BIG SECOND HALF PROPELS TIGERS PAST WASPS, 52-21, FOR HOMECOMING VICTORY

Game Box Score

              HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, VA (October 9, 2004)—Hampden-Sydney College junior quarterback JD Ricca (Gaithersburg, MD/St. John’s) tossed four second-half touchdown passes to lead the 25^th-ranked (AFCA) Tigers to a come-from-behind, 52-21, victory over Old Dominion Athletic Conference-foe Emory and Henry, Saturday for in H-SC’s 2004 Homecoming game.  The win moves the Tigers to 4-1 overall and 2-1 in the ODAC as the Wasps fall to 1-4 and 0-1. 

Emory and Henry took advantage of three Tiger turnovers in the first half, while sophomore quarterback Todd Woods threw two touchdown passes, as the Wasps held a 21-17 lead at the half.  In the second stanza, Hampden-Sydney’s defense held E&H scoreless while the offense racked up nearly 350 yards in out-scoring the Wasps 35-0. 

Tiger senior running back and all-time leading scorer CW Clemmons (Covington, VA/Alleghany) opened the scoring with a 43-yard rumble on the Tigers first drive of the contest to put the team up 7-0.  The Tigers went up 14-0 after a Johnny Junes (Richmond, VA/Mills Godwin) one-yard scamper midway through the first quarter that was set up by a 53-yard interception return by junior linebacker Wes Hall (Roanoke, VA/Cave Spring). 

Emory and Henry answered with a 25-yard scoring pass from Todd Woods to Brennan Stewart to cut the Tiger advantage to seven points, 14-7, just before the end of the opening quarter.  Alex Bland (Midlothian, VA/Clover Hill) tacked on a 37-yard field goal, the longest of his career, to put the Tigers ahead 17-7 early in the second quarter, but Emory and Henry finished the half with a 22-yard pass from Woods to Jerad Jackson and a two-yard run by Chris Miller coming with 38 seconds remaining before intermission, and held the four-point (21-17) advantage at the break. 

In the second half, Hampden-Sydney wasted no time getting on the scoreboard despite starting its first drive of the half from its own two-yard line.  Pinned at the two, Ricca found freshman receiver Drew Smith (Richmond, VA/Mills Godwin) open on a fade route near the Tiger sidelines that Smith took 98 yards for the touchdown, tying the Tiger record for the longest scoring pass and giving H-SC a 24-21 lead. 

The Smith catch was the first of four straight TD passes for Ricca, who connected with Clemmons on a six-yard pass midway through the third quarter before hitting on junior tight end Ben Dull (Roanoke, VA/Cave Spring) on scoring passes of two and 25 yards.  Hampden-Sydney finished its scoring with 5:24 to play on Charlie Omick’s (Lawrenceville, VA/Brunswick Academy) second career TD on a seven-yard run, which made the final score 52-21. 

Hampden-Sydney finished the game with 555 yards on offense as Ricca completed 18-of-26 passes for 278 yards and four touchdowns, while he also tossed two interceptions.  Clemmons gained 152 yards on the ground on 17 carries and scored twice to give him 254 points for his career.  Meanwhile, Smith finished the day with 154 yards receiving on three catches, while Ben Dull had 69 yards on five receptions. 

Emory and Henry quarterback Todd Woods completed 25-of-46 passes for 356 yards and two touchdowns, while he too had one interception.  Jerad Jackson finished the day with eight catches for 136 yards and a score.  Chris Miller led the Wasps with 49 yards on 17 carries as the Tigers held to a net total of 19 yards on the ground. 

The Hampden-Sydney defensive attack forced two fumbles, recorded four sacks and registered a total of eight tackles for a loss of 56 yards.  The defense was paced by Wes Hall, who finished with a career-high eight tackles to go with the interception and 53-yard return.  Ty LaFlame (Mechanicsville, VA/Atlee) had eight tackles and a sack, while Chris Gould (Roanoke, VA/Cave Spring) had two sacks for a loss of 28 yards as Mike Clark (Madison Heights, VA/Amherst) finished with one sack for a loss of 12 yards. 

Emory and Henry was paced by Marshall Doss with a game and team-high 12 tackles, while Anthony Boyd finished with nine tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and an interception. 

Hampden-Sydney returns to action next Saturday as the Tigers travel to Lexington, VA, to take Washington and Lee University at 1 pm.  The contest will be broadcast live on FM 95.7 WFLO and on the internet at www.hsc.edu/athletics.