LEXINGTON, Va. – Host Washington and Lee scored on its first five possessions Saturday to down Shenandoah, 59-42, in the ODAC football season finale for both schools.
The Generals (6-4, 5-2 ODAC) rolled up 631 yards in total offense to outlast Shenandoah (6-4, 4-3).
SU had 514 yards of its own, but was playing catch-up all day as W&L scored the first 14 points of the game and led by 21 points on two different occasions.
Trailing 35-14 at the break, Shenandoah attempted to get back into it by taking the second half kickoff and driving 81 yards in eight plays, finishing with a Mario Wisdom 1-yard TD run, to make the score 35-21.
The Hornet defense forced a Generals field goal on the ensuing possession, and after Dershone Hayman hauled in a 21-yard TD pass from Hayden Bauserman at the 5:03 mark of the third, SU trailed by just 10, 38-28.
The Hayman TD would start a stretch in which the two teams would trade the next six touchdowns, but SU would not be able to get any closer than 10 points.
Shenandoah cut the deficit to 10 points for the third and final time with 6:45 to go as Malik Sims blocked a punt that Weldon Gilchrist, Jr. returned 38 yards for the Hornets final touchdown of the day.
The blocked punt score marks the second time this season that the SU special teams have blocked a punt for a TD and it's the fourth special teams touchdown of the year.
Unfortunately for the Shenandoah fans, the SU defense had no answer for Washington and Lee's rushing attack.
The Generals answered that Gilchrist touchdown by driving 61 yards in seven plays, all on the ground, to extend the lead back to 17 points and coasted home to the victory.
Washington and Lee had 506 its 631 yards on the ground and converted 11 of 14 third down chances.
In the first half, W&L was 7 of 8 on third down to help itself build that 21-point lead.
Shenandoah saw its final drive end at the W&L 17 as the Generals broke up a Bauserman pass intended for Qlyl Middelijn in the end zone.
Bauserman finished 31 for 41 for 352 yards and four touchdowns with Ashwell grabbing 12 of those passes for 159 yards and a touchdown.
This is the second time in Ashwell's career that he has made 12 catches in a game. He tied the school record originally set by Rico Wallace '12 versus Christopher Newport in 2011 versus Guilford last season and equaled it today.
Middelijn had two TDs and 74 yards on four catches.
"It was a great job by the offense to keep us in it," Hornets coach Scott Yoder said. "It was disappointing, but we just had no answer for them (W&L) today.
"We had a good year and this is something we can build on. I am proud of these guys."
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