LEXINGTON, Va. - The Washington and Lee University football team capped off Parents and Family Weekend with a thrilling 20-17 overtime win over Bridgewater College for their third-straight win on Saturday evening at Wilson Field.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After a scoreless first quarter, the Eagles used an eight-play, 34-yard drive to notch the first points of the game with a 41-yard field goal from Augustin Miguel. A fumble disrupted the Generals' (4-3, 4-1 ODAC) ensuing drive as a failed pitch on the option set up Bridgewater on the W&L 21-yard line.
- The Eagles got to the Generals' 12-yard line, but a false start on 4th and 1 moved them back to the 17. Miguel knocked down another field goal from 34 yards out to put BC up 6-0 going into the break.
- After back-to-back punts to start the second half, the Generals marched 55 yards on nine plays to score the game's first touchdown as Michael Schoenberg punched it in from one yard out. Unfortunately, the extra point was blocked by the Eagles to knot the game at six.
- The Blue and White forced the sixth Bridgewater punt of the night before chewing up over five and a half minutes of game clock with a 12-play, 90-yard drive, which was capped off by another Schoenberg score, scampering in from two yards out. After an illegal substitution penalty from the Eagles, Ty Collins walked into the endzone from one yard out to make it a 14-6 ballgame.
- With 3:31 remaining in the game, Bridgewater found the endzone for the first time following an 11-play, 75-yard drive, which was capped off as Jaciere Bateman connected with Ian Browne for a nine-yard touchdown. On the two-point conversion, Bateman found Browne once again to tie the game at 14, sending the game to overtime.
- W&L won the toss in overtime and elected to start on defense. The defense stood tall, forcing a 4th and 11 as Israel Rivers pressured Bateman, who couldn't connected with his receiver. Miguel then knocked down a 40-yard field goal to make it 17-14.
- The Generals only needed one play to secure a 20-17 victory as Collins scrambled around and found Fidel Small all alone in the endzone for a 25-yard score and the win, marking their first overtime win since Sept. 1, 2018.
W&L GAME NOTES
- With the win, the Generals move to 4-3 on the season with a 4-1 mark in Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) play. The win also marked the third-straight win over the Eagles, moving the all-time series lead to 33-22.
- The Blue and White generated 440 yards of total offense on a balanced attack, rushing for 212 yards and two scores while throwing for 228 yards and one touchdown. They possessed the ball for over 40 minutes while converting 8 of their 16 (50%) third-down conversions.
- The defensive unit limited the Bridgewater offense to 186 yards in total, with 51 yards on the ground and 135 yards in the air. They forced the Eagles to punt six times, including four straight punts in the third quarter.
BC GAME NOTES
- Bridgewater falls to 2-6 on the season with a 2-4 mark in conference play, marking their third loss in four games.
- The Eagles' offense couldn't gain any momentum, only generating 186 yards of offense, which is the second-lowest output of the season. They punted six times for 269 yards, averaging 44.8 yards per punt.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Ty Collins was 14-of-21 (66%) for a career-high 228 yards and one touchdown while adding 20 yards on the ground on seven carries. Jaicere Bateman led Bridgewater with 135 passing yards on 19 completions with a touchdown.
- First-year Ryan Clemens rushed 26 times for a career-high 148 yards, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. Junior Michael Schoenberg found the end zone twice for the Blue and White on 13 carries. Brendan Robinson led the Eagles with 30 yards on five carries.
- Teddy Sparrow caught three passes for a game-high 72 yards while Fidel Small hauled in the lone passing touchdown. Ian Browne led the Eagles with eight catches for 67 yards and a touchdown.
- Aaron Nice led all tacklers with 15 total stops, including eight solo tackles and one tackle for loss. Brennan Stout led the Generals with ten tackles and four solo stops, marking his fourth game of the season with double-digit tackles.
- Will Knight led the game with 1.5 sacks and three quarterback hurries, while Mac Palmer added a half sack. Knight and Malik Hardy also led the game with 1.5 tackles for loss.
UP NEXT
- The Generals are back in action on Saturday, Nov. 1 as they travel to Danvile, Va. for a 4 p.m. match up at Averett University.
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.
