Senior Kenneth Hamilton runs the ball in a 66-0 win over Elmhurst last October. Hamilton ran for 99 yards in this year’s 49-10 win. (Lydia Nicholson | Staff Photographer)

Just five minutes into its game on Oct. 19, the WashU football team was off to a fast start. Senior running back, Ken Hamilton, and senior wide receiver, Collin Goldberg, were dominating play, and the Bears were up by two scores. 

“In football, momentum is everything,” Hamilton said. “Once you get the ball rolling with our team, it’s really hard for it to stop. 

The Bears carried their opening momentum throughout the game and defeated Elmhurst University 49-10. With the win, WashU improved to a 5-1 record ahead of a crucial end-of-season stretch. WashU, currently second in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW), will face third-place and national No. 24 Wheaton College next week, and fourth-place North Park University in two weeks. If the Bears beat those two teams and finish second in the CCIW, they will have a strong shot at making the 40-team Division III tournament, something they haven’t done since 2016.

WashU received the kickoff, and on the opening drive, the Bears were already in business. The Blue Jays’ defense had no answer for Hamilton, who received four consecutive handoffs to start the game. On his fourth try, Hamilton ran 35 yards for his second rushing touchdown of the season. The senior, who missed the previous two games due to injury, regained his form quickly against Elmhurst.

“In any game, it’s a blessing to come out and just pop them in the mouth,” Hamilton said. “It just starts the momentum off on a high note.” 

The Bears’ defense forced a three-and-out on the ensuing Elmhurst drive, setting up a Blue Jays to punt. On the return, Goldberg lined up at the 29-yard line to receive, evaded three Elmhurst tacklers, and found a route on the outside for a special teams touchdown. Goldberg’s 71-yard return increased the WashU advantage to 14-0 early in the first quarter, which outpaced the Bears’ 66-0 domination of Elmhurst last year. 

“Regardless of how we played against [Elmhurst] the year before, none of that matters when you show up Saturday,” head coach Aaron Keen said. “The goal each week is to feel good about how we walk off the field, because of what we put on the field.” 

WashU conceded a field goal late in the first quarter but responded in the opening minutes of the second. With senior starting quarterback, Clark Stephens, sidelined with an injury, the WashU offense has been more reliant on the run game. Hamilton and junior Fred Ware traded handoffs to slowly get down the field, culminating in a goal-line touchdown for Hamilton. 

Despite the injuries to key members of the WashU offense, Hamilton and the Bears have been able to adapt. 

“The good thing about our team this year is the depth we have,” Hamilton said. “We’ve had some nasty injuries to players that do a great job for us. But we have the people to replace them like nothing ever happened in the first place, while those [injured] guys get to work hard to get back on the field.” 

While the run game was on full display early in the contest, sophomore quarterback Levi Moore found his best passing form in his collegiate career later in the second quarter. Moore connected with first-year Lucas Blumenthal and sophomore Makael Carter to enter the red zone and then found Carter for a four-yard touchdown to extend the advantage to 28-3. On the next WashU possession, Moore threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Goldberg. Moore, typically deployed at the goal line for a short run or pass, set a personal collegiate record with two passing touchdowns against Elmhurst. 

“This was Levi’s second opportunity to start for us, and he did an outstanding job,” Keen said. “Our players have a lot of belief in him, and that comes from how he handles himself in practice.”

Despite a 35-3 advantage at halftime, WashU did not immediately let go of the gas in the second half. Ware and sophomore Matthew Kinoshita ran in for touchdowns of their own after the break, extending WashU’s advantage to 46. WashU allowed a late Elmhurst touchdown, but it was too little too late for the Blue Jays. In its 49-10 win, WashU’s defense held Elmhurst to fewer than 200 yards; the Bears had over 400 yards of forward progress. 

The Bears are playing complete football, excelling on offense, defense, and special teams. At the beginning of the season, the Bears’ coaching staff set a team theme: to decide to be great. Hamilton and the Bears are embracing that motto.  

“Decide means wanting to be a part of this team and trying to achieve,” Hamilton said. “This year, more than most, people really bought into that theme. It’s just contagious” 

Next Saturday, Oct. 26, WashU will host No. 24 Wheaton College in a crucial matchup. Last year, the Bears came within inches of defeating the Thunder, losing on a last-second hail mary and two-point conversion. This year, however, Wheaton has posted less-than-impressive results against CCIW opponents. The winner of next week’s game will have a much easier path to the D-III NCAA tournament. 

For the Bears and their star senior tailback, beating Wheaton would mean more than another win in the standings. It’s about proving themselves to a team that they’re eager to defeat. 

“For a lot of guys, lots of emotions will come out this week. Our job is to regulate those emotions in a positive way so we can play the way we’re capable of playing. Once we do that, the game has already been won,” Hamilton said.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on 10/20/24 at 5:25 PM, and was updated at 9:25 AM on 10/21/2024 to include quotes from Aaron Keen.