DANVILLE, Va. – The Gallaudet University football team closed out its season-opening three-game, three-state road swing with a 55-19 loss to Averett University on Saturday afternoon at Daly Field at Frank R. Campbell Stadium.
Sophomore wide receiver
Isaiah Baxter (Riverside, Calif.) led the Bison receiving corps with five catches for 118 yards and one touchdown. It marked Baxter's second consecutive 100-yard receiving game after he posted a career-high 159 yards last week at Anderson University.
The Bison (0-3) generated 418 yards of total offense but five turnovers proved costly. After Averett drove 80 yards for the game's opening score, the Cougars took advantage of favorable field position with touchdown drives of 17 and 21 yards to build a 21-0 first-quarter lead.
Gallaudet responded with a 10-play, 64-yard scoring drive late in the opening quarter. Sophomore quarterback
Jayden DeFalco (Indianapolis, Ind.) capped the drive with a nine-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver
Darius Zarembka (Riverside, Calif.) with 16 seconds remaining.
The Bison defense came up with two turnovers in the second quarter to keep the deficit at 21-6. First-year defensive back
Markus Turner (Vancouver, Wash.) forced a fumble at the goal line that was recovered in the end zone by first-year defensive lineman
Skyler Ferguson (Woodbridge, Va.) for a touchback. On Averett's next possession, first-year defensive back
Aiden Shupe (Livermore, Calif.) intercepted a pass and returned it 13 yards to the Gallaudet 40-yard line.
The Cougars extended their lead to 28-6 in the second quarter before DeFalco connected with Baxter for the biggest Gallaudet play of the afternoon. On the first play of the ensuing possession, Baxter hauled in a pass and raced 79 yards for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 28-13 with 4:40 left before halftime.
Averett answered on its ensuing possession to take a 35-13 lead into halftime and added 20 points in the second half.
Gallaudet scored its final touchdown with 5:06 remaining in the fourth quarter when junior quarterback
Stevie Oursler (Prince Frederick, Md.) connected with first-year wide receiver
Nemo Jones (Jackson, Ga.) for a 14-yard score.
DeFalco completed 18 of 27 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns. First-year running back
Matthew Silvay (Riverside, Calif.) led the Bison on the ground with 54 yards on 16 carries.
Junior linebacker
Lawrence Rivers (Chiefland, Fla.) led Gallaudet with nine tackles and one tackle for loss. First-year linebacker
Darien Lopez (Austin, Texas) was second on the team with six tackles (four solo). First-year defensive back
Mark Gwynn III (Randallstown, Md.) blocked an extra-point attempt and added five tackles (four solo).
Averett finished with 544 yards of total offense, including 296 yards on the ground. Junior running back Debvrin Smith rushed for 124 yards and a touchdown, while freshman wide receiver Tre'Sean Suber caught four passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Junior safety Jeremiah Marks led the Cougars defensively with a program-record three interceptions.
BISON TRACKS
- Baxter has surpassed 100 receiving yards in consecutive games and has 277 receiving yards during that span.
- Gallaudet's 418 yards of total offense and 128 rushing yards are season high marks.
- The Bison finished with a season best 22 first downs, converted 10 of 18 third-down opportunities and went 2-for-3 on fourth down conversions.
- Gallaudet held the ball for 39 minutes, 46 seconds.
- GU is now 1-4 against Averett all-time.
- The Bison defeated the Cougars, 39-30, last season at Hotchkiss Field.
- Prior to 2025, the two teams met three years in a row from 2000-02.
UP NEXT
Gallaudet returns to the nation's capital for its 2026 home opener next Saturday, Sept. 26, when the Bison welcome Roanoke College (2-0) to Hotchkiss Field for a 1 p.m. kickoff. The game will also serve as the football team's Mental Health Awareness Game in partnership with Gallaudet University's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) as Gallaudet Athletics continues to promote mental health awareness and support the well-being of its student-athletes.
