BRIDGEWATER, Va. - The Bridgewater College football program is set to open ODAC play with one final trip to Ferrum before the Panthers make the jump to Division II at the end of the school year.
When: Saturday, October 5, 2024
Where: Ferrum, Va.
Stadium: W.B. Adams Stadium
Kickoff: 2:00 pm
Gameday Forecast: Sunny, 79F
10% Chance of rain
Series Record: Ferrum leads 11-10
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS: Ferrum enters Saturday's matchup fresh off of the bye week and winners of two straight after a season opening loss to No. 5 Mount Union. The Panthers enter wth one of the top rushing attacks in the ODAC as FC ranks 52nd nationally in rushing offense. The ground game is anchored by Jahylen Lee who currently leads the conference with five rushing touchdowns and ranks second in scoring. The Panthers operate on efficiency, but the Black Hats defense has struggled getting off the field on third down as opponents are converting 50% of the time.
FERRUM HEAD COACH: Kevin Sherman is in his first season at the helm of the Panthers program after returning to the southern-Virginia institution where he graduated from in 1992. Sherman spent the last two seasons as the wide receivers coach at Buffalo to help the Bulls in a run to the Camelia Bowl in 2022. Sherman has coaching stints at both the Division I and Division III levels as he has made stops at Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Ohio, VMI and Methodist. The Radford, Va. native spent seven seasons under legendary VT head coach Frank Beamer from 2006-12 where the Hokies went 60-22 and made four BCS Bowl Game appearances.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Eagles and Panthers are meeting for the 22nd time and for the final time as ODAC foes as Ferrum departs the ODAC to make the leap to Division II at the end of the year. Ferrum leads the head-to-head 11-10, but Bridgewater has emerged victorious in six of the seven meetings as conference opponents.
ALL-PURPOSE BACK: Bridgewater's do-it-all running back
Brendan Robinson had a coming out party in the Eagles' 28-14 victory over Milsaps last time out with a career-high 161 yards on the ground and a touchdown. The junior also tagged on a pair of catches for 18 yards in the victory. Robinson has earned his stripes primarily as one of the best kick returners in the country with six kick-return touchdowns to his name so far in his career including a 96-yard house call in the season opener at No. 12 Susquehanna. To back up all of that, Robinson ranks fourth in Div. III in all-purpose yards, averaging 199.7 yards per game and sixth in kickoff return yardage at 37.7 yards per kick despite teams kicking away from him.
THE MATHEWS FILE: Despite coming off the bye week, BC is carrying momentum on the defensive side of the football as
Jaelan Mathews was named the ODAC Defensive Player of the Week after BC's 28-14 win over Millsaps two Saturday's ago. Mathews had a solid day with eight tackles including six solo to go along with 2.5 TFL and a sack. The big headline on the day was the graduate student punching the ball free on a third down and goal from the one-yard line as Millsaps was just a yard away from tying the game early in the fourth quarter.
WELCOME TO THE DARKSIDE: Peyton Allen took over as the Bridgewater Defensive Coordinator prior to the start of the 2024 season and it has not dissapointed. The season-opening 41-7 loss to Susquehanna saw BC give up 617 yards of total offense, but in week two the BC defense limited SVU to just 119 yards of total offense in the first home shutout since 2017. The Darkside forced five turnovers including a trio of pick-sixes that leads Division III in defensive touchdowns. Allen's crew also ranks second in the ODAC in multiple passing defense categories including pass yardage.
DON'T LET THE STATS FOOL YOU: Ferrum's team statistics may not jump off the page in many categories, but a season opening matchup against national powerhouse No. 5 Mt. Union can do that. The Panthers enter Saturday as one of 17 teams in the country to not allow a fourth down conversion and are one of nine teams to have a perfect fourth-down conversion rate offensively. Ferrum's efficiency also extends to the redzone as the Panthers have cashed in on every opportunity inside the 20-yard line so far in 2024. FC also takes care of the football. The Panthers have lost just one fumble and thrown just one interception in three games this season.
Fans can get free entry into Saturday's game by donating a canned food item at the main ticket gate.
