
For the most up-to-date information and details on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_ftbl on Instagram or X.
