Cougars Run Past Football
WINCHESTER, Va. - Visiting Averett University used a four-score
second quarter to propel itself to a 33-21 USA South Conference
football victory Saturday night over Shenandoah.
Shenandoah (2-6, 1-4 USA South) jumped out to a 14-0 lead on BJ
Smoot touchdown runs of 20 and 11 yards in the first quarter, but
could only watch as AU (3-5, 3-2) scored 33 unanswered points in
the middle 30 minutes of the contest.
Junior Anthony Cordero finally stopped the bleeding for the hosts
with a 3-yard TD at the 10:12 mark of the fourth, but SU could get
no closer.
Averett began its run with an Anthony Squillini 8-yard catch at the
14:52 mark of the second, and took advantage of a Hornets mental
mistake on the ensuing kickoff to get the ball back immediately.
The Cougars placed the kick perfectly between the SU upmen and
Smoot as the deep receiver, and were able to recover the ball at
the SU 18.
Five plays later, the contest was tied following a Brian Daniels
5-yard TD run.
Squillini then gave the visitors a lead they would not relinquish
by turning a near-certain loss on a screen pass to left into a
touchdown by reversing the field and turning it into a 19-yard TD
reception.
Another Daniels TD, this one from a yard out that capped a 10-play,
75-yard drive, gave Averett a 27-14 lead at halftime.
The Cougars outgained Shenandoah 392 to 320, including 234 to 143
on the ground. Dontavious Watson had 86 of those yards on 18
carries.
Smoot did most of the damage for the hosts - he had 139 yards and
the two TD's on 23 carries. Quarterback Vern Lunsford was 14 for 26
for 177 yards and is now just two completions from owning the
school season completion record.
Box
Score
SU plays its final road game of the season next Saturday afternoon
at 1:30 against Maryville.
