MARYVILLE, Tenn. — The Averett University football team put together a furious fourth-quarter rally, scoring 20 unanswered points in the final period to nearly erase a 25-point deficit. In the end, however, it was Maryville College who prevailed, picking up a 31-26 victory on Saturday at Honaker Field.
 
With just under 10 minutes left in the game, junior Don Warren recovered a Maryville fumble, giving Averett (3-3, 2-1 USA South) the ball at the Scots' 20-yard line. Minutes later, junior quarterback Kelly Hall delivered a 9-yard touchdown pass to senior receiver Terrance Owens II to make it 31-26 with 7:44 remaining.
 
After Averett forced Maryville (6-1, 4-0 USA South) to punt on its ensuing offensive series, the Cougars got the ball back with a chance to pull ahead. However, the Scots' Blake Anderson picked off a pass to give Maryville the ball back and the Scots ran the three remaining minutes off the clock to escape with the victory.
 
Despite a slow offensive start from the Cougars, Averett came to life in the fourth quarter. The Cougars completed a five-play, 62-yard drive with a score when Hall hooked up with Owens for a 40-yard touchdown pass to cut their deficit down to 19 with just over 14 minutes left in the contest.
 
Averett struck again five minutes later on sophomore Sean Bowman's 5-yard scamper. Owens would complete the 8-point drive when he hauled in a pass from junior Myles Bennett to make it a 31-20 game. The score was a culmination of a nine play, 79-yard Averett drive.  
 
Owens' touchdown reception would get the Cougars within five, but that's as close as they would get as the Scots' defense clamped down for the win.
 
Averett racked up 411 yards of offense on the afternoon. Hall threw for 323 yards and two touchdowns score, while completing 28 of his 45 passes. Owens was Hall's favorite target as he rack up 142 yards and two touchdown catches on 11 receptions. Junior Travis Jones caught nine passes for 84 yards, while Bennett hauled in five catches for 55 yards.
 
Bowman rushed for 68 yards and a score on 19 carries.
 
Maryville scored on its first two possessions to take a 14-0 lead. Juwan Hill got the Scots' scoring started with a 21-yard run and Nick Myers put Maryville up by two scores on a 52-yard pass from Mac Seagle.
 
Averett's Cole Westberry got the Cougars on the board when he drilled a career-long 45-yard field goal that made it 14-3. Westberry would help Averett chip away at Maryville's lead when he pushed a 28-yard attempt through the uprights to get the Cougars within 24-6 heading into the break. Westberry's two field goals gave him eight made attempts this season, which sets a new program single-season record by an individual.
 
The Cougars return to action on Oct. 29 when they travel to Rocky Mount, North Carolina, to take on N.C. Wesleyan College in USA South Conference action at 1 p.m.