Members of the Wash. U. Bears celebrate following a touchdown. The Bears are 6-0, after defeating Augustana College on Saturday. (Photo: Cedric Williams)

Team1st2nd3rd4thTotal
 Wash. U.21771449
Augustana7147028

Steven Millbrook
Staff Writer

ROCK ISLAND, IL — For most of the first half of the 2002 college football season, the offensive star for the Washington University Bears has been senior quarterback Matt Rush.

Wash. U.’s third-year starting signal-caller leads the CCIW and ranks among the nation’s leaders in almost every passing category, including passing yards, passing efficiency, quarterback rating, and passing touchdowns.

But on Saturday, in the No. 24-ranked Bears’ road game against Augustana College, it was sophomore tailback Kenneth Hamilton, who led the way.

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound speedster from nearby High Ridge, Mo., and CBC High School, had one of his best days as a college football player, as he rushed for 144 yards, scored three rushing touchdowns, and also caught a touchdown pass to lead Wash. U. to a 49-28 victory over Augustana.

It was Hamilton’s third straight game rushing for over 100 yards and the fourth time in the last five games that he’s scored more than one touchdown. For the season, Hamilton leads the Bears with 583 rushing yards and has scored a team-best 11 touchdowns.

Like it has all season, Wash. U. got going right off the jump — driving down the field on its opening possession to score on a Rush touchdown pass to take the lead. Then, after a quick stop of Augustana’s offense got them the ball back, the Bears struck again with a long touchdown pass by Rush to go up 14-0.

Augustana answered with a touchdown toss of its own, but Rush and the Bears followed with another scoring throw to put themselves ahead 21-7. That third touchdown pass by Rush was to Hamilton, and though it seemed like Rush might be on his way to another huge day, it was Hamilton who was just getting started for a career-setting performance.

The host Vikings scored on the first play of the second quarter to make the score 21-14. But the Bears responded with another quick drive, capped by a touchdown run by Hamilton to make it 28-14.

Things got really tight late in the second and early in the third, when Augustana scored back-to-back touchdowns to tie the game at 28. But that’s when Hamilton took over.

First, he led a punishing, ground-and-pound drive that ended with a score that gave Wash. U. the lead back at 35-28. Then, after an Augustana turnover, Hamilton capped his fourth drive of the day with a short touchdown run that gave the Bears their original two-touchdown lead back at 42-28.

Wash. U. put the final touches on the day on its next possession, when it took in Augustana territory, following a failed fourth down attempt by the Vikings. Hamilton broke free for his longest run of the day — a 35-yard jaunt through the Augustana defense — that set the Bears up at the 6 yard line.

Two plays later, Cole Okmin took a handoff and pushed his way over the goal line for the final score of the day to give Wash. U. a 49-28 victory.

The Bears are now 6-0 on the season and 5-0 in conference play, while Augustana fell to 3-3 overall and 2-3 in the CCIW.

Saturday’s win now sets up a huge Top 20 matchup next week for Wash. U. The Bears will be hosting their annual Parents and Family Day Game, and it will be against No. 1-ranked North Central, at Francis Olympic Field, with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m.

North Central, the 2019 NCAA Division III national champions and 2021 national runner-ups, are the highest scoring team in the nation this season. The Cardinals are averaging 60.3 points per game and have scored more than 50 points in all but one game this year.

By contrast, Wash. U., which is having a terrific season in its own right, is averaging 52.5 ppg and has scored more than 50 four times.

QtrTimeScoring PlayWSHAUG
1st12:39WSH – Sirek,Gabriel 12 yd pass from Rush,Matt (Vartanian,Chris kick) 4 plays, 33 yards, TOP 00:5770
1st09:26WSH – Goldberg,Collin 55 yd pass from Rush,Matt (Vartanian,Chris kick) 3 plays, 65 yards, TOP 01:19140
1st07:18AUG – Vesey,Jordan 33 yd pass from Bhardwaj,Cole (Maroon,Sidney kick) 6 plays, 59 yards, TOP 01:59147
1st01:21WSH – Hamilton,Kenneth 9 yd pass from Rush,Matt (Vartanian,Chris kick) 13 plays, 76 yards, TOP 05:48217
2nd14:55AUG – Inserra,Bobby 11 yd pass from Bhardwaj,Cole (Maroon,Sidney kick) 3 plays, 8 yards, TOP 01:092114
2nd12:11WSH – Hamilton,Kenneth 3 yd run (Vartanian,Chris kick), 7 plays, 74 yards, TOP 02:362814
2nd00:33AUG – Inserra,Bobby 25 yd pass from Bhardwaj,Cole (Maroon,Sidney kick) 7 plays, 53 yards, TOP 02:112821
3rd09:11AUG – Shelton,Craig 10 yd pass from Bhardwaj,Cole (Maroon,Sidney kick) 8 plays, 80 yards, TOP 03:162828
3rd04:46WSH – Hamilton,Kenneth 8 yd run (Vartanian,Chris kick), 8 plays, 59 yards, TOP 04:193528
4th09:50WSH – Hamilton,Kenneth 7 yd run (Vartanian,Chris kick), 2 plays, 56 yards, TOP 00:214228
4th06:17WSH – Okmin,Cole 2 yd run (Vartanian,Chris kick), 3 plays, 46 yards, TOP 01:104928
Washington University Bears Upcoming 2022 Football Schedule
Sat., October 22 — vs. #1 North Central* — 1 pm
Sat., October 29 — at Elmhurst* — 1 pm
Sat., November 5 — vs. #11 Wheaton* — 1 pm
Sat., November 12 — at Carroll* — 12 pm
* – denotes CCIW Conference Game
All Wash. U. home football games will be played at Francis Olympic Field.