Oct 21, 2023
HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. - The Washington and Lee University football team rallied back from a 14-point deficit to take down the Hampden-Sydney College Tigers 21-17 on Saturday afternoon at Lewis C. Everett Stadium.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter | 14-0 H-SC
- After winning the coin toss and electing to receive, Andrew Puccinelli and the Tigers offense marched 75-yards on ten plays to take an early 7-0 lead. Puccinelli found Mason Cunningham for a 24-yard passing touchdown.
- The Hampden-Sydney defense halted the Generals opening drive as the Blue and White offense could only get six yards before being forced to punt.
- The Tigers found themselves with a 14-0 lead as Puccinelli led them on a 73-yard scoring drive. The Senior quarterback connected with Braeden Bowling for a 43-yard score.
Second Quarter | 14-7 H-SC
- After the Generals stopped the Tigers on 4th and 5, Senior Quarterback Stephen Murrin capped off a six-play, 65-yard drive as he sprinted 42-yards to the end zone to cut the deficit to seven.
- The defensive line's constant pressure forced the Tigers to punt once again. The Generals' drive seemed promising but ended quickly as Jaylan Long punched the ball loose and Brendan Wallace dove on it for the first turnover of the afternoon.
Third Quarter | 17-14 H-SC
- Washington and Lee's opening drive of the second half was halted as Murring couldn't connect with Marcus Payne, forcing them to punt.
- Hampden-Sydney looked to take a two score lead but Will Mahmud and Charlie Fleming dragged Melik Frost to the turf for a three yard loss. The Tigers would settle for a field goal to take a 17-7 lead.
- With 3:32 remaining in the third quarter, Jacob Romero slipped through the defense and sprinted 44-yards to the house to put the Generals within three.
Fourth Quarter | 21-17 W&L
- The Generals defense continued its dominance in the fourth quarter as Punncinelli's pass fell short of Sutton Lasso on 4th and 5 to force a turnover on downs.
- Washington and Lee wasted 4:53 of clock in the fourth quarter on a ten-play, 70-yard drive which resulted in another rushing touchdown. Murrin rolled out on a bootleg and found a hole in the defense, finding the end zone on a 24-yard scamper to give the Blue and White a 21-17 lead.
- The W&L defense forced a three and out on the Tigers next drive, giving them the ball back with 3:06 left in the game. The Generals could only wind the clock down to 2:10 as they were forced to punt after not converting on 4th and 5.
- Pinned on their own 20-yard line, the Tigers needed to move the ball downfield quickly but the Generals defensive line provided constant pressure, not allowing Hampden-Sydney to make any progress.
- After Peyton Pack sacked Puccinelli for an 11-yard loss, the senior QB overthrew his next two passes to give the Generals a 21-17 lead.
W&L GAME NOTES
- Washington and Lee has won six straight games while improving to 6-1 on the season. The Generals are one of two teams still undefeated in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC).
- The Generals rushed 53 times for 299 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. The Blue and White only threw the ball nine times, four of which were completed for 36 yards.
- W&L was 5 of 14 (35%) on third down while converting on their only fourth down attempt.
- The defensive unit shut down the Tigers rushing game as they only allowed 74 yards on 35 attempts. They recorded six sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss while forcing a fumble.
HAMPDEN-SYDNEY GAME NOTES
- The Tigers fall to 4-3 on the season and 2-2 in conference play. Hampden-Sydney has lost all three of their games this season by a combined six points.
- Despite the Generals shutting down their ground game, H-SC threw for 259 yards in the air, averaging ten yards per completion.
- The Tigers were 6 of 17 (35%) on third down while only converting one time on their four 4th down attempts.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Andrew Puccinelli completed 26 of his 41 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns.
- Jacob Romero led all rushers with 18 carries for 107 yards, his fourth game this season with over 100 yards on the ground. Murrin rushed for 94 yards and two scores, averaging 7.2 yards per rush.
- Mason Cunnigham caught six passes for 59 yards while Braeden Bowling caught two passes for 48 yards. Both Cunningham and Bowling caught touchdown passes.
- Hunter Hawk led all players with 11 tackles while breaking up one pass. Jack Johnson and Will Mahmud each recorded eight tackles this afternoon.
- Mahmud led all players with three tackles for loss while coming off the edge unblocked for his 2.5 sack this season. Peyton Pack recorded a career-high three sacks while also forcing a fumble.
- Tramell Thompson led the Tigers with nine total tackles while Will Pickren recorded eight tackles.
UP NEXT
- The Blue and White head to Ashland, Va. next Saturday, Oct. 28 for an ODAC clash with #11/10 Randolph-Macon College. The Generals and Yellow Jackets square off at 1 p.m.