BUENA VISTA, Va. - The Southern Virginia University Football
team opened their season at home for the first time ever, and
looked to start with a win for first time head coach, DeLane
Fitzgerald. Unfortunately, Concord University had other plans and
was able to walk away with a 63-10 victory over the Knights.
The new-look Knights were hoping to start off on the right track
as they head towards a second winning season in the short history
of the program. Led by Senior Sam Trulock at quarterback, SVU was
able to put up some impressive offensive numbers throughout the
game. This included a 73-yard pass and catch from Trulock to wide
receiver Brad Schultz for a touchdown in the second quarter.
However, for the Knights, the touchdown was one of few bright
spots for the game, as Concord had already built a substantial lead
in the first quarter. SVU continued to provide a constant effort in
stopping the Mountain Lions, and were able to win a small victory
as stopped Concord towards the end of the first half, and David
Haws was able to add more points to the home scoreboard with a 28
yard field goal as the half expired.
Despite the setback, the Knights were able to accumulate over 300
yards in total offense, paced by Trulock's 189 passing yards.
Schultz led the receivers with six receptions for 113 yards.
Newcomer Quinton Garrus led the SVU rushers in total yards, and
Brandon Ostler was able to provide a quick punch of offense as he
averaged over 5 yards per carry.
The Knight coaching staff will go back to the drawing board this
week to shore up a defense that allowed over 550 yards of total
offense for the Mountain Lions.
Despite the setback, coaches and players saw improvement from last
season. The early season jitters were evident as over 50 new
players were available for Southern Virginia, and the team is still
learning about the collective and individual potential of the
team.
The Knights will have a quick turn around as they prepare for a
matchup Sept. 5 at Morehead State, an NCAA Division I, FCS member.
Game time is scheduled for 7:00 PM.