DANVILLE, Va. - The Washington and Lee University football team's multi-faceted rushing attack proved to be the difference on Saturday evening as they dominated the ground game in a 61-21 rout of Averett Universtiy on the road.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Generals (5-3, 5-1 ODAC) received the opening kickoff and wasted no time, marching down the field on an eight-play, 81-yard drive which saw first-year Ryan Clemens find the end zone from one yard out to open up the scoring.
- Averett (0-8, 0-6 ODAC) responded on just two plays from scrimmage to tie the game at seven. Following an illegal formation penalty, quarterback Brandon Saunders called his own number and ran 64 yards to the end zone to level the score.
- W&L's next drive only lasted four plays, securing three first downs in a row before Clemens found the end zone for the second time in as many drives with a six-yard rush up the middle to put the Blue and White back in front 14-7.
- After the Generals' defense forced a three-and-out, two 20-yard rushes from Joseph Pizzo and Dominic Hahn set up quarterback Ty Collins for a 12-yard rushing touchdown to cap off a four-play, 60-yard drive which put W&L up 21-7.
- The Cougars ate up almost ten and a half minutes of clock on their next possession, marching 75 yards on 20 plays to cut the deficit to seven as Saunders connected with Andrew Francois for a seven-yard score.
- Another short but effective drive for the Generals resulted in points as Hahn took a handoff up the middle for a five-yard touchdown to finish off a seven-play, 74-yard drive, giving W&L a 28-14 lead.
- After another AU punt, the Blue and White ate up three minutes of clock on an eight-play, 62-yard drive which once again resulted in more points. Pizzo found the end zone on a jet sweep from one yard out to give themselves a 35-14 lead. With 1:19 to go in the half, Averett marched down the field and found the end zone as Saunders found Jamarrie Lumpkins for a five-yard touchdown to cap off their six-play, 62-yard drive to end the half.
- W&L's defense forced the third punt of the day out of the break before the offense put together their sixth-straight scoring drive. Hahn finished off the four-play, 56-yard drive with a four-yard score, finding the end zone for the second time this evening.
- After a missed 37-yard field goal by Averett, the Generals received two back-to-back 35+ yard runs from the Hahn and Clemens duo. Hahn took the first handoff 44 yards to the AU 36 before Clemens scampered 36 yards to the end zone to put W&L up 49-21.
- The Blue and White got the ball back to start the fourth quarter following a turnover on downs. After a holding penalty pushed them back to their own 18-yard line, quarterback Ian Gallimore sold the run and found first-year Joey Smargissi wide open in the middle of the field. Smargissi then broke one tackle and ran 82 yards to the house for his first collegiate touchdown, putting W&L up 55-21.
- Another turnover on downs for the Cougars set the Generals up in their own territory. Quarterback Aaron Ayodeji had back-to-back runs for a total of 26 yards before Fidel Small ran left and scurried into the end zone from 15 yards out for the final score of the game, securing the 61-21 win over the Cougars.
W&L GAME NOTES
- The Generals secured their fourth-straight win to improve to 5-3 on the season with a 5-1 mark in Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) play. The win also marked the fifth-straight over the Cougars, moving the all-time series lead to 7-3 in favor of the Blue and White.
- W&L compiled 671 yards of total offense on 54 plays, eclipsing the 600-yard mark for the first time since 2021 against Guilford. They rushed for a season-high 589 yards on 53 carries with eight touchdowns, the most rushing yards in a single game since 2021 when they rushed for 553 against Guilford. The Generals only threw one pass this evening—an 82-yard touchdown—as well, marking the second time this season they've found the end zone through the air for 75+ yards.
- Their nine touchdowns—eight rushing and one passing—are tied for the second-most in program history, while their rushing yards (589) rank second in program history, surpassing the 2016 squad's total of 566 against Hampden-Sydney. The 671 yards of total offense are also tied for the second-most in program history in a single game.
AU GAME NOTES
- With the loss, Averett falls to 0-8 on the season with an 0-6 mark in conference play. Their offense generated 368 yards of total offense in a balanced attack, rushing for 167 yards while airing it out for 201 yards.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Brandon Saunders of Averett led the Cougars' aerial attack, completing 20 of his 35 (57%) passes for 201 yards and two scores. Saunders also led the rushing attack with 20 carries for 94 yards and a touchdown. Ian Gallimore completed the only passing attempt for the Generals for 82 yards and a touchdown.
- Ryan Clemens and Dominic Hahn both eclipsed 150 yards on the ground, combining for 316 of the Generals' 589 rushing yards. Clemens posted a career-high 164 yards on 15 touches with three touchdowns, while Hahn carried the ball ten times for a career-high 152 yards and two scores. Ty Collins, Fidel Small, and Joseph Pizzo all found the end zone on the ground as well.
- Joey Smargissi led the Generals and the game with one catch for 82 yards and a touchdown, while Jamahrie Owens of Averett caught four passes for 75 yards, with Jamarrie Lumpkins hauling in the lone receiving touchdown for AU.
- Brennan Stout posted a game-high 11 tackles with four solo stops, while Israel Rivers and Randolph Smith each led the game with 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack. Seth Wiley led Averett with ten tackles and four solo stops.
UP NEXT
- The Blue and White return to Wilson Field for the final time on Saturday, Nov. 8 as they will take on Roanoke College at 1 p.m. W&L will honor their 14 seniors prior to kick off.
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.
