TIGERS BOUNCE BACK WITH 45-42 VICTORY OVER W&L

Simpson Scores Four Touchdowns In Tigers' Win

Game Box Score

HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, VA (October 13, 2007)—Hampden-Sydney College racked up 529 yards of total offense as the Tigers outscored the Generals to earn a 45-42 victory over ODAC-rival Washington and Lee on Saturday at Fulton Field.  Junior running back Josh Simpson (Richmond, VA/Mills Godwin) rushed for 184 yards and scored four touchdowns for the Tigers in the winning effort.  With the victory, Hampden-Sydney improves to 5-2 on the season and 3-1 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, while the Generals fall to 3-2 overall and 1-2 in the conference. The win also snapped the Tigers' two-game losing streak to the Generals. 

In the first quarter, Hampden-Sydney took an early 7-0 advantage on a Corey Sedlar (Richmond, VA/Mills Godwin) five yard touchdown pass to tight end Connor Oliver (Richmond, VA/Deep Run) at the 8:44 mark. With 2:40 remaining in the opening frame, the Tigers increased their lead to 10-0 as T.C. Stevens (Alton, VA/Halifax) made a 32-yard field goal.

Both teams' offenses caught fire in the second quarter as the Tigers and Generals combined for 49 points in the second frame.  Washington and Lee took their first lead of the game, 14-10, as they scored 14 unanswered points on a Jack Martin touchdown reception and a Mark Snoddy interception return for a touchdown.  Only a minute later, Simpson gave the Tigers a three-point advantage, 17-14, with a 13-yard touchdown run with 12:22 remaining until half.  Each team would trade a pair of touchdowns, giving Hampden-Sydney a 31-28 halftime lead.  

In the third quarter, Hampden-Sydney increased their lead on a Simpson 12 yard touchdown run, giving the Tigers the 38-28 lead.  The Generals answered with a 13-play drive that resulted in another Jack Martin touchdown reception. 

In the final quarter, Josh Simpson scored his fourth touchdown of the afternoon with 11:12 remaining, giving the Tigers a 45-35 lead.  With 12 seconds remaining, the generals cut the lead to three points, 45-42, but the Tigers recovered the ensuing on-side kick to secure the victory, 45-42.

Hampden-Sydney out-gained the Generals, 529 to 414, as the Tigers gained 234 yards on the ground and 295 yards in the air.  Hampden-Sydney was led by Simpson as he had a game-high 184 yards rushing on 43 carries and four rushing touchdowns to go with seven catches for 75 yards.   Stuart Sitterson led the Generals ground game with 48 yards on four carries, while Tom Pacicco rushed for 46 yards on 16 carries.

On the afternoon, Sedlar completed 21-of-33 passes for 295 yards and one touchdown and one interception, while also rushing for one score.  For the Generals, R.J. Varner finished the afternoon completing 23-of-35 passes for 301 yards, setting a school record with five touchdown passes.  Senior receiver Drew Smith (Richmond, VA/Mills Godwin) made 11 catches for 167 yards to lead the Tigers, while Sitterson led the Generals with nine catches for 148 yards and two scores.  

The Tiger defense was led by linebacker Kyle Booker (Gloucester, VA/Fork Union) with 13 tackles and 2.5 tackles-for-loss, while Josh Miller (Stephens City, VA/Sherando) recorded eight tackles on the day. Linebackers Mark Henson (Virginia Beach, VA/Ocean Lakes) and Thomas Hovis (Richmond, VA/St. Christopher’s) recorded seven stops.  Washington and Lee's Kyle Harvey led the Generals with 13 tackles, while Bryant Fulk recorded 11 stops.  Mark Snoddy made six stops and returned an interception 38 yards for a touchdown.

Hampden-Sydney returns to action next week as the Tigers will travel to Washington, D.C. to face Catholic University on October 20 at 1:00 pm.  Fans can catch all of the exciting action on 95.7 FM or http://hams-av.hsc.edu/football/.