After losing four straight games, the Washington University football team returned to its winning ways Saturday with a 55-20 win over Buena Vista University at Francis Field. The Bears flourished on both sides of the ball, overwhelming the Beavers for a comfortable victory by scoring at least 13 points in each quarter.

The game began with sophomore quarterback Johnny Davidson and the Red and Green offense driving down the field. When the drive stalled on the Bears’ own 35 yard line, the offense lined up to punt. But it was a trick play. Senior running back David Nees, a converted quarterback took the snap and completed a 20-yard pass to senior Nate Lowis to keep the drive alive.

Evan Sandel | Student Life

Nick Cione fields a punt in the Bears 55-20 win against Buena Vista. The Bears next face No. 17 Case Western Reserve University in a divisional bout.

The Bears marched down to the 12-yard line, where an 11-yard run from sophomore running back John Fisher put the offense a yard away from the first score. Fisher completed the effort for a touchdown.

After drawing first blood, the Bears were ready to play on the defensive end. After what looked to be a promising drive, Buena Vista rolled the dice on fourth-and-two. Responding to the challenge, Wash. U.’s defense came up with a play for a Beaver 5-yard loss and turnover on downs.

With the offense back on the field, Wash. U. looked to turn their hard work on the defensive end into more points. The unit continued to click, with Davidson distributing the ball for positive gains in yardage. The Bears were also able to establish a strong ground game, with running backs Fisher, sophomore Seth Kutter and junior Logan Bash all getting involved during the drive. Eventually, the Bears found themselves on the two-yard line, where s Nees made the score 14-0 with a touchdown.

Buena Vista’s offensive struggles continued in the second quarter, as it failed to convert again on fourth down. Later in the quarter, the Red and Green defense came up with another big play, as the Beaver quarterback fumbled the ball at his own two-yard line. Sophomore defensive lineman Michael Prescott recovered the fumble for a Wash. U. touchdown.

The Beavers followed with an empty offensive possession, and the Wash. U. offense took the field with 5:59 to go in the half. The Bears cut through the Buena Vista defense, and a six-play, 42-yard drive resulted in a four-yard touchdown pass from Davidson to senior tight end Mark McMillin.

Desperate to find some sort of offensive momentum, Buena Vista took the field again with 4:15 to go in the half. This time, the Beaver quarterback began to find connection with his receivers, leading to a scoring opportunity in the red zone. On first-and-goal from the Red and Green nine-yard line, Buena Vista notched its first points of the game with a touchdown pass to make it 28-7 heading into halftime.

Fresh off one of their best halves of football of the season, the Bears were eager to continue piling on the pressure in the third quarter. The Bear defense continued to assert their dominance as the second half began, forcing the Buena Vista offense to go three-and-out right off the bat.

Wash. U. capitalized on its defensive success with a five-play, 31-yard drive, ending with a 17-yard touchdown run by Davidson. The Bears added on points as Davidson and McMillin connected for a touchdown with 6:30 in the quarter, making the score 41-7.

However, as the Bears were pulling away, Buena Vista responded with a 5-yard score to make the score 41-14. The Beaver defense was then able to force the Bears into a rare situation: a punt, one of just two on the afternoon for Wash. U.

Heading into the final quarter, Buena Vista looked to score again. However, their quarterback took a hard sack from senior defensive lineman Nick Leduc, fumbling the ball for the second time. Prescott was in the right place at the right time, scoring his second touchdown of the game.

With just 10 minutes left, each team would prove to have one more score in them; one-yard rush by Bash and a four-yard rush by the Beavers settled the score at 55-20.

Against a Buena Vista team that entered the game above .500, Wash. U.’s performance was a prominent display of the team’s offensive and defensive prowess and its high ceiling for future improvements. Playing as a cohesive unit throughout the game, the Bears were finally able to use some of the newfound experience that head coach Larry Kindbom had touted during recent losses.

The Bears will look to take this momentum to No. 17 Case Western Reserve University October 28 after a bye week.