WINCHESTER, Va. – Junior quarterback
Ben Agostino threw for 509 yards and six touchdowns Saturday night as Shenandoah University celebrated its homecoming with a 42-14 ODAC victory over Southern Virginia.
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Agostino, making his third career start, threw TD passes of 8, 4, 5, 40, 9 and 38 yards to lead Shenandoah (3-1, 2-1 ODAC) past the Knights (2-2, 1-2).
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IN DEPTH
With the score tied at 7-7 following a 10-play, 64-yard drive for Southern Virginia, Agostino directed the Hornets on a 14-play, 59-yard drive that ended with a 4-yard TD pass on 4
th-and-goal to
Ethan Bigbee that put SU on top to stay.
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Shenandoah scored on its final drive of the first half as well, covering 81 yards in 10 plays and 3:57 to take a 21-7 lead at the break.
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Jake Wallace, who finished with 11 receptions for 123 yards, had that touchdown catch.
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Southern Virginia briefly made matters interesting by returning the second half kick to its own 40 and then completing the remaining 60 yards on 12 plays to make it 21-14 with 8:58 remaining in the third.
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That would be as close as the Knights would come.
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Agostino, who had 230 yards passing at the half, lit up the sky for three TD passes in the Hornets next three possessions and SU coasted home to the homecoming victory.
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Agostino completed passes to seven different receivers with five: Wallace, Bigbee,
Casey Stewart,
Brant Butler and
Miles Moore, all recording at least 78 yards receiving.
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Wallace had a game-high 11 receptions while Stewart's 139 yards receiving on seven catches led all players.
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Defensively, Shenandoah held the Knights leading rusher, Akiva Wedge, to 84 yards on 24 carries and sacked Knights QB Davis Pinkston twice to go along with an end zone pick from
Nate Hill.
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SU LEADERS
Passing: Agostino 36-of-44 for 509 yards and six touchdowns
Rushing:
Mario Wisdom 10-38
Receiving: Wallace 11-123-2, Bigbee 8-80-2, Stewart 7-139, Butler 4-83-2, Moore 2-78
Tackles:
Tyler Williams 7, Bernie Hayes 7
Sacks:
Jordan Rice 1.5-4,
Mason Caldwell 0.5-2
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