BUENA VISTA — Last year, Southern Virginia enjoyed its first winning season.

A second straight successful season might be harder to come by.

The Knights went 6-5 last fall in their fifth season of varsity football. But four of the teams the NAIA school beat are gone from this year’s schedule, including Faulkner, which made its football debut last fall; and George Mason’s club team. The Knights have just four home games, down from seven last year.

The tougher schedule features an eclectic mix of teams from the NAIA and from NCAA divisions I-AA, II and III. The five new additions are Washington and Lee; McNeese State, ranked 14th in the Sporting News’ preseason I-AA Top 25; Morehead State, a nonscholarship I-AA team that won seven games last fall; Gallaudet, the Washington, D.C., school for the deaf; and Webber International, an NAIA school in Florida that won three games last year.

“The trade-offs are tough,” second-year coach Mike Smith said of the schedule changes. “What will we be able to do? I don’t know.”

The offense will miss McKay Dunn, who earned NAIA All-America honors after catching 111 passes for 1,681 yards as a senior; and Hayes Page, who ran for 1,531 yards as a senior.

The Knights averaged 34.1 points and 308.2 yards passing with their one-back, no-huddle scheme last year.

Smith likes the depth of his receiving corps despite the loss of Dunn, but finding a successor to Page is a big concern.

“If we don’t find a running back, they may see us be even more wide-open,” Smith said with a grin.

Six starters are back on offense, including senior quarterback Luke Taylor. He completed 214 of 351 passes (61 percent) for 3,292 yards and 31 touchdowns last year, when he ranked sixth in the NAIA in passing efficiency and total offense. But Taylor threw 15 interceptions, a number Smith wants him to reduce.

Six starters are back from a subpar defense. The Knights allowed 33.8 points and 402.6 yards of total offense last fall. Guilford put up 70 points on them, and two other foes scored more than 40 points.

The defense will miss linebacker Ricky Kailiponi, who had a team-high 126 tackles as a sophomore. He was one of several players who left to go on a Mormon mission.

SVU does welcome back linebacker Matt Mellor from a Mormon mission. Also rejoining the team are receiver Tye Hiatt, who didn’t play last year; and tight end Brett Petty and defensive back Nich Deniz, neither of whom attended SVU last year.