LEXINGTON, Va. - The Washington and Lee University Generals and Lycoming College Warriors square off for the first time ever in the inaugural Cape Charles Bowl in the Chesapeake Challenge. Kick off is set for 12 p.m. at Wilson Field in Lexington, Va.
Series History: This is the first meeting between the two institutions.
National Rankings: Defending National Champions, North Central (Ill.), was the unanimous No. 1-ranked team in D3football.com Top 25 as they received all possible first-place votes. 2022 National Runner-up and 13-time National Champion, Mount Union, is right behind the Cardinals in second. Wartburg, UW-La Crosse and UW-Whitewater held steady at three, four and five in the final regular season poll. Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) foe, Randolph-Macon, moved up one spot to No. 8, their highest ranking of the season. Whitworth University jumped into the rankings this week, checking in at No. 20 after knocking off previous No. 8 Linfield University on a last second touchdown.
Scouting the Warriors: After starting the year with an 0-5 record, the Warriors posted a 4-1 record in the final five games of the season to finish third in the Landmark Conference. Lycoming fell in the regular season finale to tenth-ranked Susquehanna University, 49-10. The Warriors' offense couldn't find their footing, only generating 175 yards of total offense against the River Hawks.
On the season, the Warriors have averaged 314.5 yards per game in their balanced offensive attack. They average 128.2 rushing yards per game while gaining 186.3 yards in the air on average. Will Fish is 145 of 312 this season with 1,774 yards and 18 touchdowns, and the senior quarterback has thrown seven interceptions on the season while completing 46.7% of his passes. Brandon Timothy has hauled in 45 passes for a team-high 527 receiving yards and four scores, he averages 11.71 yards per catch while averaging 52.70 per game. Timothy is 54 yards away from becoming the 25th player in program history to post 1,000 yards in a career.
The Lycoming rushing attack is led by Terrence Oliver and Quasim Benson, as the duo has rushed for 1,198 of the Warriors 1,282 yards (93%) this season. Oliver, a first year from Sharon Hill, Pa., has had an impressive rookie campaign, rushing 121 times for 654 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 5.4 yards per carry. Benson, a first year, follows closely behind with 544 yards on 99 touches. The Wilmington, Del., native, averaged 5.5 yards per carry and has found the end zone five times this season.
Defensively, the Warriors are led by linebackers Joey Rivituso and Kevin Gianoni. Rivituso leads the charge with 59 total tackles, 34 solo and 25 assists, while registering 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Gianoni ranks second with 57 total tackles with a team high 12 tackles for loss, three of those TFLs are sacks. He ranks second in the Landmark in tackles for loss.
The Warriors are 1-1 all-time in postseason bowl games, falling to Franklin & Marshall, 21-20 in 2018, and beating Ursinus, 31-23, in 2021, in the MAC-Centennial Bowl Series. The Warriors are 0-3 all-time in Virginia, last playing at Bridgewater in 2009, Coach Clark's second year with the program. Prior to that, the Warriors played in Salem for the 1997 Stagg Bowl, which Mount Union won, 61-12, and at Randolph-Macon in 1963, a 12-7 setback. The Warriors are 2-4 all-time against ODAC schools.
This week for the Generals: The Blue and White are coming off a dominant 40-21 win at Shenandoah University in the regular season finale. The Generals' offense generated 438 yards of total offense while rushing for 297 yards on the ground. Senior quarterback
Stephen Murrin had one of his best games of the season, completing 11 of his 12 passes for 136 yards with two scores including a 47-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver
Dryden Duggins.
The rushing attack was led by junior running back Jacob Romero, the Fredericksburg native rushed 25 times for 91 yards and two scores while averaging 3.6 yards per carry. Romero capped off the Generals' first drive with a 27-yard touchdown run. Murrin, Marcus Payne and Anthony Crawford each rushed for 40 or more yards in the win.
On the season, the Blue and White are outscoring their opponents 307-206 while averaging 30 points per game. The Generals' fierce rushing attack has led to five games with more than 30 points scored while averaging 287.3 yards per game, this average is fifth in Division III for rushing offense. Washington and Lee rushed 67 times for a season-high 410 yards in a blowout win over Guilford, they have eclipsed the 400-yard rushing mark twice this season while compiling 300 yards on the ground in one additional game. The Generals have been a threat in the air as well this season, throwing for over 150 yards in four different games including 191 yards in their 31-21 win over Bridgewater College on Nov. 4.
Washington and Lee's defense has been staunch this season, keeping seven of their ten opponents under 100 rushing yards. The Blue and White defense has only allowed 95.5 rushing yards per game this season. Despite shutting down the rushing game each week, the Generals' front seven has been a threat when rushing the passer. They have registered a league-high 33 sacks on the season, doubling their total from 2022, while ranking 13th in Division III in total sacks.
The defense is led by senior linebacker
Hunter Hawk, the Cummings, Ga. native ranks first on the team and seventh in the ODAC with 73 total tackles. Hawk has registered 8.5 tackles for loss and two sacks this season while breaking up five passes. Hawk was named to the D3football.com Team of the Week after the Generals' 31-21 win over Bridgewater. He recorded a team-high 10 tackles, including two tackles for loss and a career-high 1.5 sacks.
Will Knight,
Nathan Unger,
Peyton Pack and
Johny McGrath have been a force on the defensive line this season, helping the Generals' defense clog up the line of scrimmage.
Around the ODAC: #8 Randolph-Macon will host Christopher Newport University in the first round of the NCAA Championship, the Yellow Jackets and Captains will kick off action at 12 p.m. in Ashland, Va. The two teams have only met twice in program history with RMC taking down CNU 26-10 in 2001 before the Captains knocked off the Yellow Jackets 21-19 the following season.
Bridgewater College and Wilkes University will square off in the Cape Henry Bowl on Saturday afternoon. The Eagles, the ODAC's third best team, will travel to Wilkes-Barre, Pa. for a 12 p.m. kick off. This will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
Around Division III Football: There are 29 Division III football games being played this weekend. The NCAA Championship features 16 first round games which will be played all around the country on Saturday afternoon while 26 teams will square off in bowl games.
NCAA Division III Playoffs
Minnesota-Morris (7-3) at #4 UW-La Crosse (9-1)
Coe (9-1) at #12 Aurora (10-0)
#15 Hardin-Simmons (9-1) at #6 Trinity (Texas) (9-1)
Belhaven (9-1) at #1 North Central (10-0)
Illinois College (9-1) at #3 Wartburg (10-0)
Chapman (6-3) at #20 Whitworth (9-0)
Mount St. Joseph (9-1) at #10 Wheaton (9-1)
Bethel (Minn.) (8-2) at #5 UW-Whitewater (9-1)
Alfred State (6-4) at #2 Mount Union (10-0)
DePauw (10-0) at #13 Alma (10-0)
#11 SUNY Cortland (9-1) at #14 Endicott (9-1)
#18 Grove City (10-0) at #9 Susquehanna (10-0)
West Conn. (6-2) at #7 Johns Hopkins (10-0)
Union (N.Y.) (9-1) at #25 Delaware Valley (9-1)
#19 Ithaca (8-2) at Springfield (Mass.) (9-1)
Christopher Newport (7-3) at #8 Randolph-Macon (10-0)
ECAC Bowl | PAC vs Empire 8
Brockport (8-2) at Carnegie Mellon (9-1)
Utica (8-2) at Hobart (8-2)
Widener at RPI (7-3)
Merchant Marine (7-2) at Washington & Jefferson (8-2)
Centennial-MAC Bowl Series
Lebanon Valley (6-4) at Muhlenberg (9-1)
Franklin & Marshall (7-3) at King's (8-2)
Stevenson (7-3) at Ursinus (7-3)
Chesapeake Challenge | ODAC vs Landmark
Cape Henry Bowl | Bridgewater (7-3) at Wilkes (4-6)
Cape Charles Bowl | Lycoming (4-6) at Washington and Lee (8-2)
Cousins Subs Lakefront Bowl | MWC vs NACC
St. Norbert (7-3) vs. Monmouth (8-2)
Culver's Isthmus Bowl | CCIW vs WIAC
UW-Platteville (6-4) vs. Augustana (8-2)
New England Bowl | CCC vs MASCAC
Anna Maria (5-4) at Salve Regina (8-2)
UMass Dartmouth (9-1) at Western New England (7-3)
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Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
