Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
ASHLAND, Va. – Senior quarterback Zac Naccarato (Spotsylvania, Va./Riverbend) accounted for four touchdowns as the Randolph-Macon football team defeated Averett 48-16 Saturday afternoon at Day Field.
Naccarato completed 14 of 19 passes for 274 yards and a pair of scores. He also rushed for two touchdowns.
Senior receiver Mike Doe (Germantown, Md./Seneca Valley) pulled in seven catches for 136 yards and a touchdown for the Yellow Jackets (1-1). Junior running back John Byrd (Manassas Park, Va./Manassas Park) piled up 56 yards on 19 carries and found the end zone twice.
R-MC took advantage of a mishandled punt attempt on the Cougars' (1-1) first drive. Naccarato went in from one-yard out to cap a 21-yard drive midway through the first period. After AU went three-and-out, the Yellow Jackets moved 40 yards in six plays, as Byrd busted in from three yards out to give the home team a 14-0 advantage.
The Cougars converted a third-and-15 from the R-MC 36 early in the second half to cut the lead in half at 14-7. Naccarato led the Yellow Jackets on a 75-yard scoring drive in 10 plays, as he squeezed in from a yard out to put R-MC on top 21-7.
Following a strong kickoff return, the Cougars created another touchdown to again pull within seven at 21-14 near the midway point in the second quarter. Byrd capped an eight-play, 66-yard drive with his second touchdown of the day with 58 second left in the half. The PAT was blocked and returned for two points for AU as R-MC led 27-16.
The Cougars went three-and-out on their next possession and R-MC used a timeout with 21 seconds left to force AU to punt. Naccarato then hit Doe on a 49-yard scoring strike with just five second remaining as the Yellow Jackets took a 34-16 lead at intermission.
Naccarato connected with sophomore receiver Jake Connolly (Glen Allen, Va./Deep Run) on a 37-yard TD toss in the third quarter to make it 41-16. Connolly finished with five catches for 94 yards. Sophomore running back Dom Kaopua (Fredericksburg, Va./Chancellor) scored from three yards out on the first play of the fourth quarter to push the R-MC advantage to 48-16.
Junior Eric Long (Burke, Va./Lake Braddock) led the defense with seven tackles, including four solo stops. He also recorded an interception. In his first action of the season, senior Tom Solak (Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin) had five tackles and three tackles for loss.
Randolph-Macon remains at home for a Family Weekend contest on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 12 noon against Sewanee, the final non-conference game for the Yellow Jackets.