LEXINGTON, Va. - The Washington and Lee University football team used 384 rushing yards to cruise past Roanoke College in their first meeting in 92 years on Saturday, sending the class of 2026 home with a win on Senior Day.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Roanoke (5-4, 4-3 ODAC) received the opening kickoff and gained 43 yards on nine plays before Jack Johnson tipped Kam Hill's pass, which fell into the hands of Parker Maynard for an interception. However, the Generals (6-3, 5-1 ODAC) couldn't capitalize on the mistake, as they were forced to punt following a sack.
- After the W&L defense forced a punt, the Generals found the end zone for the first time, using a 12-play, 90-yard drive to take a 7-0 lead. Ryan Clemens capped off the drive with a seven-yard rushing touchdown.
- Roanoke's next drive brought them down to the W&L 33-yard line, but on 4th-and-11, Connor Josephson lined up for a 50-yard field goal that came up short. The Generals followed with a similar opportunity, marching down to the Roanoke five-yard line, but a missed 22-yard field goal kept the score at 7-0.
- W&L received the ball to start the second half and wasted no time, scoring in just six plays. Clemens broke multiple tackles and sprinted 39 yards to the end zone to give the hometown squad a two-score lead.
- On the Maroons' ensuing drive, Gabe Joyner intercepted Hill, setting up a nine-play, 58-yard drive that ended with a four-yard rushing touchdown by Dominic Hahn to make it 21-0.
- Roanoke responded just two plays later, as Linwood Johnson connected with KJ Bratton for a 71-yard touchdown pass, cutting the Generals' lead to 21-7.
- Clemens answered immediately, capping off W&L's next drive with another physical run—this time bulldozing through defenders on his way to a 28-yard touchdown, his third score of the game.
- Roanoke's next possession stalled at their own 16-yard line on 4th-and-16. A fumbled punt—jarred loose by Arnez Dowe—was nearly recovered by the Generals before a Roanoke lineman fell on it, setting W&L up at the five-yard line. Josh Garcia punched it in from three yards out two plays later, extending the lead to 35-7.
- Linwood Johnson then led the Maroons on a 12-play, 75-yard drive, rushing 10 times during the series and finishing it himself with a three-yard touchdown run to make it 35-14.
W&L GAME NOTES
- This marked their fifth-straight win of the season, moving to 6-3 overall with a 5-1 mark in Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) play. They also improved to 20-0-1 in the all-time series with the Maroons.
- The Blue and White generated 484 yards of total offense, including 384 yards on the ground on 55 carries with five touchdowns, averaging seven yards per touch. They were 4-of-10 (40%) on third down while converting two of their three (67%) attempts on fourth down. They also controlled the game, holding onto the ball for just over 33 minutes.
RC GAME NOTES
- Roanoke falls to 5-4 on the season with a 3-4 mark in conference play with the loss. They found success through the air, passing for 203 yards and a touchdown on 15-of-24 (62.5%), averaging 13.5 yards per completion. The rushing attack gained only 69 yards on 33 carries, adding one score on the ground. Overall, they produced 272 yards of total offense while fumbling four times but maintaining possession on all of them.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Kam Hill of Roanoke was 13-of-22 (59%) for 103 with two interceptions while Linwood Johnson completed both of his passes for 100 yards and a 71-yard touchdown. Ty Collins completed seven of his 12 passes (58%) for 100 yards as well.
- Ryan Clemens led all rushers with 21 carries for a career-high 220 yards and three touchdowns while Johnson led Roanoke with ten carries for 40 yards and a score.
- KJ Bratton led all receivers with one catch for 71 yards and a touchdown while Teddy Sparrow and Joseph Pizzo each had 36 yards receiving for the Generals.
- Isaac Rivera led all tacklers with 16 tackles, seven solo, with 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack. Landon Altizer (12) and Ethan Mapstone (10) of Roanoke each reached double figures in tackles on Saturday. Will Mahmud led the Generals with nine tackles with 0.5 tackles for loss. Will Knight added a game-high 2.5 tackles for loss while Malik Hardy and Israel Rivers each registered a sack.
- Gabe Joyner and Parker Maynard picked off Hill this afternoon as well.
UP NEXT
- The Blue and White heads to Winchester, Va. for their regular season finale on Saturday as they take on the Hornets of Shenandoah University at 1 p.m.
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.
