EMORY, Va. - The Emory & Henry football team (6-3, 4-2 ODAC) is coming off a dominant 54-21 win over Shenandoah (4-5, 1-5 ODAC) last week. In the game, the Wasps offense put on a clinic, gaining 631 yards, which is the most yards an E&H team has put up since 1987. The Wasps will need to replicate that offensive output to win their final football game of the season against Guilford College (8-1, 5-1 ODAC). The Quakers have a potent offensive attack that is ranked sixth in passing offense in the country and eighth in total offense. Last season, it was a loss to the Quakers that prevented the Wasps from winning the ODAC and advancing to the NCAA Division III Playoffs. This year, E&H can return the favor, as a Wasp victory would likely prevent Guilford from earning an at-large bid to the playoffs.
The Guilford football team is run by accomplished senior quarterback, Matt Pawlowski, who leads the ODAC with 2,922 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, and only two interceptions. He leads a team that averages 524 yards and 54.7 points per game, both of which lead the conference. The Wasps defense is currently second in the ODAC with only 382.6 yards surrendered per game and E&H also leads the ODAC in takeaways and sacks on the year. This formidable defense will need to step up their game up for this ODAC finale. Senior Ryan Byrd, playing in the final game of his collegiate career, leads the team in tackles with 87 which is good for third in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. It is also the final game for seniors Rennel Marshall, who has tallied 63 tackles on the year and 242 in his career Mitch Carter, who leads the team in sacks (3) and tackles for loss (11.5). Senior defensive tackle, Victor Montalbano, has clogged the middle, as he has totaled a career-high 30 tackles this season. Pressure will certainly be on the seniors and the rest of the defense to stop this high-octane Guilford offense.
The Wasps offense had a spectacular showing versus Shenandoah last week. Seniors Cody Bowman, Matt Boyda, and Paul Cozens opened up huge holes for the running backs as the team ran for 301 yards against the Hornets. Guilford has the number one rush defense in the ODAC so the Wasps may have to look to the passing game to gain yardage since the Quaker pass defense is second to last in the conference. Senior tight end Ashton Cline will look to find holes in the Quakers defense. Cline has 17 catches for 187 yards and three touchdowns for the Wasps. Senior wide receiver Jake Hess is having a career-year in his final season as a Wasp. The Abingdon native has 33 catches for 401 yards and a score on the year. Senior punter Chris Bingham has been a weapon for the Wasps as well. Bingham is averaging 39.2 yards per punt, which is third in the ODAC. His specialty, however, is pinning teams inside the 20 yard line. Bingham leads the ODAC with 19 punts inside the 20 at a conference-leading 37.2% clip. The Wasps will need to score early and often like they did at Shenandoah last week to stay toe to toe with Guilford.
The Wasps play in their final game of the in Greensboro, North Carolina on the campus of Guilford College at 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 14th.
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-photo courtesy of Caleb Johnston, E&H '15