Averett football routs Gallaudet for second straight win

Averett (2-1) scored on its opening three possessions of the Family Weekend contest; redshirt junior Jaylin Neal and freshman running back Tyrek Samuel punched the ball in from one and nine yards, respectively, then sophomore quarterback Brandon Saunders found freshman tight end Brandon Reed for his first collegiate score from six yards out.

Gallaudet's (0-3) ensuing drive soaked up over six and a half minutes of game time, but resulted in the visitors' first score when quarterback Jayden DeFalco connected with Darius Zarembka to cut the deficit to 15 following a missed extra point.

In the second quarter, offense remained supreme for the Cougars. On the other side of the halfway mark in the period, Averett's offensive starters rolled down the field on nine plays and 64 total yards before junior transfer running back Debvrin Smith found the end zone from a yard out to make the score 28-6. Momentum was completely in favor of the Cougars, but the Bison only needed a single throw on their next possession to cut the lead right back to where it was before; wideout Isaiah Baxter caught and ran for a 79-yard scoring play that took just 18 seconds to cut the Cougars' lead back down to two scores, 28-13.

Out of the halftime intermission, Saunders completed a pass to freshman wideout Tre'Sean Suber, and the receiver did the rest of the work as he sliced through Gallaudet defenders for a 45-yard score and his team-leading third touchdown of the season. With a comfortable 29-point lead intact, the Cougars turned to freshman signal-caller Kadin Thomas for his first action of the season, and he took full advantage of the opportunity.

On his first collegiate drive, sophomore running back Xavier Joplin ripped off 14- and 28-yard runs, and as Averett approached the end zone, Thomas passed for his first collegiate touchdown with sophomore receiver De'shaun Drake on the other end from 21 yards out.

Freshman Cole Perry was called upon in the fourth quarter, and on just his second collegiate pass, Suber evaded his cornerback matchup and took the ball to the house for a 75-yard touchdown, as Averett racked up 55 points, the first time that the program has scored over 50 points in a single contest since Oct. 12, 2019, versus LaGrange College.

Averett finished with 544 yards of total offense, including 296 rushing yards and 248 through the air. The Cougars averaged 11.3 yards per play and scored four rushing touchdowns while adding four passing touchdowns. Averett's defense also forced five turnovers, including four interceptions. Averett's two straight wins are the first time the team has done so since 2014, when the team defeated North Carolina Wesleyan University and Greensboro College in back-to-back weeks.

Smith led the Cougars on the ground with 124 yards and a touchdown on just 10 carries, including a 77-yard run. Samuel added 64 rushing yards and two touchdowns on seven carries. Saunders completed 10 of 13 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns, while Suber finished with four receptions for 141 yards and two scores.

Junior defensive back Jeremiah Marks became the first player in program history to record three picks in a single contest. In his first collegiate start, freshman defensive back Chaz Penwright led the Cougars with nine total tackles. Sophomore defensive lineman Jermaine Capel added six tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack, while freshman defensive back Kori Moates recorded five tackles and an interception.

Sophomore kicker/punter Michael Markulic recorded only the fourth such occurrence in team history in which an Averett kicker made seven or more PATs, joining Cole Westberry '20 and Chris Ashcraft '09. The seven extra-point makes marked the first time that happened in a game for the Cougars since Westberry made seven on Oct. 15, 2016, versus Greensboro.

Following its scheduled bye week, Averett returns back to football action at Washington and Lee University on Saturday, Oct. 3. Start time for the Cougars' ODAC opener is scheduled for 4 p.m.