Fresh legs

Eastern View High School graduate Stevie Strother had perhaps his best game as a collegiate on Saturday, averaging more then seven yards per carry to help Southern Illinois rally past Illinois State 43-23.

Strother, a true freshman running back for the Salukis, carried four times and gained 30 yards as Southern Illinois — ranked No. 5 in the latest NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision poll — improved to 4-1 and 3-0 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Next week Southern Illinois will travel to No. 3 Northern Iowa for a game that could have significant implications on the MVFC title and the FCS playoff races.

So far this year, Strother has played in four games for the Salukis, carrying the ball 17 times for 73 yards. He also has three catches for 25 yards and has been involved on special teams, making one tackle and returning one kickoff for 13 yards.

COLLEGE DEBUTS: Former Culpeper County High School players Matt Bennett and John Ross Hawkins made their college football debuts this season as freshmen at Shenandoah University.

Hawkins, an offensive lineman, and Bennett, a linebacker, have each played in one game this season with Bennett making two solo tackles.

MAKING CATCHES: Orange County product Bradley Starks continues to be one of West Virginia’s most productive offensive players. Saturday in a win at Syracuse, Starks made two catches for 53 yards.

That brings his season totals up to 14 catches for 245 yards and one touchdown for the Mountaineers, who improved to 4-1 this season.

SHOWDOWN IN CHARLOTTESVILLE: Several area products were suited up Saturday at Virginia’s Scott Stadium when Indiana played the Cavaliers and even though his Hoosiers took it on the chin in a 47-7 loss, former Liberty standout Justin Carrington had a solid game.

Carrington, a backup linebacker, made five tackles, including two for a loss, against the Cavs.

That gives him a total of 13 tackles, seven solo, in six games this season. He also has a fumble recovery he returned for 16 yards.

For Virginia, Terence Fells-Danzer, a former Culpeper Blue Devil, played in the game as a backup linebacker, but didn’t make a tackle. Fells-Danzer has played in four games for the Cavaliers, but hasn’t recorded a tackle.

Former Orange County star Quintin Hunter also played against the Hoosiers, but the freshman wide receiver didn’t make a catch. For the season, he has one catch for 13 yards.

Redshirt freshman Kyle McCartin, a Fauquier graduate, didn’t play against Indiana, but did make his college debut last month at Southern Mississippi.

MORE FROM ORANGE: The Orange County High School Hornets have been well represented in major college football this year. In addition to Starks and Hunter, Vanderbilt’s Brent Trice has been playing well for the Commodores. In six games, Trice has 28.5 tackles, including 16 solo stops and 1.5 sacks. He’s also broken up two passes.

Trice had a great game on Saturday in Vanderbilt’s loss to Army, making 7.5 tackles and recovering a fumble.

Another Orange County product, Asa Chapman, has had a solid year so far playing on the defensive line for Liberty University. Chapman has made 22 tackles, including one for a loss.