BATON ROUGE, La. — In a thrilling matchup, Kobe Dillion showcased his talent by rushing for 130 yards and contributing a pivotal two-point conversion during the fifth overtime, leading Southern to a nail-biting 25-23 victory over Bethune-Cookman on Saturday night. The victory was clinched when Bethune-Cookman’s final rushing attempt was successfully thwarted by the Southern defense.

Bethune-Cookman initially took control of the game, holding a 3-0 lead until the last moments of the first quarter. As the match progressed, both teams found themselves tied at 10 as regulation time came to a close, sending the game into overtime. The first two overtime possessions saw each team executing smoothly, managing to score effortlessly.

However, in a tense turn of events, both teams struggled with their two-point conversion attempts following their second touchdowns, which ultimately led to four consecutive incompletions in the ensuing overtimes. Dillion’s impressive touchdown run set the stage for Southern’s defense, which rose to the occasion and made a crucial stop to secure the win.

CJ Russell got Southern on the board with a 6-yard touchdown run at the start of the first overtime. However, Bethune-Cookman responded strongly, as Dennis Palmer dashed 25 yards into the end zone on the very next play. Although Kendric Rhymes added a 25-yard burst for Southern shortly afterward, he was halted in his efforts to secure a successful PAT conversion.

Bethune-Cookman then capitalized on a pass interference penalty, culminating in a 13-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Cam Ransom to receiver Nance Thomas. Despite the scoring play, Ransom was again unsuccessful in converting the PAT on his run attempt.

For the game, Southern amassed a total of 256 rushing yards, with Rhymes contributing an impressive 92 yards of his own. The two quarterbacks combined for 13 completions on 28 attempts, totaling 164 passing yards. On the other side, Ransom excelled through the air, totaling 243 yards, while Palmer added 96 yards on the ground for Bethune-Cookman.