EMORY, Va. - The Emory & Henry College Football Team (2-4, 1-2 ODAC) is coming off a huge 27-20 win on Homecoming over previously undefeated Randolph-Macon College (5-1, 2-1 ODAC). Although the E&H running game was stifled, the Wasps threw the deep ball often. Senior wide receiver A.J. Hampton (Roanoke, Va.) caught three balls for 111 yards, while freshman Derrick Yates (Abingdon, Va.) and sophomore Devon Short (Dallas, Ga.) had 48- and 65-yard touchdowns, respectively. This week, Emory & Henry travels to Bridgewater College (2-4, 1-2 ODAC) for another Old Dominion Athletic Conference matchup.
Series History
Last season, the Wasps blew by the Eagles with a 31-7 score. It was a career day for wide receiver Tyree Ward (Statesville, N.C.), who caught nine passes for 157 yards and three scores. Emory &Henry outgained Bridgewater 422-285, and sacked the opposing quarterback five times. E&H leads the all-time series, 29-12-1, and have not lost since the 2013 season.
Emory & Henry
Junior quarterback Kevin Saxton (Monroe, N.C.) played one of his better games of the year last week against the Yellow Jackets. The deep ball was certainly an asset, as Saxton now has four touchdown passes on balls that travel over 20 yards downfield. The E&H passing offense currently ranks second in the ODAC at 278.5 yards a game. Yates has been a big target for the quarterbacks. The 6-5 freshman leads the team in targets with 52 on the year and has a touchdown in each of the last four games. That should bode well against a Bridgewater team that has the second-worst defense in the league with 457.7 yards allowed per game.
The Emory & Henry defense remains the second-best against the pass in the ODAC. The Wasps are tied for second in interceptions and third in total sacks. Sophomore defensive back Justin Banks (Coeburn, Va.) had a great game last week, tallying eight tackles, two interceptions, and a sack. The Eagles have thrown eight interceptions between three quarterbacks who have played the majority of the snaps. For defensive backs like senior Tre'von Lightfoot (Big Island, Va.), who got his first interception of the season last week, this game could be a chance for more takeaways.
Bridgewater
As alluded to before, the Eagles have three quarterbacks that have attempted 17 or more passes this year, however none of them have a high touchdown-to-interception ratio. The strength of the Eagles' offense is their running back, Malivai Barker. Barker is third in the league with 540 yards and has all five rushing touchdowns for the team. Despite Barker's accolades, the Bridgewater offense is at the bottom of the conference scoring offense at 22.2 points per game and total yards (320 ypg). It is an opportune time for E&H to continue their dominant play.
The game versus Bridgewater College will begin at 2:00 p.m., in Bridgewater, Virginia at the Jopson Athletic Complex.
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