BRIDGEWATER, Va. - The Bridgewater College football team wraps up a road swing with a trip to Guilford on Saturday afternoon.

When: Saturday, October 10, 2026
Where: Guilford, N.C.
Stadium: Armfield Athletic Center
Watch: FloCollege ($)
Kickoff: 1:00 pm 
Gameday Forecast: Cloudy, slight chance of a shower after 2 p.m., 69F
        20% Chance of rain
Series Record: Guilford leads 26-24

THE DARKSIDE: The Bridgewater defense has opened the season with successful flashes against stiff competition. Oscar Whitely has tallied double-digit tackles in three straight games, including a season-high 14 against Susquehanna and last week at Randolph-Macon. The linebacking unit has been a bright spot in the defense for BC as Whitely, CJ Milazzo and Joey Strong all rank inside the top dozen in the ODAC in tackles, while also recording an interception each this season. Whitely ranks fourth in Div. III in total tackles, while Milazzo leads the league in solo stops. As a unit, the BC defense has defended the pass well, ranking 87th in Div. III at 185.3 yards per contest. Last week, the Eagles allowed a season-best 127 yards through the air against Randolph-Macon, and Munashe Gwashavanhu tallied the unit's fourth interception of the season.

OFFENSIVE MAKEOVER:  The Bridgewater offense embarks on a new chapter in 2026 as Kevin Saxton II takes over the signal calling in his first season as the Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator. Saxton comes back to the ODAC after most recently serving as an assistant under Andy Reid in Kansas City. The Eagles offense has faced tall orders in all four contests in 2026, including taking on two of the nation's top defensive units in Susquehanna and Randolph-Macon.  Parker Burke ranks in the middle of the ODAC in completions per game (13.0), passing efficiency (98.9) and completion percentage (.542). The Eagles are also taking care of the football, as their one interception thrown is tied for the best mark in the ODAC with Washington and Lee. BC also ranks among the national leaders in fewest penalty yards surrendered this season at 54th.

SPECIAL TEAMS MATTER:  Bridgewater's special teams unit was one of the best in all of Division III in 2025 ,and 2026 has started much the same. Aside from allowing a punt block against Susquehanna, BC ranks 58th in Div. III in net punting at 36.5 yards. Aiden Grefe ranks second in the ODAC in punting and 58th nationally, averaging 38.5 yards per boot. Tommy Nelson added to the special teams highlights against SU as he took a kickoff 92 yards to the house for BC's first touchdown of the season. Nelson ranks 26th in Div. III in kickoff returns with an average of 28.0 yards per attempt. 

SCOUTING THE QUAKERS:  Guilford is looking to bounce back from back-to-back losses where they have surrendered 50 points or more. The Quakers have five interceptions to their credit in four games to rank 66th nationally, but the GC offense has thrown eight interceptions so far in 2026. Guilford has been disciplined this season, averaging less than five penalty flags per game and ranking 53rd in Div. III in the category. The Quaker defense is averaging 2.75 sacks per game to rank second in the ODAC, highlighted by the league's sack leader, Simeon Reid. The GC defense has also been successful in the red zone this season, allowing opponents to score just 66.7% of the time, but the Quakers rank outside the top 230 in total defense and allow 235.8 yards per game on the ground. Offensively, the Quakers have the potential to be explosive. Quarterback Tristan Gabreis ranks third in the ODAC with 11.3 yards per completion, while his top target Shane Shapiro ranks second in the conference with 6.3 receptions per contest. 

GUILFORD HEAD COACH:  Brad Davis is in his seventh season leading the Quakers football program. A 2008 graduate of Guilford, Davis has tallied 11 wins in his coaching career at his alma mater. A standout offensive lineman for the Quakers, Davis began his coaching journey at Guilford as well. The former Second Team All-ODAC selection has spent 20 seasons on the Quakers' coaching staff and has led the offensive line and rushing game during his tenure in Greensboro. 

TOURNAMENT TOWN: The Eagles head to Greensboro Saturday to take on Guilford for the 51st time in program history. The Quakers have a slight 26-24 edge in the all-time series dating back to 1936, but the Eagles have won the last seven meetings in the set. The two sides did not play last year after the Quakers' season was ended prior to the scheduled contest. In BC's last 10 trips to Guilford, the Eagles are 7-3, including winning the last four matchups dating back to 2016. The series has been notoriously high-scoring, with BC scoring 30+ points in six of the last 10 meetings in Greensboro, including four contests with 50+ points put on the board. 

RIGHTING THE SHIP: Bridgewater and Guilford each play their fifth games of the season on Saturday with a chance to get back on track. The Quakers' lone win of the year came at Methodist in week two, but they have given up 50+ points in back-to-back contests since the victory. BC looks for its first win of the season on Saturday.

Be sure to follow the action all season long on FloCollege