LEXINGTON, Va. – The Washington and Lee University Football Team (4-1, 2-1 ODAC) jumped out to a 27-0 lead in the second quarter and held on to defeat Emory & Henry College (2-3, 1-2 ODAC) by a 40-29 score Saturday afternoon in Old Dominion Athletic Conference action.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Washington and Lee 40, Emory & Henry 29
LOCATION – Lexington, Virginia
VENUE – Wilson Field
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (2-3, 1-2 ODAC); Washington and Lee (4-1, 2-1 ODAC)
How It Happened
- The Generals scored on their first five possessions including four straight touchdowns to start the game.
- Josh Breece and Collin Sherman both had 13-yard touchdown runs to give W&L a 14-0 lead. After a seven-yard scoring rush by Alex Wertz, a six-yard return on a fumble recovery by Will Corry put the Generals up 27-0 with 12:10 to go in the second.
- Emory & Henry got on the board on the next possession. With a short field thanks to a 64-yard kickoff return by freshman Ahdonis Turay (Manassas, Va.), the Wasps scored three plays later on a 12-yard pass from sophomore Hunter Taylor (Summerville, S.C.) to junior wide receiver Derrick Yates (Abingdon, Va.).
- W&L made it 30-6 on a 31-yard field goal by Jarrett Wright but E&H answered with a 28-yard touchdown catch by senior Jesse Santiago (Yorktown, Va.) and a two-point conversion run by senior Sam Wagner (Marion, Va.) for a 30-14 game at the half.
- Coming out of the break, Emory & Henry closed the gap to 30-22 on another touchdown catch by Santiago and a two-point conversion by Taylor.
- The Wasps and Generals traded touchdowns as Santiago got his third score of the game, this time a nine-yard catch to keep things within one possession.
- Washington and Lee capped the scoring and sealed the victory with a 23-yard field goal by Wright.
Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
- Taylor threw for 294 yards and four touchdowns on 24-for-30 passing while Wagner rushed for 36 yards on nine carries.
- Santiago caught a game-high eight passes for three touchdowns and 126 yards while Yates had five receptions for 46 yards and a score. Sophomore Gunner Griffith (Bluff City, Tenn.) caught five balls for 62 yards.
- Sophomore defensive back Tyler Redmond (Arden, N.C.) had 13 tackles, an interception and a pass breakup while senior defensive lineman Kash Jones (Gainesville, Ga.) and freshman defensive back Dalton Wilson (Clinton, Tenn.) each tallied eight stops.
Washington and Lee Individual Leaders
- Breece rushed for 163 yards on 23 carries and a touchdown while Drew Richardson had 70 yards on the ground. Sherman and Wertz notched rushing touchdowns on 42 and 37 yards, respectively.
- Sherman caught two passes for 30 yards with Owen's 15-yard catch going for a score.
- Corry posted seven tackles, two sacks, forced and recovered a fumble to lead the Generals' defense.
- Fred Benham and Sam Murphy put up six stops as Benham had a pair of tackles for loss.
A Deeper Look
- W&L put up 447 yards of offense including 337 yards on the ground as 294 of E&H's 356 yards came through the air.
- The Generals were 5-for-14 (36%) on third down and converted all four of their fourth down attempts. The Wasps only managed a 1-for-8 (13%) performance on third down but took advantage of a 67 percent (2-for-3) performance on fourth down.
- Both squads were penalized for 37 yards as the turnover battle was even with Washington and Lee throwing one interception while Emory & Henry lost a fumble
- The Generals dominated time of possession, 34:58-25:02.
Up Next
- Emory & Henry will return home next Saturday to host Shenandoah University at Fred Selfe Stadium.
- The contest, which will highlight the Wasps' annual Homecoming weekend, is set to begin at 1:00 p.m.
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