READ THE ODAC FOOTBALL REPORT: WEEK 9
There is a new logjam atop the ODAC standings following this weekend's conference games with Randolph-Macon sitting in the driver's seat. The Yellow Jackets' win over Washington and Lee puts R-MC in a three-way tie with W&L and Shenandoah, which defeated Catholic this weekend. R-MC has earned wins over both SU and W&L this season, giving them a head's up on tiebreakers. Emory & Henry continued its winning ways with a triumph over Hampden-Sydney, while Bridgewater used a big comeback to earn a victory at Guilford.
THE GAMES
RANDOLPH-MACON 18, WASHINGTON AND LEE 10 -- Box Score
Randolph-Macon limited the Generals' rushing offense to just 213 yards and held Washington and Lee without an offensive touchdown as the Yellow Jackets moved into a tie for first in the ODAC with an 18-10 victory in Lexington. R-MC is now tied with W&L and Shenandoah at 4-1 in league play in the conference standings.
SHENANDOAH 45, CATHOLIC 34 -- Box Score
Shenandoah squandered an early 17-0 lead and trailed Catholic, 27-24, at the intermission, but the Hornets scored 21 unanswered points after the break on the way to a 45-34 win in Washington, D.C. The victory is the fourth straight for the Hornets and guarantees them their first ODAC winning season since joining the conference in the summer of 2012.
EMORY & HENRY 31, HAMPDEN-SYDNEY 25 -- Box Score
Emory & Henry won for a third straight weekend behind an offense that racked up 502 yards from scrimmage and a defense that registered five interceptions on the way to a 31-25 triumph at Hampden-Sydney.
BRIDGEWATER 42, GUILFORD 41 -- Box Score
Bridgewater recovered from 28-14 and 41-28 deficits on the way to a 42-41 victory at Guilford on Saturday. The Eagles scored the final two touchdowns of the game, including the eventual winner via a 1-yard plunge from Malivai Barker with 52-seconds to play.
ODAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSE: Bridgewater College running back Malivai Barker, a junior from Leesburg, Va., provided much of the offensive scoring punch of the Eagles as they twice recovered from large deficits to post a 42-41 win at Guilford on Saturday. Barker racked up 161 yards from scrimmage with 141 coming via the ground on 19 carries. Three of those runs put points on the board with two of those touchdowns coming in Bridgewater's final push towards victory. After scoring via a one-yard effort late in the second quarter, Barker found the end zone twice in the second half with one arguably more valuable than the other. He pulled BC to within six points of Guilford with a 49-yard touchdown run with 4:53 showing on the third quarter clock. Then with 52-seconds to play, he punched in what would become the game-winning score with a one-yard plunge over the right side. For the season, Barker is third in the ODAC with 765 rushing yards and tied for second with eight rushing touchdowns. He has crossed the century mark on four occasions this season.
DEFENSE: Randolph-Macon College safety Eric Long, a senior from Burke, Va., led a Yellow Jackets defensive unit that corralled Washington and Lee's potent rushing offense in Randolph-Macon's 18-10 victory in Lexington on Saturday. Long was in on several big plays among his season-high 13 total tackles that included nine solo stops and a pair of tackles for a loss. He forced a fumble midway thru the second quarter that led to a R-MC field goal and subsequent 16-3 lead. On the next Generals' series, Long made four straight solo tackles inside R-MC's red zone, including a stop for a two-yard loss on 4th-and-3 from his own seven-yard line. His efforts spearheaded a defensive performance that limited the Generals to 213 rushing yards and held them without an offensive touchdown for the first time since W&L's season-opener in 2008. The win put R-MC in the driver's seat in a three-way tie for first place in the ODAC with Shenandoah and W&L. For the season, Long has made 33 tackles with 26 solo stops and a pair of interceptions.
For more information on this week's action in ODAC football, view the ODAC Football Report: Week 9. You can also go to any of the participating school's websites. Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook, follow the ODAC on Twitter at @odacathletics, and follow the odacathletics on Instagram!