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# Mars Hill 17, Winston-Salem State 0: Durant broke the deadlock and the defense held
- URL: https://www.mayberrysports.com/mars-hill-17-winston-salem-state-0-durant-broke-the-deadlock-and-the-defense-held/
- Published: 2026-09-17T22:47:29.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-17T22:47:29.000Z
- Author: Rick Mayberry
- Tags: Football, #report, South Atlantic Conference, Mars Hill, #Import 2026-09-17 22:54

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FOOTBALL · SEPTEMBER 5, 2026 · RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS

## Executive brief

Mars Hill opened with a 17–0 road win at Winston-Salem State on September 5\. The teams reached halftime scoreless at Bowman Gray Stadium before Rayvon Durant supplied both touchdowns. [\[2\]](#source-2)

Mayberry’s assessment: the Lions won by continuing to generate rushing opportunities while their defense kept the stalled first-half scoring from becoming a deficit. Patience worked because the opponent was also being contained.

## Official data — game profile

| Metric            | Mars Hill | Winston-Salem State |
| ----------------- | --------- | ------------------- |
| Final             | 17        | 0                   |
| Total yards       | 352       | 100                 |
| Net rushing yards | 288       | 19                  |
| Passing yards     | 64        | 81                  |
| First downs       | 21        | 10                  |
| Third downs       | 8/17      | 2/11                |

Official full-game statistics. [\[1\]](#source-1)

## Decisive possessions

Durant’s 52-yard run broke the tie midway through the third quarter. A Matthias Newsome field goal made it a two-score game in the fourth; Durant’s short touchdown run completed the scoring. [\[1\]](#source-1)

The field goal carried importance beyond its three points. A seven-point lead leaves a team vulnerable to a single scoring possession. Extending that margin changed the number of successful possessions Winston-Salem State needed, with less time available to produce them.

## Player impact

Durant finished with 201 rushing yards on 28 attempts. Nate Crosby Jr. added 50 yards on the ground. [\[1\]](#source-1) The offense’s most effective route was therefore clear, even though the scoreboard took more than a half to reflect it.

For the Rams, Sean Walker Jr. caught four passes for 37 yards. Deiondre Goldston and Kendall McKoy combined for 81 passing yards. [\[2\]](#source-2) Isolated completions could not substitute for a succession of drives that reached scoring position.

## Mayberry’s take

Mars Hill missed two second-quarter field goals. [\[2\]](#source-2) That makes the shutout especially valuable: the defense preserved the chance to win while offensive possessions were producing less than their potential value.

The rushing advantage should be read alongside the finishing issue. A strong ground game creates opportunities, but an opponent capable of scoring quickly could make empty possessions much more expensive. Improving the conversion of sustained movement into points remains a useful target after a comfortable final margin.

## Conference context and evidence note

The result left Mars Hill 1–0 overall and 0–0 in SAC play. [\[1\]](#source-1) It established a productive rushing performance against this opponent, not a conference-wide offensive ranking.

The school recap and box disagree on some individual rushing, tackling and punting figures; those disputed totals are omitted. The box also has an internal passing/receiving total mismatch for WSSU. The table uses the displayed team totals, corroborated by the recap’s statistics panel. The agreed scoring sequence supports this analysis. [\[1\]](#source-1) [\[2\]](#source-2)

## Sources

[\[1\] Official box score and play-by-play](https://wssurams.com/sports/football/stats/2026/mars-hill-university/boxscore/5153?ref=mayberrysports.com)

[\[2\] Winston-Salem State Athletics recap](https://wssurams.com/news/2026/9/5/football-rams-drop-home-opener-to-mars-hill-17-0.aspx?ref=mayberrysports.com)