Box Score
FERRUM, Va. --
Marcus Mayo had 175 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 16 carries to lead Ferrum College to a 33-25 USA South football win over Averett University this afternoon at W.B. Adams Stadium.
Dontavious Gilbert also had two touchdowns for the Panthers. Mayo threw for 135 yards and a score on 5-8 passing with no interceptions or sacks.
Gilbert got Ferrum on the board with 4:10 remaining in the first quarter on a 6-yard touchdown run. Averett tied the game at 7-7 on Jeff Redd's 13-yard TD reception from Zack Tarpley. Mayo then scored back-to-back rushing TDs for the Panthers, a 1-yard run with 39 seconds left in the first half and a 50-yard run at 12:46 of the third quarter.
Gilbert sprinted 61 yards for a score with 2:56 left in the third to put Ferrum up 27-7. On Averett's ensuing drive,
Raymond Hines picked off an errant pass from Averett backup QB Kirkland Brown at the AU 48 yard line. The Panthers found the end zone two plays later on a
Dominique Lesine 8-yard run, but the PAT was blocked and Casey Kessler earned a 2-point return for the Cougars to give Ferrum led 33-9 to end the third quarter.
Averett scored twice more, both times converting 2-point PATs. Ke'Von White and Joe McCaul both hauled in 7-yard touchdown passes from Brown for the final score of 33-25. The Cougars had a last shot to tie the game when they took over at their own 10 yard line with 1:47 left in regulation. Brown's first pass attempt was incomplete, and following a 3-yard completion, Brown was picked off by Ferrum DB
Tremaine Whitney, who returned the ball to the AU 16 yard line and the Panthers ran out the clock for the win.
Brown was 13-28 passing for 104 yards with two TDs, two interceptions and a sack. Redd had 70 yards rushing for the Cougars (3-7, 2-5 USA South). Corey Scruggs and Rob Emmanuel had eight tackles each for Averett. Ferrum (7-3, 6-1 USA South) had 448 yards in total offense, to Averett's 397. Gilbert closed with 66 yards rushing and a touchdown on 15 carries, and had one reception for a 61-yard score. Whitney led the Ferrum defense with 12 tackles, including one for loss, and an interception.
Melvin Trotter had 11 tackles, including two for loss, while Hines had 10 tackles and an interception.
The Panthers closed out the 2011 season with today's Senior Day win, the first in the past eight years. Ferrum's last Senior Day win came in 2003 when the Panthers beat Christopher Newport University, which was ranked #11 in the nation at the time. Nine graduating seniors were honored in a pregame ceremony prior to kickoff.
