LEXINGTON, Va. - The Washington and Lee University football team looks to shake off a season opening loss as they travel to Springfield, Ohio for a week 2 match up at Wittenberg University.
Game Information:
When: Saturday, September 13, 2025
Where: Springfield, Ohio
Stadium: Edwards-Maurer Field at Wittenberg Stadium
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
Gameday Forecast: 78°, Cloudy, Wind WSW 7 mph
Gameday Links: Watch |
Live Stats |
Flip Card
Series History:
This will be the third meeting in program history between Washington and Lee and Wittenberg. The previous meetings occurred in 1957 and 1958 where the Tigers picked up back-to-back wins over the Generals. In 1957, Wittenberg left Lexington with a 61-26 victory before shutting out the Blue and White, 51-0, the following season in Springfield, Ohio.
Scouting the Tigers:
Wittenberg dropped its season opener 31-13 to Baldwin Wallace, marking the Tigers' second straight week-one loss to the Yellow Jackets. BW jumped out to a 14–0 lead on its first two possessions and carried a 24-0 advantage into halftime. Wittenberg got on the board in the third quarter when JJ Miller connected with Pierce Ayers for an 8-yard touchdown, set up by a Jeremiah Jones interception. Miller later added a 12-yard scoring strike to Henry Jones for the Tigers' final points of the game.
The Tigers totaled 224 yards of offense on 57 plays, averaging 3.9 yards per play. They struggled on third down, converting just 2-of-13 attempts (15%), but were a perfect 3-of-3 on fourth down. Miller finished 17-for-29 (58%) for 147 yards and two touchdowns through the air, while also leading the rushing attack with 34 yards on 14 carries. Kade Ray paced the receiving corps with five catches for 66 yards, while Ayers and Jones each hauled in touchdown passes.
Defensively, Wittenberg allowed 392 yards of offense, surrendering 220 yards through the air on 21 completions and 173 rushing yards. Tyre Smith led all players with 15 tackles, including nine solo stops, one sack, and 1.5 tackles for loss. Luke Jackson and Will Dix Jr. also posted double-digit tackles, with Dix Jr. adding a game-high two sacks.
Scouting the Generals:
The Blue and White will look to bounce back after a 42–21 loss to No. 7 Salisbury University at Wilson Field. The Sea Gulls jumped out to a 14-point first-quarter lead and never looked back, piling up 463 yards of total offense on just 51 plays for an average of 9.1 yards per snap. Their balanced attack featured 205 rushing yards and 258 passing yards. Despite the loss, the Generals still managed 340 yards of offense, including 179 on the ground and 161 through the air, with three rushing touchdowns.
Junior quarterback Ty Collins completed 13 of 20 passes (65%) for 161 yards and one interception while adding 13 rushing yards and a four-yard touchdown run. Junior running back Anthony Crawford carried a career-high 28 times for 139 yards and a score, while senior slot back Josh Garcia added a four-yard touchdown run on the option pitch. Senior wide out Teddy Sparrow and junior Fidel Small each finished with 63 receiving yards.
On defense, W&L allowed 300 or more yards to Salisbury for the third straight season, with the Sea Gulls relying on several explosive plays to build a three-score lead. Junior Mac Palmer and sophomore Brennan Stout paced the unit with nine tackles apiece. Sophomore Cole Sheppard notched the team's first sack of the season, junior Gabe Joyner added an interception and three tackles, and senior Malik Hardy chipped in a tackle for loss.
National Top-25 Polls:
The Generals made an appearance in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Top 25, receiving two points in the Week 2 poll.
North Central (Ill.) retained the No. 1 spot in both polls despite being idle this past weekend, while Mount Union checked in at No. 2 in both the AFCA and D3football.com rankings. Johns Hopkins remained at No. 3 across both polls. St. John's (Minn.) and Susquehanna traded places between the rankings, with the Johnnies landing at No. 4 in the AFCA poll and No. 5 in the D3football.com poll, while Susquehanna was ranked No. 4 by D3football.com and No. 5 by the AFCA.
Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) rival Randolph-Macon moved up one spot to No. 21 in the AFCA poll and climbed two spots to No. 19 in the D3football.com rankings.
National Statistical Rankings:
After week one, the Generals defense ranks 13th in Division III in 3rd down conversion defense, holding Salisbury to 1-of-6 on third down on Saturday. Anthony Crawford is among the top-25 rushers in Division III, ranking 23rd in rushing yards (139) and rushing yards per game (139.0) after the first week of the season.
Around the ODAC:
ODAC teams went 4–5 on the opening weekend of play. No. 21 Randolph-Macon earned the conference's first win of the season on Friday, defeating Dickinson College 48–34. Hampden-Sydney followed with a dominant 38–9 victory over Delaware Valley University, while Shenandoah topped Methodist University 25–6.
Roanoke celebrated a historic moment, securing its first win since 1942 with a 23–7 victory over Virginia University–Lynchburg.
Saturday, September 13th
Roanoke at Greensboro | Greensboro, N.C. | 12 p.m.
Bridgewater at #4/5 Susquehanna | Selinsgrove, Pa. | 12 p.m.
#19/20 Randolph-Macon at Central | Pella, Iowa | 1 p.m
Hampden-Sydney vs. Washington & Jefferson | Hampden-Sydney, Va. | 1 p.m
Averett vs. Southern Virginia | Danville, Va. | 6 p.m.
Guilford at Methodist | Fayetteville, N.C. | 6 p.m.
Shenandoah at Geneva (Pa.) | Beaver Falls, Pa. | 7 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.
