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Rocky Mount, N.C. — The Southern Virginia University football team battled their way to a gritty 19-10 victory over the Battling Bishops of North Carolina Wesleyan University in a defensive showdown that featured five Knight takeaways and 318 total yards of offense on just 54 plays.
The Knights' defense made its presence known immediately. On N.C. Wesleyan's opening drive, Alex Passey intercepted a pass and returned it 19 yards to stop the Bishops as they approached the red zone.
Despite the Bishops holding nearly double the time of possession (37:56 to 22:04), the Knights' defense continued to deliver. After a quick offensive series, the Bishops again marched downfield, but Tony Napper Jr. came up with a huge interception in the end zone to stall the drive.
Following a defensive stalemate, the Bishops converted a 40-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead. Southern Virginia answered just before the end of the quarter as Crew Sage ripped off a 45-yard kick return to set up great field position. Marcus Price found space on a 19-yard rush before Roger Adam broke free for a 37-yard touchdown. Passey added the extra point to give the Knights a 7-3 lead.
The defensive momentum continued into the second quarter with a Jemaar Robinson fumble recovery, a sack by Konor Owens, and another interception—this one by Ty Smith. A forced fumble halted an offensive drive, but Blake Beardall came up with a massive pass breakup late in the half to preserve the 7-3 advantage.
After the break, both teams traded punts until Price connected with Washington deep downfield for a long touchdown, extending the lead to 13-3. Penalties slowed the Knights' momentum, and the Bishops capitalized on a deep pass up the middle to pull within 13-10.
Southern Virginia responded instantly as Price hit Demetrius Perry on an 82-yard touchdown strike late in the third quarter. The blocked PAT made it 19-10 heading into the fourth.
The final quarter was all about defense. The Knights tallied three crucial sacks—two from Owens and Dominic Bosco, and another from Spike Adams—to keep the Bishops from closing the gap. On the final N.C. Wesleyan drive, Passey sealed the win with his second interception of the game.
Price impressed in his first start for the Knights, going 263 yards through the air with three touchdowns and no turnovers.
Defensively, Bosco and Owens led with 10 tackles each. Beardall broke up four passes, while Passey, Smith, and Napper Jr. all recorded interceptions. Napper also added three pass breakups of his own.
Southern Virginia (6-1, 3-1 USA South) now turns its attention to a pivotal conference matchup against undefeated Belhaven (4-0 USA South) on Saturday, November 1st at 1:00 p.m. in Buena Vista.
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