By Karmen Robinson/Assistant Sports Information Director

ASHLAND, Va. — Randolph-Macon College defeated the Averett University football team 48-16 on Saturday afternoon.
 
Randolph-Macon (1-1) scored midway through the first quarter on Zac Nacarrato's quarterback keeper and again on John Byrd's 3-yard run to put the Yellow Jackets ahead 14-0 with 2:55 on the clock in the first quarter.
 
Averett (1-1) struggled to find its offensive rhythm in the beginning of the game, but the Cougars managed to gradually work their way up the field into Randolph-Macon's territory for the first time to end the quarter in good field position.
 
The Cougars went into the second quarter on the Yellow Jackets' 35-yard line. Travis Jones began the drive with a 4-yard run, but the Cougars were pushed back five yards after a false start on the second down.
 
Averett tried to regain composure on third-and-15 as senior quarterback Kirkland Brown scrambled in the backfield searching for a wide receiver and found sophomore Brandon Couden for a 36-yard touchdown pass to close the lead to 14-7. The reception was Couden's first career touchdown.  
 
Though the Yellow Jackets answered with another touchdown, Brown cut the deficit to 21-14 when he connected with Couden again for his second touchdown of the day on a 22-yard pass with 6:31 left to play in the first half.
 
Couden grabbed seven catches for 114 yards, and Brown completed 19 of 32 passes for 191 yards with two interceptions. Though the offense had some success in throwing, its running game struggled and finished the game with 76 rushing yards.
 
Randolph-Macon wouldn't settle for a seven-point lead. Byrd ran two yards to the end zone for his second touchdown. However, this time Seth Yurgel's point-after attempt was blocked, and Averett's Michael Reives sprinted his way to the opposite end zone to score two points on the return.
 
The Cougars trailed 34-16 at halftime when Nacarrato's 49-yard pass found the hands of Mike Doe who ran the ball in for a touchdown.
 
After the break, Averett's defense was able to hold off the Yellow Jackets' offense a little longer in the third quarter. Senior defensive tackle Chris Norwood had the only sack of the game for the Cougars taking down Nacarrato at Averett's 37-yard line to give the team a defensive boost with six minutes on the clock in the third quarter, but that didn't stop the Yellow Jackets.
 
Immediately following the sack, Naccarato found an open Jake Connolly who snagged a 37-yard touchdown reception out of the air to extend Randolph-Macon's lead to 41-16.
 
The Yellow Jackets scored again to give Averett its first loss of the season.
 
Senior safety Brian Fuquay led the Cougars with eight tackles while Reives and seniors P.J. Thomas and Ben Harris each had six tackles.
 
Averett will take the field again to host Maryville College on Sept. 20 in its conference opener at 1 p.m.