HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. – Washington and Lee senior quarterback Greg Tweardy (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) hit junior wide receiver Colton Ward (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Country Day) on a 29-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-one with 34 seconds remaining to give the Generals a 38-34 win over Hampden-Sydney in ODAC football action on Saturday afternoon at Fulton Field.
The Tigers (4-2, 2-2) took a 7-0 lead with 13 seconds left in the first quarter on a 36-yard touchdown pass from quarterback J.D. Ricca to running back Charlie Omick. They extended their lead to 14-0 with 9:52 remaining in the second quarter when Ricca found wide receiver Drew Smith on a 22-yard touchdown strike. The Generals (5-1, 3-0) cut the deficit to 14-6 at halftime on a pair of field goals by junior placekicker Ben Long (Frankford, W.Va./Hargrave Military). Long connected from 33 yards at 2:26 and from 30 yards as the second quarter expired.
Long made it a 14-9 game with 9:49 left in the third quarter when he booted a school-record tying 47-yard field goal. W&L then took its first lead of the game just 2:46 later when Tweardy found Ward for a 5-yard touchdown pass and senior wide receiver Clark Kensinger (Columbia, S.C./Oakwood) converted the two-point conversion on a pass from Tweardy to make it 17-14. H-SC retook the lead at 21-17 at the 4:28 mark on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Ricca to wide receiver Brian Rolander.
With the Generals holding a 31-27 lead with 6:29 left in the fourth quarter, H-SC would drive 65 yards in nine plays and wide receiver Josh Simpson ended the drive with a 9-yard touchdown run at 3:47 to give the Tigers a 34-31 advantage.
W&L responded with its own seven-play, 50-yard drive that ended with Ward's game-winning touchdown. The Tigers had one final drive, but Generals' senior defensive back Adam Turer (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson) intercepted Ricca at the W&L 17-yard line with just six seconds left to seal the victory.
The Generals finished with 466 yards of total offense and were led by Tweardy, who finished 29-for-38 for a career-high 397 yards and two touchdowns. Senior running back Michael Lackett (Allenwood, N.J./Wall Township) carried 15 times for 53 yards and two touchdowns, while sophomore wide receiver Jack Martin (Princeton, N.J./Hun School) caught 12 balls for a career-high 219 yards. Ward finished with six catches for 71 yards and the two scores.
Defensively, the Generals were led by senior defensive back Stuart Swann (Macon, Ga./Woodberry Forest), who totaled eight tackles. Senior defensive lineman Liam Murray (Oneonta, N.Y./Oneonta) and junior outside linebacker Robert Foster (Brentwood, Tenn./Montgomery Bell) each notched seven tackles.
The Tigers amassed 438 yards of total offense and Ricca went 20-of-35 for 273 yards and three touchdowns (2 INT's). Simpson rushed 17 times for 102 yards and the one touchdown, while Smith caught 7 balls for 138 yards and the one score. Cornerback Jamie Edlow led the defense with 13 tackles.
Washington and Lee returns to action on Saturday at Guilford. The game begins at 1:00 pm.
-- GENERALS --
