Hampden-Sydney College’s (H-SC) football team made sure the first month of the season didn’t end before Tigers fans could celebrate a victory in 2018. The Tigers opened their Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) schedule Saturday afternoon with an epic 56-27 home win over Emory & Henry College, scoring 35 points in the second half to pull away.

“It was much needed,” H-SC Head Coach Marty Favret said of the victory, which improves his team’s overall record to 1-2. “We’ve come a long way in three weeks.”

The Tigers led 14-7 after the first quarter Saturday and 21-14 at halftime, but then they exploded in the second half, scoring 21 points in the third quarter and 14 in the fourth.

Hampden-Sydney generated 633 yards of total offense in its first action since Sept. 8. Hurricane Florence led to the time off, in addition to a bye.

“I felt our offense was better than we had shown in the two previous games, and in that sense, the time off was beneficial, but you can look good in practice,” Favret said. “It needs to carry over to the game field, and it finally did. Certainly our passing game and the weapons that we have with three kids going over a hundred yards receiving — I don’t think that’s ever happened here. It starts with Alec Cobb and keeping him clean, and he really played well.”

Cobb went 37-for-55 passing for a career-high 519 yards. He threw for five touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran for a touchdown.

An H-SC release noted that his single-game total of 519 passing yards was second most in school history and the seventh highest in ODAC history.

“I got a call from Corey Sedlar, who holds the (school) record,” Favret said. “He played for me a few years back, and he said, ‘Do I still have it?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, by three yards.’”

Cobb and Tigers senior linebacker Chad Vanlandingham were named the ODAC Football Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week.

Vanlandingham finished Saturday with seven total tackles, including three tackles for a loss and one forced fumble.

Leading H-SC’s receiving corps was junior Major Morgan with 11 catches for 181 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman running back Kaleb Smith had 11 catches for 110 yards and a score, along with 21 carries for 69 yards and two scores. Sophomore wide receiver Blake Page recorded eight catches for 109 yards and a touchdown.

“We thought Blake was really the key to the game,” Favret said.

The Tigers (1-2, 1-0 ODAC) visit Shenandoah University on Saturday at 1 p.m.