LEXINGTON, Va. - The Washington and Lee University football team is on the road for the final time this season as they travel to Bridgewater College on Saturday afternoon for a 2 p.m. match up with the Eagles at Jopson Athletic Complex.
Game Information:
When: Saturday, November 9th, 2024
Where: Bridgewater, Va.
Stadium: Wilson Field
Kickoff: 2 p.m.
Gameday Forecast: 57°, Partly Sunny, Wind E 6 mph
Gameday Links: Watch | Live Stats | Flipcard
Series History:
This year marks the 54th meeting between the two institutions since their first encounter in 1964. The Blue and White hold a 31-22 record in the all-time series, with a 6-4 record in the last ten match ups. The Generals will play at the Jopson Athletic Complex for only the fifth time in the past 11 years; their last win there came in 2018 when they defeated the Eagles 30-20.
In last year's meeting, the Generals took an early lead, going up 24-7 by halftime and ultimately securing a 31-21 victory over the Eagles. The Blue and White totaled 459 yards of offense, rushing 61 times for 268 yards and three touchdowns. Stephen Murrin '24 completed 8 of 11 passes (73%) for 191 yards and one touchdown, adding 62 rushing yards on nine carries. For Bridgewater, Malcolm Anderson completed 5 of 10 passes (50%) for 101 yards and one touchdown. Jacob Romero led all rushers with 140 yards on 24 carries, averaging 5.8 yards per attempt, and also caught one pass for 41 yards. Kennedy Fauntleroy led Bridgewater's rushing attack with 22 carries for 136 yards and one touchdown. Defensively, Aaron Moore posted a game-high 16 tackles for the Eagles, while Aaron Nice recorded 15 tackles, including 9 solo stops and one sack. Hunter Hawk '24 led the Generals with a team-high 10 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks, earning him a spot on the D3football.com Week 10 Team of the Week.
Scouting the Eagles:
After dropping their season opener to No. 7 Susquehanna, the Eagles went on a five-game winning streak to improve to 5-1. However, in the last two weeks, they have been stifled by Randolph-Macon and Hampden-Sydney. The Yellow Jackets defeated BC 49-16, and the Tigers of Hampden-Sydney jumped out to an early lead, ultimately holding on for a 28-21 win on the Eagles' home field.
In their game against Hampden-Sydney, the Eagles produced 316 total yards of offense, with 229 passing yards but only 87 rushing yards. BC's Jaicere Bateman went 23-of-39 (59%) for 229 yards and three touchdowns, also contributing a team-high 38 rushing yards. Kyle Beck led the Eagles' receiving corps with five catches for 60 yards and one touchdown, while Jacob Perdue and Jamel Johnson each caught a touchdown pass in the loss. Aaron Moore led the defensive efforts with eight tackles including seven solo stops while Jaelan Mathews had seven solo tackles in the loss.
This season, Bridgewater has outscored its opponents 278-175, averaging 34.75 points and 396.4 yards per game—the third-highest in the ODAC. The Eagles average 260.5 passing yards per game with 17 touchdowns, making it the top-ranked passing offense in the conference. They also average 135.9 rushing yards per game. Sophomore Jaicere Bateman, the Eagles' starting quarterback, has completed 175 of 262 passes (68%) for 1,860 yards—the second-most in the conference—and has thrown 15 touchdowns while adding 207 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. Cedric Drumgoole leads the team with 54 catches for 530 yards and five touchdowns. Four other Eagles have 20 or more catches for 200+ yards this season.
Defensively, the Eagles rank second in the conference, allowing 319.9 yards and 21.9 points per game. They hold opponents to 183.5 passing yards and 136.4 rushing yards per game. This season, they have held opponents to under 150 rushing yards in four games and limited Southern Virginia and Averett to under 45 rushing yards. Bridgewater has recorded 14 takeaways, including five fumble recoveries and nine interceptions. TJ Lowery leads the defense with 48 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks. Aaron Moore and Demarco Fleming have each recorded over 40 tackles, with Fleming leading the team with 2.5 sacks and a conference-high 12 tackles for loss. Donald Brooks II leads with three interceptions and three pass breakups, while six other Eagles have recorded one interception each.
Scouting the Generals:
The Generals aim to bounce back this week after their four-game winning streak was snapped in a 20-7 loss to No. 24 Randolph-Macon on Saturday afternoon. The Yellow Jackets controlled the game, holding possession for nearly 44 minutes and converting 11 of 18 third downs (61%). The Generals were limited to a season-low 187 total yards of offense—their lowest output since the 2021 season opener against Christopher Newport—and managed just 89 rushing yards. RMC quarterback Dante Casciola completed 17 of 23 (74%) passes for 145 yards, adding 47 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Ty Collins was 8-of-13 (62%) for 98 yards and a touchdown for the Generals. Jacob Romero led all rushers with 57 yards on 18 carries, while Kwesi Clarke led Randolph-Macon with 11 carries for 55 yards. Jack Johnson recorded a career-high 14 tackles, while Todd, Will Mahmud, and Brennan Stout also notched double-digit stops. Tony Skinner led the Yellow Jackets' defense with 12 tackles, and Jeffery Achaempong and Owen Arruza each added 0.5 sacks.
The Blue and White are averaging 31 points per game across eight games this season, outscoring their opponents 248-161. The Generals' offense is producing an average of 382.1 yards per game—the fourth most in the ODAC—while leading the conference with an impressive 300.1 rushing yards per game. Of their 33 touchdowns this season, 26 have come on the ground, with seven through the air. Collins is 48-of-79 (61%) passing this season, totaling 656 yards and seven touchdowns, along with 283 rushing yards and one touchdown. Romero leads the rushing attack with a conference-high 821 yards on 137 carries and nine touchdowns, averaging 102.63 yards per game. Andrew Bland leads the receiving corps with 12 catches for 181 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 15.08 yards per catch.
The Generals' defense has allowed 330.0 yards and 20.13 points per game over eight games. They've held opponents to 130.9 rushing yards per game at 3.8 yards per carry—the second-lowest in the ODAC. This season, the defense has registered 17 sacks, 41 tackles for loss, eight interceptions, and four forced fumbles. Jalen Todd is having an outstanding senior season, leading the team and ODAC with 92 total tackles. This mark ranks fourth in Division III this season. He's on pace to become the first General since 2017 to record 100 tackles in a single season. Brennan Stout ranks second on the team with 69 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Will Mahmud leads the defense with 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks, contributing 47 tackles overall. Charlie Fleming leads the team with six pass breakups, while Gabe Joyner, Connor O'Malley, and Todd have combined for eight PBUs. O'Malley leads with three interceptions, while five other Generals each have one pick this season.
National Statistical Rankings:
The Blue and White's formidable rushing attack remains among the best in the nation, ranking 5th after nine weeks with an average of 300.1 yards per game. The offensive line has been instrumental, not only driving the Generals' rushing success but also protecting sophomore quarterback Ty Collins, allowing just 0.63 sacks per game—13th best in Division III this season. The W&L offense also ranks 20th in fourth-down conversions, with a 66.7% success rate, and 20th in tackles for loss allowed, averaging only 3.5 per game. The Generals' punt return unit ranks 2nd nationally, averaging 24.0 yards per return, while their punting unit is 21st, averaging 37.69 yards per punt.
Individually, senior Jacob Romero stands out as one of the top running backs in the country this season. He ranks 26th in total rushing yards (821), 29th in rushing yards per game (102.6), 30th in rushing touchdowns (9), and 37th in rushing yards per carry (5.99). Senior Jalen Todd has also emerged as one of the nation's best linebackers, ranking fourth in tackles per game (11.5) and total tackles (92).
Around the ODAC:
Randolph-Macon claimed sole possession of first place in the league following a 20-7 road win at Washington and Lee on Saturday while Ferrum defeated Guilford 20-7 to return to the win column this week. Hamdpen-Sydney staved off a Bridgewater comeback on Saturday afternoon to secure a 28-21 road win while Shenandoah powered past Averett, downing the Cougars 41-14.
Saturday, Nov. 9
Shenandoah vs. Hampden-Sydney | 1 p.m.
#24 Randolph-Macon vs. Ferrum | 1 p.m.
Averett vs. Guilford | 1 p.m.
Bridgewater vs. Washington and Lee | 2 p.m.