Sophomore wide receiver, Avery Lazard, dives into the end zone for a touchdown (Ben Ganz | Staff Photographer)

On the team’s first offensive play of the season, WashU senior quarterback Levi Moore hit senior wide receiver Drew Bomar for a 47-yard touchdown. The Bears scored 10 more times in their season opener, cruising past Rhodes College 73-0, the third-highest scoring output in program history. 

“We decided [that] on the first play of the game if we had good field position, we would take a shot [downfield],” Moore said. “It was a great feeling and just a really strong start to the game and the season.”

The Bears scored touchdowns on their next six offensive drives, one of which was set up by an interception from senior linebacker Joy Chane. By halftime, WashU led Rhodes 49-0. 

Moore went 10-for-14 with 212 passing yards while accounting for five total touchdowns — three through the air and two on the ground. With the game already decided, Moore did not play in the second half.

WashU’s defense also held strong. First-year safety Gavin Conjar led the team with five solo tackles in his college debut. The Bears finished with 617 total yards of offense, while holding Rhodes to just 165 yards.

“We’ve got a shutout board hanging in our locker room that has years of shutouts on there,” said Head Coach Aaron Keen. “It’s something that our team takes a great deal of pride in. To add another shutout to that board is a big deal for our program.”

Even with most of their starters out of the game, the Bears outscored Rhodes 24-0 in the second half. According to Keen, all 65 players who traveled with the team got a chance to play. 

WashU shut out Rhodes 49-0 last year, but Keen wasn’t satisfied with how his team closed that game.

“The year before, we didn’t necessarily play great football in the second half,” Keen said. “We kind of muddled through it and didn’t leave the field with a great feeling of our roster. This year, I thought everybody who touched the field played some really good football and executed well.”

Coming off an 8-3 season in 2025, the Bears are hoping to make a statement in their new conference, the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). The switch means WashU’s schedule will be filled with new teams, some of which are at the top of the Division III standings. One of those teams is No. 15 DePauw University, which WashU hosts in its home opener on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 1 p.m. It’s been 14 years since the Bears played the Tigers, a team that reached the third round of the NCAA D-III tournament last year. 

“The quality play is going to have to be outstanding on our end,” Keen said. “This will be a tremendous battle between two really good football teams. It’s exciting for us to have that type of opportunity in our first home game.”

Moore said the team is ready for the challenge.

“We have the ability and the talent to win and compete with DePauw,” Moore said. “So I’m really excited to be able to face them and really show what our team can do and just how good we really are.”