GAME NOTES
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BRIDGEWATER, Va. – Following the team's first loss
of the season, the Bridgewater Eagles football team is preparing to
head across the border to Greensboro, N.C. on Saturday for an Old
Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) showdown with the Guilford
Quakers.
Dating back to the 2008 season, Bridgewater is a perfect 6-for-6
in the week following a loss.
Bridgewater enters the game on the heels of a hard-fought 24-17
loss at the hands of Hampden-Sydney. The Eagles led for the fifth
straight week as the teams headed to the locker room, but a 14
point third quarter barrage from the Tigers and a number of costly
mistakes proved to be too much for Bridgewater to overcome.
Guilford comes in to Saturday's contest on a six-game skid,
dating back to the 2009 season finale against Emory & Henry.
The Quakers fell last week on the road in Buena Vista to the
Southern Virginia Knights by a 36-21 score.
Entering the game, Bridgewater is led through the air by senior
quarterback Hagan
Driskell (Ruther Glen, Va./Caroline).
Driskell continues to show major improvements during his senior
season. Through five games, Driskell has improved upon his numbers
through five games in 2009 in every passing category. His 154.4
passer rating is the second-highest single season efficiency rating
in Bridgewater history, behind the 2001 rating of all-time leading
passer Jason Lutz.
On the ground, Bridgewater has turned to a running back by
committee formula, with senior Darrin
McKenzie (Rustburg, Va./Brookville) taking the bulk
of the carries.
McKenzie takes over for senior running back Thomas
Tate (Staunton, Va./Robert E. Lee), who left the game
against Hampden-Sydney after just two carries. The Rustburg, Va.
native turned in a standout performance against the Tigers, rushing
for a game-high 126 yards.
On the receiving end, senior Tyler Beiler
(Ronks, Pa./Conestoga Valley) continues to make his mark on the
annals of Bridgewater College and on Division III football. Coming
into Saturday's game, Beiler leads the nation in all-purpose
yardage and is second in the NCAA in all-purpose yards per game
behind Division I-AA Southeast Missouri State's Henry Harris.
Defensively, the Eagles have shown dramatic improvement from a
season ago and ranks 20th in Division III in total
defense.
In the first five games, Bridgewater has yet to allow an
opponent to rush for 100 yards in a game and has held four
opponents to a quarter with negative yardage on the ground.
The Eagles rushing defense ranks eighth in Division III.
Junior Dominic Jeter
(Yorktown, Va./Tabb) is putting up All-American numbers from his
defensive end position. Jeter has already matched the sacks total
of 2003 All-American Gary Nelson and has his eyes set on the single
season Bridgewater record of 11.5, set by All-American Ryan Bailey.
Jeter leads the ODAC in sacks with seven, and ranks fifth in
Division III in total sacks.
As a team, the Eagles' 10 tackles for a loss per game ranks
third in Division III and is tied for the fifth-best tally in the
NCAA.
Guilford comes in to Saturday's game looking for answers,
following a 0-5 start to the season.
Behind center, the Quakers have had a quarterback by committee
with Luke Vandall leading the way. Vandall leads the Quakers in
every passing category and has started four of the five games for
Guilford. Billy Watkins, the 2009 starter, has seen action in every
game and is close behind Vandall, statistically.
On the ground, leading rusher Mike Williams has yet to receive
an official start. Williams is averaging 27 yards per game for the
Quakers rushing attack.
Last week against Southern Virginia, Guilford was held to just
31 yards on the ground.
Wide receiver Ben King has been one of the lone bright spots
thus far for Guilford. King has hauled 41 passes for 553 yards on
the season, averaging 110 yards per game which ranks fourth in the
ODAC.
Defensively, Chris Jessup leads the way with 45 tackles on the
year and a team-high five sacks.
Guilford and Bridgewater both enter the game with the third
quarter blues. Bridgewater has been shut out in the third quarter
for the last three games, while Guilford has been outscored by a
56-8 tally this season following the halftime intermission.
Last season at Jopson Field, Bridgewater jumped out to a 33-9
halftime lead, before cruising to a 40-9 victory over the Quakers
due in great part to a 157-yard afternoon on the ground from the
legs of Tate.
Action from Guilford's Armfield Athletic Center kicks off on
Saturday at 1:00 p.m. For fans unable to attend, the game will be
streamed live online with live audio and video. For Bridgewater
fans in the Shenandoah Valley, the game will be broadcast live on
ESPN 1360 WHBG starting at 12:30 p.m. with Bill Phipps
and the Pregame Show brought to you by Second West.
