Before Friday night, the Orange Panthers hadn’t defeated the Southern Durham Spartans in Hillsborough since 1985. However, Orange ended that dry spell with a 27-17 victory over the Spartans at Auman Stadium. Hunter Pettiford rushed for 196 yards on 27 carries. Linebackers Colin Guentensberger and Jett Satterfield and nose tackle Jeremiah Bailey all made huge defensive plays throughout the game. Senior co-captain Eryk Mercado helped limit the Southern passing attack, as well as making a huge catch on a 2nd-and-23 for 24 yards in the third quarter, leading to Pettiford’s 2nd touchdown. After an 0-3 start, Orange is now 2-0 in the Big 8 Conference.