LEXINGTON, Va. - The Washington and Lee University football team's senior class will play their final home game of their careers on Saturday afternoon as they Blue and White take on Shenandoah University at 1 p.m. at Wilson Field.
Game Information:
When: Saturday, November 16th, 2024
Where: Lexington, Va.
Stadium: Wilson Field
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
Gameday Forecast: 63°, Sunny, Wind NW 7 mph
Gameday Links: Watch | Live Stats | Flipcard
Series History:
The Generals and Hornets will meet for the 12th time in program history, playing in Lexington for the second time in the last five seasons. The Blue and White hold a 7-4 record in the all-time series against Shenandoah, including a 6-4 record in the last ten match ups.
Last season, the Generals traveled to Winchester, Va., for their season finale, where they scored 40 points to secure a 19-point victory at Shentel Stadium. The Blue and White's offense produced six touchdowns—four on the ground and two through the air. The Generals registered 438 yards of total offense, rushing for 297 yards with an average of 4.8 yards per carry. Stephen Murrin '24 completed 11 of his 12 passes (92%) for 136 yards and two touchdowns, while also adding 85 yards on the ground. Jacob Romero led all rushers with 91 yards on 25 carries and two touchdowns, averaging 3.6 yards per carry. Dryden Dugginscaught four passes for a team-high 70 yards and one touchdown. Jack Johnson led the Generals with nine tackles, including four solo stops, while Will Mahmud, Nathan Unger '24, Uno Christopher, and Will Knighteach recorded a sack for the Blue and White.
Scouting the Hornets:
The Hornets went undefeated in their non-conference slate, defeating Methodist 33-14, Rhodes 35-21, and Juniata 62-27. Shenandoah's three-game winning streak was snapped following a bye week when they allowed a late score against No. 25 Randolph-Macon, resulting in a 22-21 loss. They rebounded with a 42-20 victory over Ferrum College before suffering another narrow road loss to Bridgewater, 22-21. Since their October 19 loss, the Hornets have been dominant, defeating Guilford (42-10), Averett (41-14), and Hampden-Sydney (35-7) in consecutive weeks.
In their recent game against Hampden-Sydney, the Hornets amassed 524 yards of total offense, including a season-high 387 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground. The defense held Hampden-Sydney to just 263 yards, including 74 rushing yards. Quarterback Steven Hugney completed 12 of 17 passes (71%) for 136 yards and a touchdown, while also adding 45 rushing yards. Jalen Redfearn, the ODAC Offensive Player of the Week, rushed 38 times for a career-high 247 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 6.5 yards per carry. Broden Domenico led the receivers with seven catches for 94 yards and one touchdown. Linebacker Matt Conroy led the Hornets' defense with 11 tackles, while Ethan Brown registered 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack in the win.
This season, Shenandoah is averaging 36.89 points and 425.8 yards per game—the highest in the ODAC. The Hornets average 194.1 rushing yards per game and 231.7 passing yards, making theirs the second-ranked passing offense in the conference. Hugney has completed 145 of 238 passes (61%) for 2,001 yards and 17 touchdowns, averaging 222.23 passing yards per game. Redfearn leads the ground attack with 724 yards on 118 carries and 12 touchdowns. Domenico is Hugney's top target, with 52 receptions for 710 yards and six touchdowns.
Defensively, the Hornets rank third in the conference in rushing defense, allowing only 127.2 yards per game, and second overall in total defense, giving up just 316.3 yards per game. Junior linebacker Matt Conroy leads the defense with 85 tackles, including 45 solo stops, seven tackles for loss, one sack, and a team-high three interceptions. Devin Keasey leads the team with three sacks this season, while Ethan Brown, Liban Farah, and Jake Jack each have two.
Scouting the Generals:
The Blue and White are coming off a 23-7 road victory at Bridgewater, where they recorded 329 yards of total offense, with 240 of those yards on the ground. Romero led all rushers with 80 yards on 27 carries, while Aden Boyd, Michael Schoenberg, and Ty Collins each contributed 40 or more rushing yards. Andrew Bland led the receiving corps with a team-high four catches for 70 yards, and Collins completed 7 of 11 passes (64%) for 89 yards with one interception. Jalen Todd led the defense with nine total tackles, while Uno Christopher had an impressive performance, recording eight tackles, two tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.
The Generals are averaging 30.1 points per game through nine games this season, outscoring their opponents 271-168. The Blue and White average 376.2 yards per game and lead the ODAC in rushing this season, averaging 293.4 rushing yards per game. W&L has surpassed the 400-yard mark twice this season and has recorded over 250 rushing yards in four additional games. Collins is 55-of-90 passing (61%) for 745 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions, adding 327 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Romero leads the ground attack with 901 yards on 164 carries and ten touchdowns and is on track to achieve his second consecutive 1,000-yard season this week. Bland is the leading receiver for the Blue and White, with 16 catches for 251 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 15.7 yards per reception.
The Generals' defense has allowed only 18.67 points per game—the third-lowest in the conference—while giving up an average of 320 yards per game. They have recorded 15 takeaways this season, including ten interceptions and five fumble recoveries. Jalen Todd leads the defensive unit with 101 tackles, including 30 solo stops, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. Brennan Stout ranks second on the team with 69 tackles, while Will Mahmud leads in tackles for loss (9.5) and sacks (6.0), totaling 52 tackles. Connor O'Malley leads the team with three interceptions and has two pass breakups. Charlie Fleming has two interceptions, and both he and Gabe Joyner lead the team with seven pass breakups.
National Statistical Rankings:
The Blue and White's multi-faceted rushing attack remains one of the best in the nation, ranking 5th after ten weeks with an average of 293.4 yards per game. The offensive line has played a crucial role in this success, not only facilitating the run game but also protecting quarterback Ty Collins by allowing just 0.67 sacks per game, which ranks 11th in Division III this season. Additionally, the W&L offense ranks 16th in fourth-down conversions with a 61.5% success rate and 22nd in tackles for loss allowed, averaging only 3.78 per game.
Individually, senior Jacob Romero stands out as one of the top running backs in the country this season. He ranks 29th in total rushing yards (901), 33rd in rushing yards per game (100.1), 37th in rushing touchdowns (10), and 64th in rushing yards per carry (5.49). Senior Jalen Todd has also emerged as one of the nation's best linebackers, ranking seventh in tackles per game (11.2) and fifth in total tackles (101).
Around the ODAC:
Randolph-Macon lifted the ODAC Trophy with a 35-7 win over Ferrum on Saturday while. W&L returned to the win column with a 23-7 win at Bridgewater. Shenandoah silenced Hampden-Sydney to move into the third slot in the ODAC standings, downing the Tigers 35-7 at home. Averett capped off the weekend with a game-winning touchdown with 1:55 to play to secure its first conference win of the season, 28-21, over Guilford.
Saturday, Nov. 16
Washington and Lee vs. Shenandoah | 1 p.m.
Hampden-Sydney vs. #22 Randolph-Macon | 1 p.m.
Guilford vs. Bridgewater | 3 p.m.
Ferrum vs. Averett | 3:30 p.m.