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BRIDGEWATER, Va. - The Bridgewater Eagles football team will be riding a two-game winning streak into Saturday's Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) matchup at Randolph-Macon as the Eagles still remain in the title hunt.
Bridgewater's matchup with Randolph-Macon will see the Eagles looking to avenge last season's heartbreaking 35-34 loss at the Jopson Athletic Complex.
Last week, the Eagles fired on all cylinders in a 34-9 rout of 22nd-ranked Hampden-Sydney in a game that marked a signature win for the 2014 senior class. Bridgewater's defense limited the Tigers to their lowest scoring output of the season and their second-lowest offensive output of the year in the victory. Senior Jordan Hartman set the tone for the contest with a second-half kickoff return for a score. On Wednesday, Hartman's 98-yard kickoff return was tabbed as the ODAC Play of the Week by the fans of the league.
Randolph-Macon is also coming off of one of its biggest wins of the year. Last week, the Yellow Jackets rushed for 361 yards on the day in a 47-23 triumph over Shenandoah. The Yellow Jackets never trailed in the contest as John Byrd rushed for a league-best 219 yards on 33 carries en route to being named the ODAC Offensive Player of the Week. Randolph-Macon's victory on Saturday ended a two-game skid for head coach Pedro Arruza's squad.
Bridgewater continues to use a two-quarterback system as the regular season enters its final two weeks. Juniors Matthew Pisarcik and Ross Rushing have put up nearly identical numbers on the season through eight games after Rushing shined in Saturday's victory over Hampden-Sydney. Rushing accounted for three scores after finishing the day with a 15-for-25 effort for 189 yards and two scores. Both Pisarcik and Rushing have thrown for over 900 yards on the year.
On the ground, senior Jacob Wright's found his rhythm in recent weeks. The Manassas Park, Va. native effectively put the nail in the coffin with his 61-yard touchdown run a week ago, giving the senior his 10th rushing touchdown of the year and his sixth consecutive game with a rushing score. On the season, Wright's rushed for 793 yards and 10 scores with his 10 touchdown runs being the league high.
Bridgewater's receivers are led by sophomore Jeffrey Moore. Moore leads the team with 37 catches for 384 yards. The Eagles have connected with 19 different players through the air during the 2014 campaign.
The defensive unit was outstanding a week ago and now leads the ODAC in every major statistical category. Bridgewater's defensive group is led by the efforts of senior linebacker Alex Collins. Collins owns 75 tackles, including five for a loss. Bridgewater's defense is limiting teams to 22 points per game and just 338 total yards per game with both marks leading the league.
Randolph-Macon's offense is led by senior triggerman Zac Naccarato. Naccarato's thrown for 1,260 yards and 12 scores, but the senior has been intercepted 10 times, which is the second-highest total in the league.
The Yellow Jackets ground attack has rushed for a league-leading 21 touchdowns behind the efforts of Byrd and Naccarato. Byrd has rushed for a conference-best 933 yards on the year and adds eight scores, while Naccarato owns seven touchdown carries on the season. Randolph-Macon's rushing attack ranks second in the league, averaging 242 yards per game.
Randolph-Macon's receiving corps is led by Mike Doe. Doe's hauled in 44 passes for 659 yards and seven scores on the season.
Defensively, Eric Long leads the way with 59 tackles.
Bridgewater and Randolph-Macon will lock up for the 75th time on Saturday afternoon in the oldest rivalry in Bridgewater program history. Randolph-Macon owns the all-time series with a 56-15-3 overall record against the Eagles. The Yellow Jackets reigned supreme in the first game in series history with a 25-0 win in 1926.
Bridgewater claimed its first win in the series in 1962 with an 18-0 win over the Yellow Jackets. Last season, the Yellow Jackets held off Bridgewater by a 35-34 tally in a thriller at the Jopson Athletic Complex. The Yellow Jackets have won the last three games in series history with Bridgewater's last win coming by a 31-26 margin at Day Field in 2010.
Kick off on Saturday afternoon is set for 1 p.m. For fans who are unable to attend, the game will be aired live on 95.5 WBOP FM with the pregame show starting at 12:30 p.m.
