Defenses Control Second Half, Guilford College Football Surpassed By Averett
Quakers earn chance to tie late, but flag withdraws possible leveling score
from Bryce Johnson, Director of Athletic Communications at Guilford College
DANVILLE, Va. – Positioning themselves to tie or take the lead in the game’s final minute, the Guilford College football team (1-8, 0-6 ODAC) ultimately got their potential evening score revoked by penalty and took a 21-14 defeat to Averett University (3-6, 1-5 ODAC) in Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) action at Daly Field at Frank R. Campbell Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Quaker defense had a bend-not-break approach whereas despite allowing 387 yards of offense in the game, they only permitted the Cougars to go 5-of-12 on third down and 1-for-4 on fourth in addition to causing and recovering a couple of fumbles. GC’s drives were very hit-or-miss, moving the ball effectively when they got going, but only doing so on a handful of occasions on the afternoon resulting in 223 yards of offense but untimely sacks restricted their offense. The hosts out-gained GC both on the ground, 114 to 57 and through the air 273 to 176 and intercepted Quaker quarterbacks twice on the day.
Nick Danciu (Simpsonville, S.C.) started under-center and threw his first couple of touchdowns of the season among a 15-for-26 throwing performance, albeit for just 117 yards. He also took all of the aforementioned six sacks and threw one interception in the game. Tristan Gabrels (Buford, Ga.) took over late and only completed 2-of-10 with a pick for 59 yards, but also finished as the game’s leading rusher, taking five carries for 49 yards. Shane Shapiro (Jacksonville, N.C.) only had two touches but led Quaker skill position players in total yards, taking a loss of five yards on his single carry but also bringing in his lone catch for a team-high 49 yards to net 44 on the day. Camo Campbell (Flowery Branch, Ga.) finished tied for a game-best four catches for 31 yards and scored once, as did Alex Wilson (Four Oaks, N.C.) over three grabs for 29 yards.
Keagan Reid was good, only taking a single sack and connecting on 17-of-28 for 273 yards and three scores to guide the Averett offense. Quinton Freeman and Brandon Saunders were his top targets, brining in four catches apiece with Freeman taking them for 75 yards and Saunders for 53 yards and two scores. Tre’Sean Suber led all players in total yards with 84 on three catches while Isaiah Smith’s lone reception was a touchdown. Santana Wooten had a team-leading 46 yards on four totes for Averett.
The second-level of the Quaker defense was excellent as Simeon Reid (Morganton, N.C.) had a game and career-high 12 tackles, evenly split between solo and assisted efforts, with 2.0 TFLs. Garrett Wilson (Winston-Salem, N.C.) was right behind with nine takedowns including 1.5 TFL and combined with Owen Whelan (Asheboro, N.C.) on GC’s single sack. Jordan Thomas (Spartanburg, S.C.) forced a fumble that was recovered by Joshua Ricks (Rocky Mount, N.C.) and Will Stalker (Staley, N.C.) also recovered a fumble on special teams. Jahlil Bryant paced AU with eight tackles, adding an interception and three PBU’s in the game. Chavis Martin had 3.0 of Averett’s 6.0 sacks and Kori Moates came down with the other Cougar interception in the game.
After a swift Guilford three-and-out, Averett got on the move on their ensuing drive, advancing into no-mans land in GC’s upper defensive territory, but a drop on fourth down resulted in a stop. The Quakers would get on the move in response as highlighted by Danciu connections with Wilson for 18 yards on a third-and-11, Malik Woodard (Wilson, N.C.) for a shifty 10-yard catch-and-run, and Campbell for 14 to get inside the five, GC got into scoring position. They would cash in as Danciu would throw his first touchdown of the fall, finding Wilson again, this time in the back of the endzone from three yards out to complete an 11-play, 61-yard drive to grab the lead. AU responded, benefitting from chunk plays of 26 and 24 yards, then finally a 17-yard pass from Reid to Saunders to finish a 10-play, 85-yard counter as the opening quarter ended even at 7-7.
Spanning the quarter-break, the Quakers got a great, 36-yard kickoff return from Nehemiah Lynch (Lincolnton, N.C.) to spur the offense and they used it, advancing all the way to about the half yardline with a first down after a Drew Winkler (North Wilkesboro, N.C.) catch-and-run, but they were unable to take advantage getting stuffed on the ground by the Cougar defense. Santana Wooten got the hosts out of the shadow of their endzone with a 35-yard rush to start the AU drive. They did progress into the high defensive territory of the Quakers again, as GC bent, but refused to break with another fourth down stop. Danciu took three-consecutive sacks on Guilford’s following drive and a strong punt return set AU up right back where they were and this time, they took advantage as on just their third play, Reid hit Smith for a 24-yard touchdown pass, taking a 14-7 lead that would hold into the locker rooms.
Before they went silent, the offenses traded scoring drives to open the second half. Averett opened the half using nine plays to go 77 yards ending with a Reid to Saunders pass to extend the lead, but Guilford responded in kind as AU attempted an onside kick that failed and they used seven plays to go 46 yards ending on a Danciu pass to Campbell from four yards away to get back within a single score. The defenses took over from there, and particularly the Guilford defense gave their offense a shot in this one. After one first down on Averett’s drive, Thomas stripped Xavier Joplin and Ricks pounced on it inside of field goal range but they were pushed out of it and had to punt. A forced three-and-out gave them the ball in AU territory again, and their drive even got a second chance on a muffed punt, but an interception inside the five a couple plays into the fourth nullified it. Another stop, a missed field goal, and a successful defense of an attempted fake field goal by Averett, all went fruitless on the offensive response until their final drive.
Pinned deep, Gabrels hit a 49-yard shot to Shapiro then got a dozen on a scramble. A couple of plays later, he connected with Shapiro again, this time in the endzone, but unfortunately a flag was on the field and it ended up as a hold, wiping the points off the board. GC would not get another chance as an incompletion, scramble short of the sticks and a blindside blitz that got home, jarring the ball free on a Gabrels passing try, icing the game at 21-14 in favor of Averett.
Guilford wraps up their season with a trip up to Winchester, Va. to battle Shenandoah University at Glo Fiber Field at Shentel Stadium on Saturday, November 14, kicking off at 1:00 PM.
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