College Football Final – Washington and Lee 52, Guilford 14

LEXINGTON, Va. – Sophomore quarterback Jack Pollard accounted for 306 total offensive yards and three touchdowns in Washington and Lee University’s 52-14 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) football win over visiting Guilford College Saturday. The sophomore signal-caller ran for a game-high 110 yards and a score on 15 carries. He also threw for 196 yards and two touchdowns.

Washington and Lee’s (2-1, 1-0 ODAC) defense sacked Guilford quarterback Alex Manley six times and forced five Quakers’ turnovers that led to 28 points. The Generals’ Dean Johnson made nine tackles, forced a fumble, and had a third-quarter interception that set up Alex Wertz’s 19-yard touchdown run that opened a 45-7 Generals’ lead.

Guilford grabbed a 7-0 advantage on Manley’s 18-yard touchdown pass to Tre Alexander on the game’s first possession. The Quakers converted two fourth downs on the 12-play, 74-yard drive.

The teams exchanged turnovers later in the quarter. Guilford’s Jeremiah Hedrick (9 tackles) recovered a fumble and Washington and Lee’s Davis Waldrop grabbed interception at the Generals’ 10-yard line that squelched a Guilford scoring chance. Washington and Lee’s Josh Breece scored eight plays later on a 46-yard run up the middle that tied the game and triggered a 52-0 Generals’ run.

Guilford’s defense held Washington and Lee to a 21-yard Jarrett Wright field goal after the Generals had first-and-goal from Guilford’s one-yard line. Christopher Elliott recovered a Quakers’ fumble on the ensuing drive that led to the first of two Pollard scoring passes to Montgomery Owen. The 39-yard scoring play gave the hosts a 17-7 halftime lead.

Pollard scored on a 21-yard touchdown run on the second-half’s opening possession and then found Owen from 71 yards out to make it a 31-7 game midway through the third quarter. Luke Alison, Alex Wertz, and R.J. Milligan added scoring runs as Washington and Lee scored touchdowns on five-straight second-half possessions.

Guilford’s Manley connected with Jermaine Russell for a 65-yard scoring play with 6:52 left in the game to provide the final margin. Manley completed 26-of-37 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns. Russell made a game-high 11 receptions for 181 yards and a score. He finished with a career- and game-high 234 all-purpose yards. Alexander caught a career-best eight balls for 76 yards and a touchdown.

Washington and Lee’s vaunted option attack rolled up 622 total offensive yards on 75 plays, 426 on the ground. Wertz had 15 carries for 74 yards and a score. Breece finished with 72 rushing yards and a touchdown on nine carries. Pollard completed seven-of-10 passes for 196 yards, three to Owen, who had 129 receiving yards.

Guilford hosts league-rival Shenandoah University Saturday (9/28) in its home opener. The Quakers’ annual Homecoming Game kicks off at 1:00 p.m. on Appenzeller Field in the Armfield Athletic Center.