“Not many teams in the history of Washington University football have won seven games,” Keen said. “For that to be disappointing to the guys on our roster tells us a lot about this team.” 

WashU football experienced that unparalleled feeling in its game at Wheaton College this past weekend. The #12 Thunder narrowly defeated the Bears, ending WashU’s bid to upset a Wheaton team that is perennially ranked as one of Division III’s elite.

WashU Bears thrashed the Elmhurst Blue Jays 66-0. The win was WashU’s first shutout victory since 2019. Per the Athletic Department, this was football’s second-largest margin of victory in program history, second only to an 88-0 thumping of McKendree College in 1938. 

Before this week’s college football action, ESPN writer Bill Connelly compiled a composite ranking of all 665 college football programs. Connelly rated the Washington University Bears as the 332nd-best program in the country, good for 15th in Division 3 and even ranked higher than three Division 1 programs. 

The loss marks the first loss of the season for Washington University Football (5-1, Bears), now sitting 5-1 overall and 4-1 in conference play.

After the Washington University football team conceded a game-tying touchdown late in the first half, junior receiver Collin Goldberg stood at the ready to receive the kickoff from North Park University. Lined up behind his lead man, Goldberg caught the ball, found a lapse in the Vikings’ defensive coverage, blinked, and found himself in the end zone with a record-setting 97-yard touchdown return.

This Saturday, the Bears won their first home match of the season against Carthage with a scoreline of 38-7. With the win, the Bears improved their season record to 3-0. The main highlight of the game was Goldberg’s record-setting 97-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

In the second game of the season, the Washington University football team dominated their first conference game with a 63-13 win against Millikin University. With the win, the team now boasts a 2-0 record to start the season. This game was dominated by WashU, much like the last two years have been, and gives the Bears a 4-1 record against Millikin in their five matchups.

For the second year in a row, the Washington University football team opened their season with a non-conference matchup against Hendrix College. Last year, the Bears dominated in all aspects of the game, beating the Warriors 52-7. 

Washington University football has five graduate students on its roster. Five players who have decided to use their extra year of NCAA eligibility after COVID-19 canceled the 2020 season. Five students who have delayed their post-graduate life for one more year on the sizzling turf of Francis Field.