Senior quarterback Levi Moore stiff arms a defender (Catherine D’Orazio | Contributing Photographer)

For the first time since 2018, the No. 22 WashU football team beat a ranked opponent. On Saturday, Sept. 12, the Bears took down No. 15 DePauw University, a conference opponent, 37-27 in their home opener. This win brings WashU’s record to 2-0 in their 2026 campaign, after a dominant 73-0 victory on the road against Rhodes College to open their season. WashU football has now reached the top 25 rankings for the first time since October 2022.

The Bears wasted no time making a big first impression in their new conference, the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). In addition to their first conference game, it was Alumni Day at Francis Olympic Field, making Saturday a date that the team had been looking forward to.

The Bears’ defense got off to a hot start in the first half, forcing two early turnovers, courtesy of senior safety Kellen Fraile’s 64-yard pick-six and then a forced fumble recovered by junior defensive lineman Aidan Hughes. Dual-threat senior quarterback Levi Moore, who combined for three passing and two rushing touchdowns against Rhodes the previous week, led WashU to outscore DePauw 24-0 in the first half. Moore started by connecting with senior wide receiver Makael Carter for a 25-yard touchdown pass, which sent the WashU football alumni section into a frenzy. Moore also scored on a one-yard quarterback sneak to increase the Bears’ lead to 24 at the start of the second quarter.

The second half began with a bang as Moore rushed 61 yards for a touchdown. Later on, WashU’s junior kicker and punter Matias Adrogue drilled 42- and 45-yard field goals, keeping the Bears ahead of the second-half comeback attempt by the Tigers. After a shutout in the first half, DePauw came out of the locker room energized, outscoring WashU 27-13 in the second half. Despite the late-game rally, the Bears’ large first half allowed them to stay on top, 37-27, after 60 minutes of play.

Moore was effective both in the air and on the ground, ending the game with two rushing touchdowns and one passing touchdown while leading the team with 96 rushing yards and 160 passing yards.
On the defensive side, senior linebacker Spencer Snipe and sophomore safety Brad Shearer each had five solo tackles, helping shut down the Tigers’ run game to a modest 86 rushing yards. The key to winning was converting on third downs. WashU was able to convert 50% of the time (7-14) while holding DePauw to just a 25% conversion rate (3-12).

Now 2-0 with a statement win under their belt in the NCAC, WashU will head to Springfield, Ohio, to face another conference opponent, Wittenberg University, on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 12 p.m. The Bears look to stay undefeated as they take on a struggling 0-2 team that is coming off a shutout loss at Receiving Votes (RV) Wabash College.