Sophomore Jack Stanley tackles an oncoming DePauw offensive attack. (Catherine D’Orazio | Contributing Photographer)

Earlier this month, the Oberlin College football team made national news for all of the wrong reasons when The New Yorker profiled their program. Their roster includes just 41 players (compared to WashU’s 99) and a student body that has debated in the campus paper whether anyone should care. The piece also reported that when the Oberlin Yeomen do win, the postgame jazz party is one of the biggest nights of the year on campus. On Saturday, the musicians got another night off. 

The No. 18 WashU football team routed Oberlin 79-0 at the Yeomen’s Dick Bailey Field on Saturday, Sept. 26. This win moves the Bears to 4-0 overall and 3-0 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). WashU outgained Oberlin 649 to 64, recorded 29 first downs to Oberlin’s 5, and never punted. 

Saturday’s performance was exactly the response WashU wanted. Although the Bears beat Wittenberg University last week, they left Springfield dissatisfied with their execution, so they spent this past week cleaning up their mistakes in practice.

“We left the week before against Wittenberg, not feeling great about our performance,” Head Coach Aaron Keen said. “So it was somewhat of a ‘get-right week,’ and the guys handled practice and preparation really well with that in mind.” 

Senior quarterback Levi Moore wasted no time putting that work on display against Oberlin, capping the opening drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. On WashU’s next possession, sophomore running back Brayden Lewis broke free for a 50-yard score. By the end of the first quarter, the Bears led 35-0. Moore went 3-for-3 for 62 yards through the air while adding 45 yards and two scores on the ground, all in the first 15 minutes.

The early cushion allowed Keen to empty the bench after the first quarter. All 66 players who made the trip saw the field, and the backups picked up right where the starters left off: Four different quarterbacks threw touchdown passes, and eight different players reached the end zone. The Bears’ rushing attack was particularly dominant, totaling 398 yards while averaging 8.8 yards per carry. Sophomore running back Karsten Cornell, who led the way with 115 yards on 16 carries, credited the offensive line for his success.

“I have to give credit to the O-line,” Cornell said in a statement. “They worked hard all week in practice, and when it came to the game they executed really well. They opened up big holes in the run game that gave us the opportunity to make plays.”  

WashU’s defense also delivered. They held Oberlin to 0-for-15 on third downs, didn’t allow a single rushing first down, and limited the Yeomen to 1.3 yards per play. Late in the game, most of WashU’s defense consisted of first-years. 

“I think six of the 11 guys we had on the field were first-year players,” Keen said. “It’s remarkable that they were able to finish out the game in a strong way and get a shutout.”

The shutout was WashU’s second of the season. For Oberlin, now 0-4, this game marked the latest defeat in a winless streak dating back to Nov. 26, 2024. Still undefeated, the Bears will return home to face No. 8 John Carroll University on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 1 p.m., in what should be WashU’s toughest test yet.