LEXINGTON, Va. - The Washington and Lee University football team is back on the road for a familiar match up on Saturday afternoon as they travel to Salisbury, Md. to take on the 14th-ranked Salisbury Sea Gulls at 1 p.m.
Game Information:Â
When: Saturday, September 19, 2026
Where: Salisbury, Md.
Stadium: Sea Gull Stadium
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
Gameday Links: Watch | Live Stats | Tickets | Flip Card
Series History:Â The Generals and Sea Gulls will meet for the fourth time in program history on Saturday afternoon. Salisbury has won each of the previous three match ups, scoring 40 or more points in each of the last two meetings.
Last season, Salisbury traveled to Lexington for the second time in the series and defeated the Generals, 42-21, at Wilson Field. The Sea Gulls amassed 463 yards of total offense on just 51 plays, averaging 9.1 yards per play. Salisbury used a balanced attack to down the Blue and White, completing 10 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 205 yards and four scores. Despite the loss, the Generals generated 340 yards of total offense, rushing for 179 yards and three touchdowns while adding 161 yards through the air on 13 completions.
Quarterback SyRus McGowan accounted for 340 yards of total offense and four touchdowns for the Sea Gulls. He completed 9 of 14 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns while adding 94 rushing yards and two scores. Ty Collins completed 13 of 20 passes for 161 yards while adding 13 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Anthony Crawford led all rushers with 139 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries. Daniel Clark paced the Salisbury receiving corps with four catches for 112 yards and a touchdown, while Teddy Sparrow and Fidel Small led the Blue and White with 63 receiving yards apiece.
Six players tied for the game high with nine tackles. Mac Palmer and Brennan Stout were among that group for the Generals, while Gabe Joyner recorded an interception and Cole Sheppard registered W&L's lone sack.
Scouting the Sea Gulls:Â After a Week 1 bye, Salisbury opened the 2026 season with a 31-0 win over McDaniel College on Saturday. The Sea Gulls generated 377 yards of total offense on 55 plays, averaging 6.9 yards per play, while scoring two touchdowns through the air and two on the ground. Salisbury's defense limited the Green Terror to 173 yards of total offense, including just nine rushing yards and 164 yards through the air.
Quarterback SyRus McGowan completed 7 of 12 passes (58.3%) for 176 yards and two touchdowns while also leading the Sea Gulls in rushing with 39 yards on six carries. Brayden Rogers hauled in three passes for 88 yards and a touchdown, while Jason Oakes' lone reception went for a 49-yard score.
Ellis Tompkins led the Salisbury defense with seven tackles, including two tackles for loss and a sack, while Caden Bradford and Dylan Lyerly each recorded four solo stops. Nana Baidoo and Luke Robinson each registered a sack, while Lyerly recorded the Sea Gulls' lone interception.
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Scouting the Generals:Â The Generals improved to 2-0 for the first time since 2018 after erasing a 20-point deficit in a 27-23 comeback win over Gettysburg College. Through two games, the Blue and White are averaging 346.5 yards of total offense and 250.0 rushing yards per game.
W&L produced 381 yards of total offense in Saturday's win, rushing for 280 yards and four touchdowns while adding 101 yards through the air. The Generals possessed the ball for more than 31 minutes and converted 8 of 16 third-down attempts (50%). Defensively, the Blue and White limited the Bullets to 120 rushing yards while allowing 249 yards through the air.
Ryan Clemens paced the rushing attack with 111 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries, while Tommy Acosta and Anthony Crawford each added a rushing score. Ty Collins completed 6 of 12 passes (50%) for 87 yards while rushing 12 times for 41 yards. Teddy Sparrow led the receiving corps with three catches for 44 yards, while RJ Corbey hauled in two passes for 33 yards. Brennan Stout led the defensive effort with 15 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss.
Through two games, Clemens leads the Blue and White with 180 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 39 carries, averaging 4.6 yards per attempt. Carter Shallcross has provided a threat in both the running and passing games, rushing 13 times for 97 yards and averaging 7.5 yards per carry while leading the Generals with five receptions for 80 yards. Collins has completed 14 of 28 passes (50%) for 179 yards while adding 77 yards on the ground.
Stout leads Division III with 33 total tackles while ranking second nationally with 16.5 tackles per game. He has also recorded two tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry. Cornerback Marcus Canton ranks second on the team with 21 tackles, including nine solo stops, while adding two pass breakups and a forced fumble. Nolan Wirick has recorded the Blue and White's lone interception of the season.
National Rankings:Â The third American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and
D3football.com national polls of the season were released earlier this week with both polls releasing identical top fives. North Central College (Ill.) still remains as the No. 1 team in the country after defeating No. 9 Wartburg on the road while Wheaton College (Ill.) remained at No. 2. UW-Platteville moved up one spot to No. 3 while UW-River Falls, the 2025 National Champions, moved up to No. 4. St. John's (Minn.) moved up three spots from No. 8 to No. 5 to round out the top five teams this week.
After defeating then- No. 3 Johns Hopkins at home, ODAC rival Randolph-Macon moved back into the D3football.com Top 25, checking in at No. 25 while receiving 52 votes in the AFCA National Rankings.
National Statistical Rankings: Through two weeks of action, the Blue and White boast the 14th-ranked rushing offense in Division III, averaging 250.0 yards per game. The Generals rushed for 220 yards in their season-opening win over Wittenberg before totaling 280 yards on the ground in their comeback victory over Gettysburg.
Individually, running back Ryan Clemens ranks 15th in Division III with three rushing touchdowns while leading the Generals with 180 yards on 39 carries. On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Brennan Stout leads Division III with 33 total tackles through two games while ranking second nationally with 16.5 tackles per game.
Around the ODAC:
Saturday, Sept. 19
#25 Randolph-Macon vs. Maryville | 12 p.m.
Shenandoah at Case Western Reservce | 12 p.m.
Hampden-Sydney at University of New England | 12 p.m.
Washington and Lee at #14 Salisbury | 1 p.m.
Averett vs. Gallaudet | 3 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.
