Football

Emory & Henry Football Preview – Week Eight: Bridgewater

-photo courtesy of Dave Grace

Posted: Oct 19, 2017

EMORY, Va. - It's time for Homecoming! This weekend is the perfect time to reconnect with former classmates, teammates, and professors. It will be a jam-packed weekend of events and reunions that will certainly reignite school spirit.

The Emory & Henry College Football Team suffered a difficult 52-29 loss at the hands of reigning ODAC Champion, Randolph-Macon College last week. The Wasps struggled to stop the run, as the Yellow Jackets racked up 303 yards on the ground. It was a tough game on the road, but E&H looks to bounce back this week against Bridgewater College.

Last Meeting

In the game at Bridgewater last year, the Emory & Henry defense was the stand out. Da'von Keith (Columbia, S.C.) posted a career day with 14 tackles, three sacks, six tackles for loss, and four quarterback hurries. The defense forced two turnovers in the game, one of which Josh Fleenor (Christiansburg, Va.) returned for a score. Offensively, the Wasps were not at the top of their game, but managed to put up points in the 42-33 victory.

Emory & Henry

Offensively, E&H is statistically in the middle of the league. The team is fourth in both yards per game and points per game. The offense is well balanced as the team averages close to the same number of rush attempts as pass attempts. Last week, freshman quarterback Hunter Taylor (Summerville, S.C.) added a spark to the Wasps' offense. Taylor gained 184 yards of total offense and scored twice.

Defensively, Emory & Henry seems to be struggling. The Wasps have given up over 40 points in each of the last four games, which results in the most points given up in the league. E&H is having a tough time getting to the quarterback and causing turnovers, but the Wasps look for that to change this weekend against the Eagles.

Bridgewater

Bridgewater has scored the second-fewest points per game this year. That lack of scoring could give the Wasps a great shot in the arm to get back on track. The Eagles boast a balanced offense behind a consistent running back in Malivai Barker. Barker leads the ODAC in rushing attempts this year. The key to stopping the Eagles, is to stop Barker. Bridgewater is also looking to get back on track after losing its first three league games.

Key Matchup - OT Grayson Williams (Martin, Ga.) vs. DE Rashad Wood
It is going to be rough matchup between E&H senior offensive tackle Grayson Williams and BC defensive end Rashad Wood. Wood is second in the ODAC with five sacks and has tallied 23 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss. Williams is one of the top lineman for the Wasps and is a two-time All-ODAC selection. Williams' work in the trenches should set the tone for the Wasps.

Game Information
The Wasps will host the Eagles of Bridgewater this Saturday at Fred Selfe Stadium on the campus of Emory & Henry College. There will be two tailgating lots open starting at 9:00 a.m. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.

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