Buena Vista, Va. – The Southern Virginia University football team hosted Averett University for its season home opener Friday afternoon, falling to the Cougars 41-34 in a closely contested battle.
The Cougars got on the board first, capitalizing on a Southern Virginia fumble to take a 7-0 lead just minutes into the game.
The Knights responded with a strong 14-play, 73-yard drive, capped by a Devin Watson touchdown pass to Dominic Bosco. Alex Mulauski converted the extra point to tie the game at 7-7.
Southern Virginia's defense then stepped up with a fumble recovery by Zehner Negahnquet. Both teams struggled to find the end zone for the remainder of the quarter, sending the game into the second tied at 7-7.
Brandon Dupaix helped spark the Knights' offense with a 28-yard rush before finding the end zone to give Southern Virginia a 14-7 lead.
Averett answered with a pair of big plays to cut the deficit to 14-13. The Cougars then took advantage of a pick-six to move in front 20-14. Dupaix and Watson continued to lead the Knights' attack through the air and on the ground, with Dupaix scoring his second touchdown of the game to give Southern Virginia a 21-20 lead with 47 seconds remaining in the half. Averett responded with three big completions through the air, however, taking a 26-21 lead into halftime.
The Knights' defense came out strong in the third quarter, while the offense put together a 15-play drive looking to reclaim the lead. An interception near the goal line stalled the drive, and neither team found the end zone as the game remained 26-21 heading into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter started with a bang as Watson connected with Dupaix for his third touchdown of the game, putting the Knights back in front 27-26.
Averett responded with a 13-play, end-zone-to-end-zone drive, converting a 21-yard pass on fourth-and-nine to regain the lead, 34-27, with 10 minutes remaining.
Penalties and dropped passes stalled the Knights' next drives before Averett broke loose for a 73-yard touchdown run to take a commanding 41-27 lead with just two minutes remaining.
Southern Virginia quickly answered as Watson connected with Jax Vanchiere for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 41-34. The Knights failed to recover the ensuing onside kick, but had a chance late where a last-second end-zone heave from Marcus Price fell incomplete, sealing the 41-34 victory for Averett.
Southern Virginia outpaced the Cougars in first downs, rushing yards and passing yards, but six fumbles and four turnovers proved costly for the Knights.
Ethan Eby led the Southern Virginia defense with eight tackles, followed by Dominic Bosco, Cade Hanson and Scott Pese with six tackles each. Watson finished with 291 passing yards and three touchdowns, while Dupaix recorded three touchdowns on the day.
Southern Virginia will look to bounce back with their final non-conference match of the season as they host Keystone College on Friday September 19th at 1:00 PM
For the most up-to-date information and details on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_ftbl on Instagram or X.
