LEXINGTON, Va. - The Washington and Lee University football team showed out in front of a big crowd for Parents and Family Weekend on rainy Saturday evening as they defeated Averett University 34-7 to open up Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) play at Wilson Field.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After the Cougars (2-2, 0-1 ODAC) received the opening kickoff, the Blue and White (3-1, 1-0 ODAC) forced a three-and-out before opening the scoring with an eight-play, 66-yard drive. Ty Collins connected with Michael Schoenberg for a 41-yard gain on third-and-18 before Carter Shallcross punched it in from two yards out to give W&L a 7-0 lead.
- In the second quarter, Averett drove to the W&L 28-yard line before a pair of penalties pushed the Cougars back to the 43. On fourth-and-22, Oliver Layell pinned the Generals inside their 5-yard line as his punt rolled out of bounds at the W&L 3.
- Nine plays later, the Generals reached midfield before Shallcross took a reverse, made a defender miss and raced 50 yards for his second touchdown of the game, putting W&L up 14-0.
- Fulton Weaver pinned the Cougars deep in their own territory on the ensuing drive as his punt was downed at the AU 6-yard line. The Generals kept the Cougars under ten yards, but a bobbled snap on the ensuing punt led to a forced fumble by James Kiley, giving W&L the ball at the Averett 1-yard line. Following two negative rushing plays, Shallcross found the end zone for the third time, taking a handoff to the right and diving across the goal line to put the Blue and White in front by three scores.
- Averett's defense forced a turnover on downs, stuffing Ryan Clemens at the 1-yard line on fourth-and-one, but the Generals' defense responded by holding the Cougars without a first down.
- Starting their next drive at the Averett 37-yard line, the Generals marched 37 yards on seven plays to earn a 28-0 advantage. Collins found the end zone on a quarterback draw, scoring from one yard out.
- The Cougars scored their first points of the game and their first at Wilson Field since 2015 on their final drive of the third quarter. The scoring drive reached the W&L 13-yard line before quarterback Brandon Saunders found Tre'Sean Suber in the back of the end zone to cut the Generals' lead to 28-7.
- The Blue and White took five and a half minutes off the clock on an 11-play, 43-yard drive to rebuild the advantage, 31-7. On fourth-and-10 from the Averett 29-yard line, Michael Fernandes connected on a 46-yard field goal, the longest by a General since 2023, to give W&L a 24-point advantage.
- Following a pair of three-and-outs, the Generals scored the final points of the game after driving to the Averett 18-yard line. Grant Snyder connected on a 35-yard field goal to secure the 34-7 win.
W&L GAME NOTES
- The Generals improved to 3-1 on the season while notching their first win in league play. The victory also marked their fifth straight conference win over the Cougars since Averett joined the ODAC in 2022 and their sixth straight win in the series since 2015.
- The Blue and White produced 353 yards of total offense, including a season-high 287 rushing yards and four touchdowns. The Generals added 66 yards through the air on two completions. W&L controlled the game offensively, possessing the ball for nearly 36 minutes en route to the win.
- W&L converted 8-of-16 third-down attempts (50%) while scoring on four of its five trips to the red zone. The special teams unit went 4-for-4 on PATs and connected on a pair of field goals.
- Defensively, the Generals forced eight punts and a turnover while limiting the Cougars' high-powered offense to season lows in total yards (226) and points (7).
- Head coach Garrett LeRose '07 moved up to third all-time in career wins, moving past Lee McLaughlin (1957-1967) with 49 wins. During his nine seasons, LeRose has led the Blue and White to a 49-27 overall record (.645) with a 34-17 record in league play.
AU GAME NOTES
- The Cougars fell to 2-2 on the season while dropping their conference opener.
- Averett produced 226 yards of total offense, recording 153 yards and a touchdown through the air on 24 completions while rushing for 73 yards on 25 carries. The Cougars fumbled three times and committed nine penalties for 80 yards.
- AU went 3-of-13 (23%) on third-down attempts while going 1-for-2 on fourth down.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Brandon Saunders led all passers, going 23-for-34 (67%) for 147 yards and a touchdown while adding 33 rushing yards on six carries. Ty Collins went 2-for-6 (33%) for 66 yards, including a 41-yard strike.
- Carter Shallcross carried the ball seven times for a career-high 85 yards and three touchdowns. Tommy Acosta added a career-high 64 yards on seven carries as well. Tyrek Samuel led the Cougars with six carries for 35 yards.
- Michael Schoenberg led the Generals with one catch for 41 yards, while Joey Smargissi hauled in one catch for 25 yards. Zymarcus Stoner led the Cougars with 10 catches for 41 yards, while Tre'Sean Suber caught four passes for 33 yards and a touchdown.
- Brennan Stout led all tacklers with 13 total tackles, including four solo stops, while recovering a fumble and breaking up a pass. Gabe Joyner registered a career-high six solo tackles, while James Kiley led the team with two tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Thomas Cook registered the lone sack of the evening while forcing a fumble. Jermaine Capel Jr. led the Cougars with 11 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks.
- Fulton Weaver punted four times for 176 yards, including a long of 52 yards, while three of his four punts were inside the Cougars' 10-yard line. Michael Fernandes had seven kickoffs with five touchbacks while connecting on a career-best 46-yard field goal. Grant Snyder went 4-for-4 on PATs an added a career-long 35-yard field goal.
UP NEXT
- The Generals return to Wilson Field on Saturday, October 10 as they welcome 25th-ranked Randolph-Macon College for a 1 p.m. kickoff in their Peavey Project Game.
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.
