Kenneth Hamilton carries the ball down the field. (Sam Powers | Student Life)

Just two quarters into their 2024 season, the Washington University football team faced their first test. After driving down the field, the Bears’ drive abruptly ended after a WashU pass was intercepted in the end zone. The Bears ended the first half down 13-10, outplayed by a rival that they were expected to handily defeat. 

The Bears came back to win their season opener in convincing fashion on Sept. 7. Under the lights in Memphis, WashU defeated the Rhodes College Lynx 44-20, exploding for 34 points in the second half. 

“I thought our players did a great job of remaining calm, understanding the situation, and understanding what changes they had to make,” head coach Aaron Keen said. “They may have even handled the situation better than their head coach.” 

The Bears were on the board first with an early field goal, but two drives later, the Lynx responded with a 66-yard passing touchdown. Sophomore wide receiver Makael Carter returned the ensuing kickoff for 55 yards, setting the Bears up in an excellent field position for the beginning of the second quarter. Three plays into the second frame, senior running back Kenvorris Campbell found the end zone for WashU’s first touchdown of the 2024 season. 

However, Rhodes responded on the very next drive. After two plays for more than 20 yards, the Lynx re-took the lead halfway through the quarter. WashU drove downfield on the next drive, but Rhodes intercepted sophomore quarterback Levi Moore’s pass in the end zone. WashU’s defense prevented Rhodes from scoring off the turnover, but the Bears found themselves trailing after the first half.

“We have an expectation that we’re going to go and execute our game plan,” senior quarterback Clark Stephens said. “When we came out for the second half, I felt like there was confidence from everyone that we were going to execute.” 

WashU struggled early versus Rhodes, but fought back in the second half. (Lydia Nicholson | Student Life)

Carter returned the third quarter kickoff for 49 yards, putting the Bears in Rhodes’ territory off of the kick. On the next play, Stephens unleashed a deep ball to senior receiver Collin Goldberg, into the red zone. Moore, who the Bears have almost exclusively used as a goal-line specialist, ran for a one-yard touchdown, putting WashU back on top. 

Rhodes immediately responded with a sizable kickoff return of their own, followed by a 49-yard completion that put the Lynx in the red zone. The Bears forced two incomplete passes and a short run, setting up a fourth down where Rhodes would have a chip-shot field goal — or so they thought. 

Junior Caiden Hill got a hand on Rhodes’ 26-yard attempt and blocked the field goal. Sophomore defensive lineman Henry Murr scooped the loose ball and ran it 79 yards to the house. 

“Every day in practice, a coach throws me a ball acting as if a field goal got blocked, and I scoop and score,” Murr said. “So when Caiden made that play, I just did my job.” 

While Murr is no stranger to practicing his offense at the collegiate level, the defensive lineman had not applied those skills in a game for quite some time. 

“That was my first touchdown since middle school,” Murr said. “So it’s pretty cool.” 

From that moment on, WashU dominated play. At the beginning of the fourth quarter and after a long completion from Stephens, Moore ran in for his second touchdown of the evening. Rhodes answered with a touchdown on their next drive, only to be answered by Carter’s first touchdown reception of the season. Campbell ran through the Lynx’s defense for a 61-yard score later in the quarter to make it 44-20. The Bears ended the game on an exclamation point with sophomore Spencer Snipe’s first collegiate interception.  

Stephens, who threw for nearly 300 yards in his first start since his sophomore year, is embracing the starting quarterback role and the responsibilities that come with it.

“It’s a lot on my plate, but it just felt awesome,” Stephens said. “[Saturday] was one of the best games I’ve had in quite a few years.” 

WashU’s victory comes as the program’s future faces uncertainty. On Friday, the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) revoked WashU’s associate conference membership, forcing them to find a new conference before the Fall 2026 season. As WashU prepares for their conference schedule, the news has put a chip on the shoulder of Bears football. 

“We’re ready to get to work and get ready for CCIW play,” said Murr. “We definitely have something to prove to this conference.” 

After a bye week, the Bears will open their 2024 home play on Sept. 21 against Carroll University.