Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
St. Louis, Mo., Sept. 9, 2017 – The Washington University in St. Louis football team maintained possession of the Founders Cup with a 28-12 victory over the University of Chicago Maroons Saturday at Francis Field in St. Louis.
The Founders Cup, which commemorates the first football game played between two University Athletic Association (UAA) schools, was introduced in 1987.
WashU improved to 1-1 while Chicago fell to 0-2. Despite the Maroons striking first with a field goal in the second quarter, the Bears defense held strong, ultimately holding Chicago to 281 yards of total offense and 12 points.
Sophomore linebacker Jarrod Huther had a career-high 16 tackles, including 1.5 for loss, while senior defensive lineman Nick Leduc posted a career-high seven tackles and 2.5 sacks. The Bears held Chicago 6-of-23 on third down conversions, and recorded eight sacks.
WashU restricted Chicago to 164 yards in the first half and forced two turnovers. Junior linebacker Jake Coon's interception and 25-yard return with less than a minute to play in the second quarter led to the Bears go ahead score by sophomore quarterback Johnny Davidson.
Following Coon's INT, Davidson rushed three-consecutive plays for 36 yards and a TD to give WashU a 14-10 lead. The Bears previously scored on an 11-yard pass from junior quarterback Ryan Arthur to senior wide receiver Marcus Ramspott.
"We had a lot of good things happen today," said head coach Larry Kindbom. "Defensively we played hard and did a good job against the run game. Offensively we stubbed our toes a few times but what happened is we kept moving forward."
The Bears turned the ball over nine times but totaled a season-high 446 yards (271 passing, 175 rushing).
WashU quickly added to its lead in the third quarter with a play-action pass from Davidson to sophomore tight end Mitchel Groen for a 17-yard strike. The Red & Green's final scoring play came with 13 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
Junior wide receiver DeAndre Wilson's diving catch on a 22-yard pass from Davidson led to a quarterback scamper for the final three yards. Davidson's score pushed WashU ahead 28-10 on senior Dan Kalvaitis' fourth successfully converted extra point of the game.
WashU hosts No. 15-ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (0-2) on Saturday, Sept. 16, in the final game of a three-game homestand. The Warhawks' 0-2 start is the first since 1999. Kickoff is set for Noon.
BEAR NOTEBOOK: WashU and Chicago met for the 36th time in school history, with the Bears holding a 24-12 edge… WashU also leads the all-time series in the Founders Cup, 23-8… The Bears have an 18-4 record at home the past five seasons.