Quakers head to the pay window with win over Randolph-Macon

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Junior quarterback Billy Watkins (Mebane, N.C./Eastern Alamance) completed 35-of-52 passes for 378 yards and two touchdowns in Guilford College’s 20-13 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) football win over visiting Randolph-Macon College Saturday.

Watkins also ran for 23 yards on Guilford’s final drive of the game, which extinguished the final 3:58 after Randolph-Macon pulled to within 20-13.

The win snapped the Quakers’ (2-6, 1-3 ODAC) six-game ODAC losing skid dating to last season and ended Randolph-Macon’s (5-3, 3-1 ODAC) five-game winning streak in 2009.

Guilford’s defense held the Yellow Jackets to 247 total offensive yards in one of its best efforts of the season. While Randolph-Macon sophomore Thaddeus Scruggs (Fredericksburg, Va./Massaponax) gained a game-high 115 rushing yards on 23 carries, the Quakers held the Yellow Jackets to three first downs on 15 third-down plays. Randolph-Macon entered the game having converted a league-high 41.3% of its third downs.

Perhaps the biggest stops came early in the fourth quarter after Randolph-Macon methodically moved inside the Quakers’ 20-yard line in 14 plays before stalling on Guilford’s 11-yard line. Guilford stopped quarterback Austin Faulkner’s (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend) keeper on third-down and one. On fourth down, the Quakers’ Jordan Dutton (Baltimore, Md./Cardinal Gibbons) and Richie Paul (Fort Myers, Fla./Bishop Verot (Quincy)) tackled Scruggs for a one-yard loss.

The teams traded possessions before the Yellow Jackets’ offense came to life for a six-play, 71-yard scoring drive capped by Faulkner’s 24-yard touchdown pass to Dwayne Jenkins (Frederick, Md./Gov. Thomas Johnson) with 3:58 left. Randolph-Macon’s lone touchdown of the game marked the Yellow Jackets’ first points since two Josh Storm (Forest, Va./Jefferson Forest) field goals in the first quarter.

Watkins spread the ball around evenly to five different receivers with no interceptions in his finest game. He hooked up with rookie Mike Williams (Mebane, N.C./Orange) for a 61-yard score early in the second quarter and found senior Jon McKinney (Orlando, Fla./University) from 41 yards out for a key third-quarter touchdown. Guilford’s Tyler Hasty (Seagrove, N.C./Eastern Randolph) led all receivers with a career-high nine catches for 71 yards. Teammate Justin Parker (Greensboro, N.C./Southern Guilford) had eight grabs for 88 yards.

Guilford’s Paul paced the defense with his second-straight 18-tackle performance, matching his career high. The senior linebacker had 10 solo tackles, including a sack, and also broke up a pass. Dutton finished with a career-high seven stops, including 2.5 behind the line.

Faulkner completed just one of his first 13 pass attempts and finished with six completions in 19 attempts for 117 yards. Earl Peoples (Hampton, Va./Kecoughtan), the ODAC’s leading receiver, finished with four grabs for 84 yards. Defensively, Brandon Harrison (Forest, Va./Jefferson Forest) made a team-best eight tackles, forced a fumble and broke up two passes.

The Quakers return to action Saturday (11/7) at league-rival Catholic University of America at noon. The Yellow Jackets visit Bridgewater College (11/7) for a 1:00 p.m. ODAC game.

Dave Walters
Guilford College Athletics