LEXINGTON, Va. - The Washington and Lee University football team dropped their second consecutive Old Domion Athletic Conference (ODAC) game as they fell 31-28 to Hampden-Sydney College on Saturday afternoon at Wilson Field.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After the Generals (4-3, 2-2 ODAC) won the coin toss and deferred to the second half, the Tigers (6-1, 4-0 ODAC) opened their first drive with a pair of runs to move to their own 32-yard line. Following a penalty that pushed them back to the 23-yard line, Connor Creech's pass was intercepted by Nolan Wirick to put the Generals in prime scoring position.
- W&L capitalized on the Tigers' mistake, capping off a nine-play, 30-yard drive with a three-yard rushing touchdown from Carter Shallcross to take a 7-0 lead with 7:22 remaining in the first quarter.
- Hampden-Sydney needed just nine plays on its ensuing possession to find the end zone. The Tigers ran the ball eight times during the drive, moving down to the W&L 2-yard line before Terry Hicks punched it across the goal line to tie the game at seven.
- The H-SC defense forced a three-and-out on the Generals' next possession before the Tigers marched 80 yards on 10 plays to take their first lead of the afternoon. Hampden-Sydney relied on its rushing attack to move inside the W&L 1-yard line before Hicks fought his way across the goal line for the second time to put the Tigers ahead, 14-7.
- On the Generals' next drive, Ty Collins rushed for 36 yards on three carries to move the ball to the H-SC 18-yard line. Facing fourth-and-eight, W&L lined up for a 36-yard field goal, but the attempt sailed wide left, keeping the score at 14-7.
- Hampden-Sydney responded with a 15-play, 80-yard drive that consumed six and a half minutes of game time to extend its lead to 14. The Tigers methodically moved down the field before facing fourth-and-nine. Quarterback Wendell Thompson escaped pressure from W&L's defensive line and dove across the goal line near the pylon for a 12-yard rushing touchdown to give H-SC a 21-7 advantage.
- With just 1:36 remaining in the first half, Ryan Clemens started the Generals' drive with a 21-yard rush before Collins added 15 yards a few plays later to move into H-SC territory. Facing third-and-three from the Tigers' 27-yard line, Clemens broke off a 10-yard run to put W&L in the red zone before Collins fought his way across the goal line for a 17-yard rushing touchdown to make it a one-score game heading into halftime.
- The Tigers' defense forced a three-and-out on the opening possession of the second half before their offense needed just four plays to extend the lead back to 14. Following 17 rushing yards from Hicks, Xavier Howard-Morris took a handoff to the left and sprinted 48 yards to the end zone to put Hampden-Sydney ahead, 28-14.
- Momentum swung further in the Tigers' favor on the ensuing kickoff as Max Nitti forced a fumble and Colton Bogan recovered it to give H-SC possession at the W&L 26-yard line. The Tigers used nearly six minutes of game time on a 10-play, 20-yard drive that resulted in a 23-yard field goal from Hank Webb to extend the visitors' lead to 31-14.
- The Blue and White responded with a touchdown drive of their own on their next possession. Following a 32-yard kickoff return from Tommy Acosta, W&L started the drive near midfield. Clemens opened the possession with a 16-yard rush before the Generals moved down to the H-SC 32-yard line. Facing fourth-and-16, Collins dropped back, avoided pressure and fired a pass to Joseph Pizzo in the end zone for a 32-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 10.
- The Generals' defense forced a turnover on downs on the Tigers' next possession before W&L embarked on a seven-minute, 15-play, 67-yard drive to make it a three-point game. Facing second-and-six from the H-SC 15-yard line, Clemens rushed to the right for 14 yards to move the Generals to the 1-yard line before Collins called his own number for his third touchdown of the afternoon.
- The Tigers regained possession with 5:53 remaining in the game and, facing fourth-and-12 from the W&L 25-yard line, Thompson connected with Hicks on a screen pass for a 17-yard gain to help seal the three-point victory for Hampden-Sydney.
W&L GAME NOTES
- The Blue and White dropped their second consecutive game to fall to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in ODAC play. The loss also snapped their three-game winning streak over the Tigers.
- W&L's offense produced 331 yards of total offense on 55 plays, averaging 6.0 yards per play. The Generals rushed for 245 yards and three touchdowns on 42 carries while adding 86 yards and a touchdown through the air on six completions.
- The Generals were penalized eight times for 73 yards while committing one fumble. W&L recorded its lowest time of possession of the season, holding the ball for just 25 minutes. The Blue and White converted 5-of-11 third-down attempts (45%) while going a perfect 3-for-3 on fourth down.
H-SC GAME NOTES
- The Tigers notched their sixth consecutive win of the season, improving to 6-1 overall while remaining undefeated in Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) play with a 4-0 record.
- Hampden-Sydney registered 394 yards of total offense on 72 plays in the win, rushing for 263 yards and four touchdowns while adding 131 yards through the air on nine completions. The Tigers controlled time of possession, holding the ball for 34 minutes. H-SC converted 8-of-14 third-down attempts (57%) and 3-of-4 fourth-down attempts (75%) while scoring on four of its five trips to the red zone.
- Defensively, the Tigers forced a pair of punts and a fumble while limiting the Generals to 331 yards of total offense on just 55 plays.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Wendell Thompson completed 9-of-12 passes (75%) for 131 yards while adding 41 yards and a touchdown on eight carries. Ty Collins went 6-for-13 (46%) through the air for 86 yards and a touchdown while rushing 11 times for 91 yards and two scores.
- Terry Hicks led all rushers with 159 yards and two touchdowns on 38 carries, while Ryan Clemens added 111 yards on 20 attempts.
- Manning Lasso led the receiving corps with four catches for 72 yards, while Joseph Pizzo hauled in the lone touchdown pass of the afternoon, finishing with two receptions for 34 yards.
- Brennan Stout led all tacklers with 18 total stops, including three solo tackles and half a tackle for loss. Allan Gushue recorded a career-high 10 tackles, including three solo stops. Mitch Ladamus paced the Tigers with 12 tackles, including eight solo stops, while Frank Brewer added one tackle for loss.
- Randolph Smith registered a game-high 2.5 tackles for loss, while Henry Johnson and Zach Cruet teamed up for a sack. Johnson and Brady Ravin each forced a fumble, while Nolan Wirick recorded his second interception of the season.
TOP TEN UPDATES
- With his three total touchdowns today, senior quarterback Ty Collins moved up to No. 6 all-time in career touchdowns with 34, tying Stuart Sitterson '09 and Chris Sullivan '02.
UP NEXT
- The Generals are on the road next weekend as they travel to Guilford College for a 4 p.m. kickoff in the Gate City.
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.
