Matt RubinThe Washington University football team looks to recover from a heartbreaking loss when it travels to LaGrange, Ga. tomorrow to take on the LaGrange College Panthers. The Bears are 2-3 after their current three-game losing streak and look to climb back up to .500.
LaGrange, located just outside of Atlanta, hopes to grab its first win in six tries in its inaugural season. The school’s football program debuted this fall and hosts the Bears for its first homecoming in school history.
The Panthers have had a difficult season thus far, having dropped their first five games by an average of 42.2 points under Head Coach Todd Mooney. Freshman quarterback Koty Morehead, who is making only the second start of his career, leads the team. Last week against Louisiana College, Morehead was 13 for 29 for 163 yards, and finished with a touchdown and four interceptions.
Look for the Red and Green to focus on its running game against the Panthers, who have given up close to six yards per rush and over 266 yards per game on the ground. Senior DaRonne Jenkins, as he has all year, will likely see the bulk of the carries. The Panthers’ secondary may also be vulnerable, as it has allowed over 200 yards per game through the air, so Bears senior quarterbacks Nick Henry and Pat McCarthy will look to exploit it. The Bears’ offense may feel rejuvenated against an inexperienced LaGrange defense after failing to reach the end zone in a frustrating loss last Saturday.
In a defensive stalemate, the Bears fell to Rhodes College 6-3 in overtime on the road in Memphis. Both teams scored in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter to force an extra session, where Rhodes kicker Chris Catalanotto won the game with a 34-yard field goal. Rhodes also defeated LaGrange 37-0 on Sept. 9.
After its trip to Georgia, the Bears head to Illinois to battle the University of Chicago on Oct. 14 in its first UAA match of the year. Wash. U. is the co-favorite to finish atop the UAA, according to the Preseason Conference Coaches’ Poll, having won the conference in four of the past five seasons.