BREVARD, N.C. – The Brevard College football team (1-0) opened its 2026 season in impressive fashion Saturday afternoon, racing to a 22-point first-quarter lead and never looking back in a 39-14 victory over the University of the South (0-2) at Ives-Lemel Family Field.
The Tornados capitalized on strong field position, explosive rushing plays, and a pair of defensive takeaways to secure the season-opening win. Brevard scored on four of its first five possessions and built a 29-0 advantage early in the second quarter before cruising to the 25-point triumph.
Brevard's ground game led the way, piling up 241 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
Zion Fauntleroy-McDaniel sparked the offense with an electrifying 53-yard touchdown run on the Tornados' opening possession. The junior finished with 103 yards on just eight carries, averaging 12.9 yards per rush.
In his collegiate debut,
Marvin Reed Jr. added a pair of rushing scores and totaled 86 yards on 14 carries. After a four-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter, Reed found the end zone again from 17 yards out later in the period as Brevard surged ahead 22-0 after the opening 15 minutes.
The Tornados continued to add to the lead early in the second quarter when freshman quarterback
Christian Conley capped a six-play, 45-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown plunge, extending the margin to 29-0. Sewanee got on the board with a safety and later a five-yard scoring run by Barton Mixon to cut the deficit to 29-8 at halftime.
Brevard put the game on ice in the second half, utilizing some lengthy drives while outscoring the Tigers 10-6 to close out the 39-14 victory.
Conley, the hometown product out of Brevard High School, completed 6 of 10 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown while adding a rushing score. His lone touchdown pass came in the third quarter when he connected with
Shy Grant for a 14-yard scoring strike that pushed the lead to 36-8.
Spencer Crum contributed a pair of field goals from 30 and 35 yards, while
Alex Araneda recorded eight touchbacks on nine kickoffs as both place kickers made their collegiate debuts. Punting duo of
Glen Kelly and
Declan Sweeny also impressed, while
Gavin Pegram totaled 199 total return yards (114 PR, 85 KR) in his first college contest.
Defensively, Brevard forced a pair of interceptions and recovered a fumble.
DJ Stevenson recorded the first interception and returned it 25 yards to set up a field goal, while
Jaylen Byrd added a second-half interception. The Tornados converted turnovers into 17 points.
Will Hadden III led Brevard with a game-high 11 tackles, while
James Laycock added five stops, a sack, and two quarterback hurries. The Tornado defense limited Sewanee to just 145 passing yards and held the Tigers to 2-for-17 on third-down conversions.
Sewanee was paced by Mixon, who rushed for 174 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries and finished with 204 all-purpose yards. Quarterback Toryn Wilkins completed 15 of 35 passes for 143 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
Despite Sewanee holding a slight edge in time of possession and recording 21 first downs, Brevard made the most of its opportunities. The Tornados averaged 6.5 yards per play, finished with 319 yards of total offense, and went a perfect 6-for-6 in red-zone scoring chances to secure the season-opening victory.
The victory marks the first time BC has won its season-opener since a 27-6 triumph over Christopher Newport on Sept. 21, 2019 – nearly seven years ago – and BC's 39 points were its most to open a season since Aug. 28, 2010.
The Tornados will hit the road to face Erskine next Saturday, Sept. 19 at 3 p.m. in Due West, South Carolina.
To follow the latest news and updates surrounding Brevard College Athletics, follow the Tornados on Twitter and Instagram @bctornados, subscribe to 'Brevard College Tornados' on YouTube, and follow 'Brevard College Athletics' on Facebook. In addition, follow 'brevardcollege' on Flickr for photos from Brevard College events. For all live streams of Brevard College Athletics contests, visit FloCollege.com.
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