Oct 12, 2024
LEXINGTON, Va. - The Washington and Lee University football team denied a late comeback to secure a 28-26 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) victory over Hampden-Sydney College on Saturday afternoon at Wilson Field.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After forcing a W&L (3-2, 2-0 ODAC) punt on their first drive, the Tigers (3-2, 1-1 ODAC) marched 94 yards on 14 plays for the first score of the afternoon, with quarterback Carter Sido finding Sutton Lasso wide open in the end zone for a five-yard touchdown.
- The Generals responded by using 9:31 of game clock on their second drive on a 20-play, 81-yard drive, that was capped off by a one-yard score from Jacob Romero.
- Hampden-Sydney got the ball back after a bad snap forced W&L punter Marcus Gafford to attempt to run for a first down but was stopped for a seven-yard loss. The Blue and White defense held strong, forcing Elijah Swett to kick a 29-yard field goal, putting the Tigers up 10-7.
- In their final drive of the half, Romero finished a nine-play, 68-yard drive with a four-yard rushing touchdown, giving the Blue and White a 14-10 lead. Swett closed the half with a 37-yard field goal, narrowing the Generals' lead to 14-13.
- The Blue and White defense made a big play on the Tigers' first drive of the second half when Jerzee Allentini stripped Sido, giving the Generals the ball on the H-SC 35-yard line. Marcus Payne finished off the eight-play drive with a two-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 21-13.
- Hampden-Sydney responded with some trickery as wide receiver Ethan Dowdy faked a jet sweep and threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Austin Fernandez. The Tigers' two-point conversion attempt failed when Sido's pass was broken up, keeping the score at 21-19.
- W&L got the ball back early in the fourth quarter when Mac Palmer came off the edge, stripped Sido, and recovered the fumble himself at the H-SC 19-yard line. Three plays later, Romero scored his third touchdown of the day, walking in untouched for a 12-yard score.
- Sido and the Tigers quickly responded, cutting the deficit to two after Terry Hicks dove in from one yard out to bring the score to 28-26.
- The Generals controlled the final drive of the game, using nearly nine minutes of game time to secure the 28-26 win over the Tigers.
W&L GAME NOTES
- The Generals improved to 3-2 on the season and 2-0 in conference play with the win. The victory marks the second straight season that W&L has defeated Hampden-Sydney, tying the all-time series at 40 wins each.
- W&L produced 291 yards of total offense, with 267 yards coming on the ground. The Blue and White offense scored all four touchdowns on the ground, averaging 4.2 yards per rush. The Generals dominated time of possession, holding the ball for 34 of the 60 minutes in the contest.
- The W&L defense limited the H-SC rushing attack to just 75 yards, their lowest total of the season, while recovering two fumbles. The defense also registered four sacks, tying their season-high for a single game.
H-SC GAME NOTES
- With the loss, Hampden-Sydney's three-game winning streak was snapped, dropping them to 3-2 on the season.
- The Tigers' offense out gained the Generals 331-291 in total yards, but two turnovers slowed their momentum. While the H-SC run game was stifled, they found success through the air, accumulating 256 passing yards on 23 receptions and scoring two touchdowns.
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TOP PERFORMERS
- H-SC quarterback Carter Sido completed 22 of 31 passes for 232 yards and one touchdown in the loss, while Ethan Dowdy threw one pass for 24-yard touchdown.
- Jacob Romero led all rushers with a career-high 148 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries, averaging 5.9 yards per rush. Marcus Payne carried the ball eight times for 53 yards and a touchdown, while JT Diehl led the Tigers with 52 yards on 10 carries.
- In addition to his passing touchdown, Dowdy caught nine passes for 108 yards, and Austin Fernandez hauled in three passes for 59 yards and a touchdown.
- Jalen Todd matched his career-high with 14 tackles in the win, adding a tackle for loss. Brennan Stout posted his third straight double-digit tackle game with 10 stops, while Jerzee Allentini recorded a career-high eight tackles, along with one sack and a forced fumble.
- Marcus Gafford had four touch backs on five kickoffs, while Michael Fernandes converted all four of his PATs.
UP NEXT
- The Generals will continue conference play on the road as they travel to Greensboro, N.C. for a 4 p.m. match up at Guilford College on Saturday, Oct. 19.