MARYVILLE, Tenn. – Shenandoah University completed its non-league football slate Saturday with a 34-29 victory at Maryville College.
Shenandoah (3-0) needed to rally as Maryville (0-3) scored 19 points in the fourth quarter to take a 29-28 lead.
IN DEPTH
Now trailing after the Scots erased a 28-7 halftime deficit with three points in the third quarter and 19 in the fourth, SU drove 78 yards in 13 plays to score the game-winning touchdown with 24 seconds remaining.
Quarterback
Steven Hugney, who finished 24 for 39 for 324 yards and four touchdowns, hit
Andre Jackson on a 20-yard slant route for the game-winning score.
Maryville had one timeout remaining and after taking over on its own 15 because of a unsportsmanlike penalty on the kickoff, was sacked on first down and then threw an incomplete pass at midfield for the final play of the game.
The Hornets late game heroics, in which the squad converted two 3rd-and-10s and a 4
th-and-3, gave Shenandoah is third straight win of the season in the first edition of the ODAC/USA South Challenge.
The second half was in marked contrast to a first half in which SU scored twice in the opening 5:08 and led 28-7 at the break after Hugney tossed an 8-yard TD to
Jaden Roberts with 25 seconds remaining in the first. SU was held off the board for all but that last drive in the second half and went 3-and-out on three of five second half drives prior to the game-winner.
The Hornets first two TDs came on Hugney-to-
Ethan Bigbee passes. At 12:04, Bigbee split the Scots defense for a 65-yard score before the two hooked up for a 54-yard TD at 9:53.
Bigbee finished the game with eight receptions for 154 yards and two TDs. He had 92 yards after catch.
Maryville outgained SU, 449-402, with the Scots throwing for 340 yards and Shenandoah 324.
All-America
Ben Burgan paced the Shenandoah defense with 15 tackles while
David Agyei and
Matt Conroy had eight each with both men registering a sack.
UP NEXT
Shenandoah is off next week and returns to action Oct. 1 with a 1 p.m. homecoming contest versus ODAC rival Ferrum.
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