LEXINGTON, Va. – Averett University football had its two-game win streak snapped in its opening ODAC contest at Washington and Lee University on Saturday afternoon, as the Cougars lost 34-7.
Averett (2-2, 0-1 ODAC) was held scoreless through the first half, with Washington and Lee (3-1, 1-0 ODAC) on the scoreboard with three touchdowns.
The Generals extended their lead by seven more after running back Ty Collins punched the ball through from the one-yard line. On the Cougars' ensuing possession, sophomore quarterback
Brandon Saunders dotted up the home defense with six completed passes, the last of which went to freshman wideout
Tre'Sean Suber. From 13 yards out, Suber hauled in his ODAC-leading fifth touchdown reception of the early season. On the board, the visitors trailed only 28-7.
Washington and Lee added on two field goal makes to extend its advantage to 34-7, a score which remained until the end of the contest.
In an efficient outing, Saunders completed 67.6-percent of his passes, 23-for-34, for 147 yards and a touchdown pass. He also added six rushes for 33 yards, at 5.5 yards per rush. Freshman wide receiver
Zymarcus Stover became the first Averett receiver to haul in 10 catches in game since Tavien Goffigan did so on Sept. 10, 2022 versus Christopher Newport. Stover's 10 receptions catapulted him to the top of the conference table, as he leads all receivers with 28 through four games; he also recorded 41 receiving yards in the defeat.
Suber had four catches for 33 yards and the aforementioned touchdown catch. On the ground, freshman running back
Tyrek Samuel led the way for the Cougars with six rushes for 35 yards.
Sophomore defensive lineman
Jermaine Capel Jr. commanded the line to the tune of 11 total tackles, six solo, four TFLs, two sacks, and a quarterback hurry. Redshirt freshman linebacker
Charles Hatcher III notched a nine-tackle game with an assisted tackle for loss.
Back home for the first time in two weeks, Averett heads back to the friendly confines of Daly Field at Frank R. Campbell Stadium for Homecoming weekend versus Shenandoah University. Start time for the ODAC contest is set for 4 p.m.
