Malivai Barker scored the game-winning touchdown with 52 seconds remaining on the Eagles’ second fourth quarter drive deep in opposition territory, as Bridgewater football won a thriller 42-41 at Guilford.
With Bridgewater trailing by six, defensive lineman JP Utz intercepted a pass and rumbled 64 yards down inside the red zone. The Eagles had first and goal at the 2 and Jay Scroggins had tight end Keith Jennings open in the flat on ]third down, but Guilford’s Jared Davis knocked the pass down. BC went for it and a fourth down ]handoff to Rayvon Johnson lost yardage.
The Bridgewater defense made a fourth down stop of their own near midfield. Scroggins was sacked on first down but then hung in the pocket to hit Johnson over the top for 42 yards. Barker was stopped inches shy of the goalline on second down, but scored the next play to put the Eagles ahead for the first time all day.
Guilford threatened to drive for a last-gasp field goal attempt. Utz had a crucial sack with 28 seconds remaining and Sonny Romine picked off a deep pass in the end zone to seal the victory.
Barker rushed for 141 yards and three scores on just 19 carries, adding 20 more yards in the air. Johnson caught seven balls for 135 yards, and Scroggins totaled 247 yards on 14-of-26 passes.
The Eagles punted on their first two possessions, but Isaac Evans came up with his second long pick-six of the season as the sophomore took an interception back 79 yards to tie the game at 7-7. Bridgewater got the ball back but Guilford repaid the favor with a 24-yard Julian Cuthbertson interception return TD.
The first quarter ended at 14-14 after Scroggins hit Jennings for a 30 yard score with 58 seconds on the clock. It took just four plays for Guilford to answer as Karsten Miller hit Daniel Woodruff for 43 yards down to the five and Hunter Causey punched it in.
The first half scoring barrage continued. Causey scored again five minutes later for a 28-14 Guilford lead, and Barker answered at the other end of the field. Another Quaker touchdown and a failed extra point made it 34-21, before the Eagles drove down the field at the end of the second quarter and got seven points on Zane Grudzinski’s 16-yard TD catch.
The Quaker drove 73 yards on 12 plays soon after halftime, going up 41-28 on Eryk Brandon-Dean’s rush. Barker broke a 49-yard touchdown later in the third quarter to make it a one-score game again.
Miller completed 33-of-52 passes for 389 yards and Causey rushed for 218 yards and three touchdowns. Two Quakers (Rontavius Miller and Woodruff) also exceeded 100 receiving yards as the hosts totaled 682 yards of total offense- but those three Bridgewater interceptions in Eagle territory helped BC emerge victorious.
Cory Cline led the defense with 12 tackles, one more than Chance Morris’ 11. Tyler Miller had 1.5 tackles for loss among six total stops.
Bridgewater improves to 3-5, 2-3 ODAC and will host Washington & Lee next Saturday on Senior Day, where 15 graduating Eagles will be recognized. Guilford drops its fourth straight and falls to 4-4, 1-4.
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