GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Guilford football team begins its 2021 campaign on Friday, February 26th, when it heads to Ashland, Va., for a clash with ODAC rival Randolph-Macon at 7 p.m.
The Quakers begin the 113th football season in program history under the direction of interim head coach and 2008 Guilford College graduate Brad Davis. The 2020-21 season marks Davis’ 17th with the program, which included the four years he spent as a student-athlete and the last 12 as an assistant coach.
Davis began as an assistant coach in the spring of 2008 before being promoted to assistant head football coach in 2019, in addition to his roles as the team’s offensive line coach, run-game coordinator, and recruiting coordinator. During his time as an assistant, Guilford has seen success, most recently in 2015 when the Quakers set a program record for wins with an overall record of 9-1. Davis has coached several All-ODAC offensive linemen throughout his career.
A 2008 graduate of Guilford, Davis started 33 of 34 career games for Guilford and garnered Second Team All-ODAC honors as a senior. The left tackle also won the Quakers’ 2008 Charlie Griffin Award, given for loyalty and dedication to the team. A member of Guilford’s spring 2008 Student-Athlete Honor Roll, Davis earned his degree in criminal justice. The Quakers’ offense ranked among the NCAA Division III leaders in Davis’ final three seasons and led the country in passing yards in 2006 and 2007.
Friday evening marks the 64th all-time meeting between the two programs in a series that dates back to the 1930 season. Randolph-Macon holds the all-time series lead by a 36-25-2 margin.
LAST WIN IN THE SERIES FOR GUILFORD: The last win for Guilford in the series came on October 24, 2015, when the Quakers emerged 41-21. That victory was highlighted by quarterback Matt Pawlowski passing for 251 yards and a season-high five touchdowns. The victory improved Guilford’s record to 6-1 (3-1 ODAC) for the second straight season and the sixth time in school history.
Pawlowski threw three scoring strikes to Adam Smith and became the second quarterback in ODAC history to reach the 10,000 passing yards and 100 passing touchdowns plateaus in his career, joining former Quaker signal caller Josh Vogelbach. Smith matched his career high with three scoring catches and moved into second place among ODAC leaders with 41 career touchdown receptions.
MOST RECENT VICTORY IN ASHLAND, Va.: In 2014, Guilford claimed its most recent road victory over the Yellow Jackets when it claimed a 28-6 victory. In that meeting, Pawlowski threw two touchdowns and Josh Schow ran for two as Guilford claimed the 22-point win.
The Quakers won their seventh game in an eight-game stretch, improving their mark to 6-1 (3-1 ODAC), resulting in Guilford’s best start since 1994.
Schow carried 16 times for 111 yards and also caught two passes for 90 yards. He scored on a season-long 62-yard run on fourth-down and one from the Quakers’ 38-yard line in the third quarter, which opened a 14-6 Guilford edge.
Guilford’s Pawlowski completed 24 passes to seven different receivers for 386 yards. He surpassed the 300-yard passing plateau for the fourth time this season and now has a career-high 25 passing touchdowns with three interceptions. C.J. Hobbs was his favorite target with 90 receiving yards on six grabs, including a 16-yard touchdown catch on third-and-goal in the second quarter.
RECAPPING 2019 SEASON FOR RANDOLPH-MACON: The Yellow Jackets finished off the 2019 season with a 9-2 overall record, finishing 7-1 in the ODAC and 4-1 both on the road and at home.
After opening the season with a 17-12 setback to Johns Hopkins on September 5, 2019, Randolph-Macon put together a six-game winning streak which began with a 30-27 victory at Averett. The Yellow Jackets followed with a 20-17 win over Emory & Henry before capping off a 3-1 mark in September with a decisive 31-10 triumph at Ferrum.
Randolph-Macon completed a sweep of its October opponents after earning a 34-21 win at Guilford (Oct. 5) and posting back-to-back home victories against Shenandoah (35-14) and Southern Virginia (47-27) on October 12th and 19th, respectively.
The Yellow Jackets’ streak moved to seven straight with their third win of the season by three points or less against Washington & Lee on November 2nd. However, their luck ran out in close contests when 24th-ranked Bridgewater came through with a 28-21 win the following weekend. Randolph-Macon closed out the season with back-to-back wins over Hampden-Sydney and Apprentice, limiting their opponents to a combined six points.
For more information on Guilford College football check out www.guilfordquakers.com.