Unforced errors, including three unforced fumbles, hurt the Bridgewater College football team in an otherwise back-and-forth contest, with the Eagles falling 42-21 to Hampden-Sydney on Homecoming.
Alex Galloway had 224 all-purpose yards on just five touches, including a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown and a 43-yard rushing score. Gary Ramey Jr.led the defense with 10 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.
The Tigers took the lead on their first possession, a methodical 12-play, 57-yard drive that ended after over five minutes on Alec Cobb’s scramble to the right pylon.
Major Morgan made a crazy one-handed catch later in the first quarter with a defender draped all over him, but a Roger White sack ended the HSC drive.
After forcing just one punt last weekend, the Hampden-Sydney defense forced punts on each of the first three Bridgewater possessions. The Eagles’ offense got going early in the second quarter on the back of a former Tiger however.
After a Brandon Pitt interception gave BC the ball back, former Hampden-Sydney running back Matt DeMasi took a jet sweep right and cut back left, taking it 46 yards for the score to tie the game at 7-7.
The Eagles went into the locker room down 14-7 after a botched play led to an unforced fumble on their own 12 yard line. Kaleb Smith carried it in to give the Tigers the lead at halftime.
The Eagles turned it over in their own half again early in the third quarter. The spy linebacker, Griffin Davis, picked off a Jay Scroggins pass, and Cobb hit Nick Kallivokas for a 21-7 lead.
It took just one play for the Eagles to get back into the game. Alex Galloway brought the ensuing kickoff out of the end zone and went 100 yards for the score. It was Galloway’s second straight week taking a kickoff the entire length of the field (but last week’s was wiped out on a penalty), and the second straight season the Eagles have recorded a 100-yard kickoff return (joining Raymond Goodman at Emory & Henry in 2017).
Consecutive tackles for loss by Joe Caron and Bobby Hix/Re’Shaun Myers got the ball back for Bridgewater, but the Eagles went 3-and-out. Tight end Ed Newman caught a 37-yard TD to make it 28-14 HSC.
Unforced errors continued as the Eagles botched another exchange on their own 29 yard line. Ramey stuffed a fourth down try by the goalline however, to keep the deficit at 14 points.
Taking over under center for his first significant collegiate action in the second half, sophomore Matt Lawton led a 98-yard scoring drive that was capped by Galloway’s 43-yard end-around rush for the score.
The visitors answered immediately. Just two plays later, Newman broke a short reception 68 yards for his second touchdown of the half and a 35-21 Tiger lead.
Bridgewater falls to 2-3, 1-2 ODAC, and will travel to first place Randolph-Macon next Saturday.
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