Buena Vista, Va. – The Southern Virginia University football team battled the undefeated Brevard College Tornadoes Saturday afternoon, but a late comeback fell just short as the Knights dropped a close 27-26 decision at Knight Stadium.
Despite playing without starting quarterback Devin Watson, the Knights' passing attack delivered its best performance of the season. Quarterbacks Marcus Price and Rylen Balser combined for 343 passing yards, outthrowing Brevard 343-87 through the air. However, the Tornadoes' ground game proved decisive, totaling 254 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.
Southern Virginia came out firing, as Price connected with Diego Langberg for 32 yards before finding Jalen Lackey for a 42-yard completion to set up an early 6-0 lead.
The Knights' defense continued the strong start when Scott Pese forced a sack and fumble, which Ethan Eby recovered to give the offense another opportunity. Price capitalized by connecting with Spike Adams for a 32-yard touchdown. The Knights converted the two-point attempt through Diego Langberg to extend their lead to 14-0 heading into the second quarter.
Brevard responded with a strong second quarter, outscoring Southern Virginia 21-0 to take a 21-14 lead into halftime.
The Knights came out of the break determined to respond, reigniting their ground game after managing just 15 rushing yards on 17 attempts in the first half. Kendrick Worthington and Brandon Dupaix helped move the offense down the field before Balser connected with Worthington for a touchdown, cutting the deficit to 21-20 heading into the fourth quarter.
Southern Virginia regained the lead early in the final period when Balser found Lackey for a 53-yard touchdown pass. The Knights took a 26-21 advantage, but the two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful.
Brevard answered with another rushing touchdown to reclaim the lead, 27-26, with eight minutes remaining. The Knights continued to battle but could not find the go-ahead score before time expired, leaving Southern Virginia just short of the comeback.
Southern Virginia finished with a 465-341 advantage in total offense and held the Tornadoes to just 2-of-9 on third-down conversions. However, Brevard controlled possession for 36:26 and relied on its ground game to secure the narrow victory. The Tornadoes committed three fumbles but limited their penalties to just two, compared to the Knights' 11.
Lackey led the Knights' receiving corps with a career-high 140 yards and two touchdowns. Adams added 75 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Pese led Southern Virginia with 12 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. Ty Smith also made an impact with 11 tackles and an interception.
The Knights will look to bounce back next Saturday, Oct. 17, when they travel to face Methodist University at 1 p.m. Southern Virginia has won its last two meetings against the Monarchs.
For the most up-to-date information and details on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_ftbl on Instagram or X.
