DUE WEST, S.C. - For the second consecutive season, the Brevard College football team (2-0) secured a win over an NCAA DII opponent, as the Tornados defeated Erskine (2-1), 24-13, on Saturday at Dixie High School's football field.
The victory marked the 50th in the collegiate coaching career of Head Coach Billy Khayat, who is in the midst of his 10th season at the helm of Tornado football. The win also secured BC's first 2-0 start to a season since 2019.
With the score tied at 14 points apiece, Brevard tacked on three points before halftime, and outscored the Flying Fleet 10-0 in the second half to take the victory.
The contest was called in favor of the Tornados with just over four minutes left to play and Brevard up by 11 with possession of the ball due to lightning in the area.
Brevard more than doubled Erskine in first downs, 16-7, and dominated the ground game, out-rushing the Flying Fleet 207-6. BC's defense was stout once again, holding Erskine to 0.3 yards per carry, while the Tornados outpaced the hosts as a whole, 421-160. The battle for time of possession was comfortably claimed by Brevard, who held the ball for nearly 42 minutes.
Freshman signal caller
Christian Conley tossed a pair of first-half touchdowns to
Herbert Pringle IV and
Bryson Taylor, while transfer QB
Chase Patalano went 4-for-6 for 122 yards.
Zion Fauntleroy-McDaniel eclipsed 100 yards for the second-straight week, dashing for 105 of Brevard's 207 total yards on the ground.
Michael Pannell hauled in a 65-yard reception, Fauntleroy-McDaniel snagged a 49-yard toss, and
Messiah Ramseur caught a team-best three passes for 47 yards. While BC's defense stayed off the field for much of the afternoon, the unit was highly productive while on it, racking up seven TFLs, two sacks, and an interception. Both of
James Laycock's tackles were for a loss, including a quarterback sack, while
DJ Stevenson snagged his second interception of the season.
On special teams, Declan Sweeney booted a 52-yard punt,
Gavin Pegram returned a kick 47 yards, and
Alex Araneda drilled five kickoffs for touchbacks, went 2-for-3 on field goals, and split the uprights on both of his PAT.
Erskine opened the scoring up, getting on the board with a touchdown four minutes into the contest. BC answered right back with an eight-play, 53-yard drive capped by Pringle IV's touchdown catch.
Taylor hauled in his first Tornado touchdown to begin the second period, but the Flying Fleet found their answer, returning a blocked field goal 86 yards to tie the score at 14-all.
Araneda drilled a 35-yard field goal towards the end of the second quarter, and hit a 25-yard field goal near the end of the third period to push BC's lead up to six points, 20-14.
Tae Sellers provided BC with all the insurance that it would need with a one-yard touchdown run, as the Tornados closed out the 13-point road win.
BC's six rushing yards allowed as a defense is the program's lowest-ever single-game mark.
Brevard will conclude non-conference play next Saturday, September 26 at 6 p.m. in Greensboro, North Carolina, vs. Guilford.
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