WashU will be at home for a Top 25 showdown against John Carroll on Saturday. (Photo: Cedric Williams)

WashU Football – Gameday Info
Game No. 5 – #8 John Carroll Blue Streaks (4-0) at #18 WashU Bears (4-0)
Date/Time – October 3, 2026 – 1 pm
Location – Francis Olympic Field — Clayton, MO
Watch – North Coast Network
Live Stats – Sidearm Stats

CLAYTON, MO — The biggest game of the first half of the NCAA Division III football season will take place Saturday afternoon at Francis Olympic Field, when the No. 18-ranked Washington University Bears hosts No. 8 John Carroll.

The matchup will pit the two best teams in the North Coast Athletic Conference so far this season, with WashU’s No. 1 rated offense taking on John Carroll’s No. 1 rated defense.

The Bears are coming off a record-breaking 79-0 win last week against Oberlin, while the Blue Streaks, who will be making their first ever trip to St. Louis, are still streaking after a 49-3 win over Wittenberg last week.

The WashU offense is averaging an NCAC-best 55.0 points per game this season. (Photo: Primo Greenway)

Players to Watch: WashU had 649 yards of total offense (251 passing, 398 rushing) while Oberlin had 64 yards of total offense (50 passing, 14 rushing).

Junior Jack Atkinson was 5-for-5 for 109 yards and one touchdown. Senior starter Levi Moore went 3-for-3 for 62 yards with one touchdown and sophomore Jack Behl went 4-for-4 for 53 yards with two touchdowns.

Sophomore Karsten Cornell led the rushing game with 115 yards on 16 carries. First-year Cole Neupaver had 102 yards on 15 carries with one touchdown and sophomore Brayden Lewis finished with 71 yards on two carries.

Defensively, sophomore Jackson Staley had six total tackles (1 solo, 5 assists) with 0.5 tackles-forloss and a quarterback hurry. Junior Conner Durkin had five total tackles (2 solo, 3 assists) with 3.0 tackles-for-loss.

For John Carroll, running backs Cohen Klimak and Devin Taylor share the ball often. Klimak leads the Blue Streaks with 270 yards on 71 carries and four touchdowns. Taylor had his second 100-yard game of the season last week, with 108 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns.

Quarterback Tyler Green leads the NCAC with 984 passing yards and 13 passing touchdowns, with only one interception all year. Receiver Dorian Facen, Jr. leads the league with 28 catches for 510 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Linebacker Ivory Travers was this week’s NCAC Athlete of the Week, after notching 12 tackles (nine solo), including four tackles for loss in JCU’s win last week.

WashU WR Makael Carter has 10 catches for 131 yards and three touchdowns this season. (Photo: Primo Greenway)

Up Next: The Bears will be on the road next week, with a matchup against Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio on Saturday. Kickoff is set for noon and the game will be streamed live on the North Coast Network.

WashU’s next home game will be on October 31, when the Bears will host Denison University, in its annual “Parent and Family Weekend” game at Francis Olympic Field.

2026 WASHU BEARS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

DateTimeAtOpponentLocationResults
September 5, 2026 (Saturday)7 p.m.AwayRhodes CollegeMemphis, Tenn. / Crain FieldW, 73-0 (1-0)
September 12, 2026 (Saturday)1 p.m.Home#15 DePauw University*Francis Olympic FieldW, 37-27 (2-0)
September 19, 2026 (Saturday)12 p.m.AwayWittenberg University*Springfield, Ohio / Edwards-Maurer FieldW, 31-24 (3-0)
September 26, 2026 (Saturday)12 p.m.AwayOberlin College*Oberlin, Ohio / Dick Bailey FieldW, 79-0 (4-0)
October 3, 2026 (Saturday)1 p.m.Home#8 John Carroll University*Francis Olympic Field
October 17, 2026 (Saturday)12 p.m.AwayKenyon College*Gambier, Ohio / McBride Field
October 24, 2026 (Saturday)12 p.m.AwayWabash College*Crawfordsville, Ind. / Little Giant Stadium
October 31, 2026 (Saturday)1 p.m.HomeDenison University*Francis Olympic Field
November 7, 2026 (Saturday)12 p.m.AwayOhio Wesleyan University*Delaware, Ohio / Selby Stadium
November 14, 2026 (Saturday)1 p.m.HomeThe College of Wooster*Francis Olympic Field