Record-Breaking Rushing Day Carries WashU To Win Over Carthage

NCAA Division III Football	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Carthage (0-5, 0-4)	7	3	6	0	16
WashU (4-1, 3-1)	14	21	20	10	65

CLAYTON, MO — It was a record-breaking day Saturday afternoon at Francis Olympic Field for the Washington University football team.

The Bears scored 60-plus points for the first time in nearly a decade, racked up 672 total yards, and totaled a school-record 465 rushing yards in a 65-16 CCIW win over visiting Carthage College.

Running backs Fred Ware and Kenvorris Campbell both had huge days for WashU. Ware carried the ball 16 times for a career-high 221 yards, including touchdown runs of 75 yards and 61 yards. Campbell had 16 carries as well, for 137 yards and two touchdowns of his own.

The WashU passing game performed well also. Quarterback Clark Stephens had 185 yards and three touchdown passes. Receivers Makael Carter, Taidhgin Trost, and Grant Hajicek each caught one.

WashU received to start the game and went five plays before Carthage’s Tanner Ludwig intercepted the ball at the 45. The Firebirds went on to score on their ensuing drive.

Bryce Frank ran for a loss of four but quarterback Bryce Lowe followed with a 12-yard pass to Gavin Betts. Lowe’s next pass to Jackson Westmoreland for 31 yards was the first touchdown of the game and Mugdim Kreho’s extra-point kick was good, putting Carthage up 7-0.

The Bears wasted no time in answering as Ware burst free for a 75-yard touchdown on the first play of the drive. Sophomore Ross Muchnick’s kick was good for a 7-7 game.

From that point on, the rest of the game was all WashU, beginning with five straight touchdowns in the first half that gave the Bears a 35-7 lead. Carthage kicked a field goal on the final play of the first half to send the teams into halftime with the score at 35-10.

The Bears added a sixth touchdown on their first drive of the second half to go up 42-10. The Firebirds answered with a touchdown of their own to get back within 42-16, but that was as close as the visitors would get, as WashU closed the game with three more touchdowns to put the game away.

WashU is now 4-1 on the season and in a three-way tie with North Park and Wheaton for second place in the CCIW league standings. All three clubs are 3-1 in the conference. Carthage is 0-5 overall and 0-4 in league play.

The Bears will be on the road next week, when they’ll travel to Elmhurst to play the Bluejays next Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

WashU’s next home game will be on October 26, at Francis Olympic Field, against Wheaton.

2024 WASHU BEARS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Sept. 7 at Rhodes College -- W 44-20
Sept. 21 vs. Carroll University* -- W 35-7
Sept. 28 at #1 North Central* -- L 49-9
Oct. 5 at Illinois Wesleyan* -- W 33-23
Oct. 12 vs. Carthage* -- W 65-16
Oct. 19 at Elmhurst* -- 1 pm
Oct. 26 vs. #24 Wheaton* -- 1 pm
Nov. 2 vs. Millikin* -- 12 pm
Nov. 9 at North Park* -- 12 pm
Nov. 16 vs. Augustana* -- 12 pm
* - denotes CCIW league game