EMORY, Va. - The Emory & Henry College Football Team's (4-4, 3-2 ODAC) victory over Hampden-Sydney College (2-6, 2-3 ODAC) was the third-straight win for the Wasps. The victory was especially memorable, because it was E&H's first win against HSC since 2007. A big part of the result was thanks to a Wasp defense that picked off the Tigers five times. Senior linebacker Josh Compton (Richlands, Va.) had two of those five interceptions to go along with his 12 tackles. During the three-game win streak, the Wasps are +9 in the turnover margin. That stat line should bode well for the Wasps as their next opponent, The Catholic University of America (3-5, 0-5 ODAC), has the second-worst turnover margin in the conference.
Series History
Last season, the Wasps went to Washington, D.C. and defeated the Cardinals 44-24. In the game, Kevin Saxton (Monroe, N.C.) threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns on 22 completions. However, many will remember Tre'von Lightfoot's (Big Island, Va.) 98-yard interception for a touchdown, which won ODAC Play of the Week. This Saturday's game will be the final matchup as ODAC opponents, as Catholic is leaving the conference after this season. The Wasps lead the all-time series 11-8 and have not lost to Catholic since 2011.
Emory & Henry
The Wasps' offense has been high-scoring in the past three contests at 33.3 points per game. E&H has a pair of players who have had a nose for the end zone the past couple weeks. Sophomore running back Sam Wagner (Marion, Va.) has scored a touchdown in the last four games and now has seven on the season. He is also second on the team in rushing at 420 yards on the year. Freshman wide receiver Derrick Yates (Abingdon, Va.) continues to find the end zone for the Wasps. He has scored in six consecutive games and those six touchdowns lead all freshmen in the ODAC. Saxton's deep passes are another reason for the team's success. In the past three games, in throws over 21 yards down the field, Saxton has connected for touchdowns five times.
As previously mentioned, the Emory & Henry defense has excelled in forcing turnovers. The Wasps now lead the ODAC in interceptions with 13. Leading the team is sophomore cornerback Eric Johnson (Roanoke, Va.) with three on the year. In addition to his three interceptions, Johnson has five passes broken up and 31 tackles. There are also three other defenders who have picked off two passes. Leading the team in tackles is Compton, while Rhasheen Williams (Charlotte, N.C.) is second with 57 stops of his own.
Catholic
Catholic has struggled on offense all season and are still looking for their first ODAC win. The Cardinals are currently last in the ODAC in scoring offense (22.0 points per game), total offense (339.8 yards per game), and passing efficiency (108.9). The team has utilized two quarterbacks, neither of whom has 1,000 yards passing. Defensively, the Wasps give up 31.4 points per game and 437.8 yards per game. Overall, the Wasps should put up good numbers against Catholic.
Family Weekend
Kickoff for Saturday's contest is set for 1:00 p.m., at Fred Selfe Stadium on the campus of Emory & Henry College. Fans are reminded that tailgating lots open at 9:00 a.m. The Department of Athletics wishes to offer a special welcome to the families of all past, current and future E&H students.
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