LEXINGTON, Va. – Washington and Lee was 10-of-13 on third downs and held the ball for better than 35 minutes in posting a 28-25 win over Randolph-Macon in ODAC football action on Saturday at Wilson Field.

The Generals held the ball for 11:42 of the final 15 minutes of the game, scoring 14 points in the final quarter to post their first win of the season.

W&L (1-5, 1-2) struck first as sophomore quarterback Charlie Nelson (Redding, Conn./St. Luke's) capped a 14-play, 70-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead at the 3:02 mark of the opening quarter.

Randolph-Macon (3-3, 1-2) scored a pair of second-quarter touchdowns to push out to a 14-7 lead with 3:46 left in the half.  Sophomore running back Dom Kaopua (Fredericksburg, Va./Chancellor) scored on a 5-yard touchdown run at 13:02 to end an 11-play, 75-yard drive and senior quarterback Zac Naccarato (Spotsylvania, Va./Riverbend) completed a 10-play, 67-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown run at 3:46.

W&L knotted the score at 14-14 just before the half when Nelson found first-year running back Duncan Maxwell (Jackson, Miss./Jackson Academy) with a 6-yard touchdown pass with 15 seconds remaining.

The Yellow Jackets took the lead (17-14) with 7:16 left in the third quarter when sophomore placekicker Seth Yurgel (Fredericksburg, Va./Courtland) booted a 34-yard field goal.

Despite controlling the ball for 9:20 of the third quarter, W&L could not push across a score until midway through the fourth quarter when Nelson hit first-year wide receiver Witt Hawkins (Memphis, Tenn./Memphis University School) with a 22-yard touchdown pass for a 21-17 lead with 8:51 left.

Sophomore linebacker John Carrick (Charlotte, N.C./Providence Day) intercepted Naccarato four plays later, setting up the W&L offense on the R-MC 37-yardline.  Sophomore running back Evan Hinkle (Glen Allen, Va./Deep Run) scored on a 5-yard touchdown run seven plays later to give the Generals a 28-17 lead with 4:36 to play.

After sophomore cornerback Will Dyson (Indian Springs, Ala./Briarwood Christian) intercepted Naccarato at the W&L 14-yardline three plays later, the Generals fumbled it back at the W&L 20-yardline, which set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Kaopua at 1:44, his second score of the game.

W&L recovered the ensuing onside kick, but was forced to punt with 50 seconds remaining.  R-MC took over on its own 20-yardline and drove to the W&L 35-yardline with just 17 seconds remaining, before Carrick recorded his second interception of the game at the 15-yardline to preserve the win.

Nelson led the W&L offense, completing 5-of-6 passes for 85 yards and two touchdowns.  He also rushed 19 times for 88 yards and a score.  Sophomore running back Marshall Hollerith (Richmond, Va./St. Christopher's) totaled 64 yards on 18 carries, while Hinkle tallied 62 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.  Sophomore tight end Jack Taylor (Broad Run, Va./Battlefield) notched two catches for 50 yards, while Hawkins caught two passes for 32 yards and a touchdown.  First-year linebacker Max Garrett (Fairfield, Conn./Choate Rosemary Hall) posted a team-best seven tackles, while Carrick had five tackles and two interceptions.

Naccarato completed 15-of-26 passes for 235 yards, but was intercepted three times.  He also added 28 yards rushing and one touchdown on six carries.  Kaopua had 37 yards and two scores on 12 carries, while senior wide receiver Mike Doe (Germantown, Md./Seneca Valley) snared 11 passes for 199 yards.  Junior safety Eric Long (Burke, Va./Lake Braddock) posted a game-high 18 tackles, including 14 solo stops.

Washington and Lee returns to action on Saturday when it travels to Bridgewater for a 2:00 pm contest.

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