BRIDGEWATER, Va. - The Bridgewater College football team opens the 2026 season at Stevenson in the program's first Friday night contest since 2021.
When: Friday, September 4, 2026
Where: Owings Mills, Md.
Stadium: Mustang Stadium
Kickoff: 7:00 pm
Gameday Forecast: Scattered Thunderstorms, 82F
60% Chance of rain
Series Record: Stevenson Leads, 2-1
THE DARKSIDE: The Bridgewater defense finished 2025 ranking second in the ODAC in fumble recoveries with 10 a year ago. The BC defensive unit ranked around the middle of the conference in most statistical categories, but ranked in the league's top half in stops behind the line of scrimmage, averaging 5.6 per game.
Oscar Whitely returns in the middle linebacker spot from a season ago to lead
Peyton Allen's unit, while
Jamari Lewis,
Kyle Galloway,
Pierre Harris Jr. and
Ty Johnson anchor an experienced secondary for the Eagles.
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. On top of that, the Eagles' offense will have a new quarterback for the first time in three years as UVA-Wise transfer
Parker Burke is set to lead the offense from under center. BC returns a pair of tailbacks in
Wyatt Jervis and
Tommy Nelson, who ranked third and fourth on the team last season.
Brandon Anderson and
Charlie Bratburd are BC's top returning pass catchers from a year ago, ranking fourth and fifth on the squad in 2025.
SPECIAL TEAMS MATTER: Bridgewater's special teams unit was one of the best in all of Division III in 2025. The Eagles' "edge" ranked eighth in the country in net punting a year ago, led by
Aiden Grefe's No. 4 mark in Div. III of 43.4 yards per attempt. Bridgewater's special teams unit also made the highlight plays as well in 2025 with an ODAC-best four blocked kicks and a punt block. The returning unit continued to be a problem for opponents as BC ranked 15th in kick returns (23.9 yards per return) and seventh in punt returns (16.4 yards per return) in all of Div. III.
NEW FACES, SAME MISSION: The Eagles open the 2026 season with plenty of new faces all over the staff and starting lineup. BC adds four new assistants, Kevin Saxton II (Offensive Coordinator, Assistant Head Coach and Quarterbacks), Miles Ahles (Linebackers), Darian Bryant (Offensive Line) and Kyle Gillenwater (Defense) for the new campaign. The Eagles' projected starting lineup also features 17 new position players who did not start a game last season, and 10 of those players were not featured in the season's final two-deep in the nine-game 2025 season.
SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS: Stevenson enters 2026 in uncharted territory. It marks the first time since the program's inception that they will be under new leadership. The squad also looks a little bit different as Todd Lattimore takes over under center after playing in just four contests a season ago. He will have the top pass catcher in black and green last season as Dillon Johnson headlines the skill players for the Mustangs. Johnson registered three catches for 32 yards when the Eagles and Mustangs clashed last season. On defense, Matt Berry and Daryus Henderson bring experience for the Mustangs. Berry ranked second on the team in tackles last season, while Henderson is the second-highest returning tackle leader for Stevenson.
STEVENSON HEAD COACH: Josh Hoeg is in his first season at the helm of the Mustangs' program as he became just the second head coach in program history over the offseason. Hoeg served as Associate Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator for the Mustangs starting in 2019. Before his time in Owings Mills, Hoeg spent seven years on the offensive side of the ball at Division II Gannon University. His career also features stops at Wabash, Lake Forest, and his alma mater Coe.
SEPT. 6, 2025: The 2025 clash between the Eagles and Mustangs saw Stevenson register the second-most pass yards per completion in the program's short history. Stevenson's 16.9 yards per catch was one of four contests last season for the Mustangs that saw them average 15 yards per catch or more. Matt Berry made history for the Mustangs with his 92 yard interception return in the contest, while Micah Veilleux nailed a 49-yard field goal, also the longest in school history. Berry will be back on the turf for the Mustangs on Friday night, but Mohammad Butt takes over the kicking duties for a youthful Stevenson special teams unit.
STARTING STRONG: Bridgewater opens the 2026 season on the road, marking just the third time the program has done so under head coach
Scott Lemn. BC is 1-1 in season openers away from The Stadium at the Jopson Athletic Complex under Lemn, with both of those games taking place in the Keystone State. The Eagles defeated Gettysburg in 2022 and fell to Susquehanna to open the year in 2024. Under Lemn's direction, the Eagles are 2-3 in the first game of the campaign and have won seven of their last 10 games to open a season since 2016.
RACE TO 30?: The Eagles and Mustangs have tangled just three times over the years, but each contest has featured similar scorelines. The winning team has scored between 37 and 32 points, while the losing side has been held in the 20-point range. All three contests have been decided by two scores or less, with an average score margin of 10.7 points.
ROAD WARRIORS: BC makes some lengthy road trips in 2026, starting with a trip to just outside of Baltimore. Friday night marks the Eagles first trip to Maryland since 2019 and only their second to the state since 2006. The Bridgewater Football program has played contests in Maryland just five times since the turn of the century, tallying a 4-1 record with a win over Stevenson in 2019 and victories over McDaniel in 2000, 2002 and 2006.
