Fayetteville, N.C. – The Southern Virginia University football team earned a commanding 36-0 victory over Methodist University Saturday afternoon, combining a dominant offensive performance with a defensive effort that kept the Monarchs off the scoreboard.
The Knights set the tone early as Pea Asailevai sacked the Methodist quarterback on the opening drive to force a punt. Devin Watson pinned the Monarchs at their own 1-yard line, and Cade Hanson and Zehner Negahnquet helped force a safety to give Southern Virginia an early 2-0 lead.
Watson then found his rhythm through the air, connecting with Diego Langberg and Jalen Lackey to move the Knights down the field. On fourth down, Watson completed a pass to Lackey for a touchdown, extending the lead to 8-0.
The defense forced another punt, and the offense continued to roll. Kendrick Worthington helped establish the running game while Watson completed five passes to advance the Knights down the field. Worthington then broke off back-to-back runs of more than 10 yards before finding the end zone to give Southern Virginia a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Methodist struggled to find momentum, recording two consecutive three-and-outs. Watson, Worthington, Lackey and Spike Adams helped move the Knights downfield before Worthington scored his second touchdown of the game to extend the advantage to 20-0.
Southern Virginia's defense continued to deliver, highlighted by an 11-yard sack from Brady Freeman. The Monarchs later fumbled near the goal line, where Ty Smith forced and recovered the ball to preserve the shutout heading into halftime.
The Knights received the ball to start the second half, and Watson orchestrated a 13-play drive that ended with a touchdown pass to Lackey. Watson connected with Lackey again on the two-point conversion, pushing the lead to 28-0.
Methodist fumbled again to open the fourth quarter, and Cade Hanson recovered the ball to give Southern Virginia excellent field position. Worthington helped advance the offense before Watson connected with Lackey and Jax Vanchiere to complete the scoring and secure the 36-0 victory.
The Knights' defense finished with six sacks and forced multiple fumbles, with Smith and Hanson recording recoveries. The unit also limited the Monarchs' rushing attack throughout the contest.
Watson threw for 340 yards, the sixth-most in a single game in program history. His total marked his highest passing output of the season. Watson completed 68.4 percent of his passes.
Lackey led the receiving corps with a career-high 201 yards and three touchdowns. His yardage total ranks second in program history for a single game and is the highest in the program's NCAA Division III era. His 13 receptions also rank second all-time and are the most in the Division III era.
Defensively, Ethan Eby led the Knights with nine tackles, while Hanson added seven. Dominic Bosco recorded six tackles and two sacks, while Smith and Brock Baker each forced a fumble.
Southern Virginia will look to carry its momentum into next week when the Knights travel to Belhaven University on Saturday, Oct. 24. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern time in Jackson, Miss.
For the most up-to-date information and details on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_ftbl on Instagram or X.
