Brevard, N.C. – The Brevard College Tornados football team will look to bounce back at home this weekend as they square off with the Allen University Yellow Jackets for the first time in school history this Saturday, September 15th at 3:00 pm.
The Tornados are coming off of their bye week after facing off with Division 1-FCS opponent Davidson to open the season for the second straight year. The Wildcats prevailed in the matchup by a score of 34-13, despite two lightning delays on the night.
Brevard was highlighted by a trio of freshman in the second half of the opening contest. Quarterback Dalton Cole came into the game on the first drive of the second half and on just his second career collegiate completion connected with Tight End Blake Taylor for a 43-yard strike to get the Tornados on the board. Two drives later, Running Back Jayveon Love fooled the entire Davidson defense, flipping the run to the right side and finding the end zone on a 56-yard rush, earning him USA South Play of the Week honors for the opening week of the season. This rush put Love on top of the rushing totals for Brevard, as he finished with 62 yards on 3 carries and a touchdown.
A key for Brevard in their home opener will be how their defense holds up. The Tornados were led up front by Brandon Crawford, who totaled a team high 9 tackles on the night. Tanner Pettit and Kyle Fennell each recovered a fumble on the night, and Axel Easter forced an early 1st quarter fumble.
The offense will once again look to be steadied by Seniors Tyler Gregory and Bubba Craven. Gregory headed a steady first-half rushing attack for the Tornados, as the versatile offensive workhorse tallied 56 yards on 12 carries, with his longest being 11 yards. After coming off of a season of historical proportions for the program, Bubba Craven enjoyed a solid start to 2018, as he racked up 57 yards on 6 receptions, all coming in the first half.
The Opposition: The Allen University Yellow Jackets will be making their first-ever trip to the mountains of Western North Carolina to take on the Tornados of Brevard. In fact, Allen will only be playing its third game since re-establishing the Yellow Jacket football program. The Yellow Jackets returned to the gridiron after a 15-year hiatus and won their first game back as a program by a score of 47-3 over Columbus State. Teddy Keaton's squad faced off with Livingstone College this past Saturday, falling by a final score of 19-0. Saturday's matchup will mark the first time that Brevard has faced off with an NAIA member institution since 2009, when the Tornados squared off against Edward Waters College, prevailing on the road by a score of 51-6. Brevard earned their best record as an NCAA member institution that year, finishing with a record of 7-4.
Brevard College's SAAC "Cans Across the Conference": The Brevard College Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will be collecting non-perishable pantry items at this weekend's football game versus Allen University. Adult admission to this Saturday's game is $10 or visitors can bring 5 canned good items for free admission. All donated items will benefit Bread of Life, Transylvania County's local community kitchen.
In addition to the Cans Across the Conference campaign, Brevard College Athletics will also be honoring hometown heroes at the home opener on Saturday.
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