WashU RB Kenneth Hamilton scored the game-winning touchdown in the Bears’ win over North Park on Saturday. (Photo: Primo Greenway)
| NCAA Football | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WashU (7-2, 6-2) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| North Park (5-4, 4-4) | 6 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
Steven Millbrook
Special to the Editor
CHICAGO, IL — Washington University senior running back Kenneth Hamilton came through in huge fashion for the Bears on Saturday.
The 5-8, 180-pounder from High Ridge, Mo., scored on a 12-yard touchdown run with 43 seconds left to lift WashU to a 28-21 win over North Park.
Hamilton, who had a game-high 116 yards on 18 carries, did a lot of the work for the Bears on their final drive. He had an 8-yard run for a first down and caught a 25-yard pass for another, which gave WashU the ball on North Park’s 23-yard line.
Three plays later, Hamilton burst through a hole in the middle of the field for a score that gave the Bears their fourth and final lead of the night.
North Park didn’t have much time left, but they did move the ball to WashU’s 47, before Bears’ senior Zachary Ginsburg, who’s listed as a wide receiver, but was playing defensive back on Saturday, intercepted a pass with 16 seconds left to end any hopes for a Vikings comeback.
The win gave WashU a 7-2 mark on the season and a 6-2 record in the CCIW. North Park fell to 5-4 overall and 4-4 in conference play.
WashU QB Levi Moore threw for a touchdown and ran for two others in the Bears’ 28-21 win over North Park on Saturday. (Photo courtesy: WashU Athletics)
WashU QB Levi Moore also had a fine day. The sophomore signal-caller threw for 187 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions, and also rushed for two scores. Each score Moore helped deliver gave WashU a lead in the game. Senior WR Collin Goldberg caught six passes for 80 yards and a touchdown.
On defense, senior LB Riley Merrigan led the Bears with eight tackles (all solo stops). Teammate Grant Purdy had seven tackles and recovered a fumble, while Josh Hartman and Jack Middleton both had four tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss each.
The Bears took the first lead of the game with just over five minutes left in the first quarter, when Moore made a 10-yard run for a score that made it 7-0. North Park answered with a deep pass from Matt Eck to Jereme Ombogo for 64 yards, but the score remained 7-6 because the Vikings missed the extra point.
Moore struck again early in the second quarter, with a 1-yard run that put the Bears back up 14-6. But North Park responded, just before halftime, when Eck threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Marcel Love that combined a successful Eck two-point conversion pass sent the teams into halftime tied at 14.
Moore hit Goldberg for a 5-yard touchdown early in the third quarter to give WashU a 21-14 lead. But once again, North Park answered when Eck hit Ombogo for another touchdown that tied the score at 21.
Both teams had drives in the final minutes that could’ve given them the lead. In fact, WashU had two possessions late in the fourth quarter. The Bears couldn’t capitalize on the first one, but they did on the second — thanks to Hamilton’s final run — which helped WashU put the game away.
Senior LB Riley Merrigan led WashU with eight tackles in Saturday’s win over North Park. (Photo courtesy: WashU Athletics)
Saturday’s contest was WashU’s final road game of the season. The Bears will play their final home game, next Saturday, November 16, against Augustana. Kickoff at Francis Olympic Field that day is set for 12 p.m.
SCORING SUMMARY
| Qtr | Time | Scoring Play | WASHU | NPU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 05:20 | WASHU – Moore,Levi 10 yd run (Muchnick,Ross kick), 5 plays, 45 yards, TOP 02:48 | 7 | 0 |
| 1st | 03:56 | NPU – Ombogo,Jereme 64 yd pass from Eck,Matt (PAT missed ) 4 plays, 75 yards, TOP 01:24 | 7 | 6 |
| 2nd | 12:44 | WASHU – Moore,Levi 1 yd run (Muchnick,Ross kick), 3 plays, 42 yards, TOP 01:03 | 14 | 6 |
| 2nd | 01:24 | NPU – Love,Marcel 13 yd pass from Eck,Matt (2-pt conversion pass) 12 plays, 86 yards, TOP 06:54 | 14 | 14 |
| 3rd | 09:46 | WASHU – Goldberg,Collin 5 yd pass from Moore,Levi (Muchnick,Ross kick) 11 plays, 73 yards, TOP 05:04 | 21 | 14 |
| 4th | 06:51 | NPU – Ombogo,Jereme 9 yd pass from Eck,Matt (Messersmith III,Michael kick) 14 plays, 75 yards, TOP 05:41 | 21 | 21 |
| 4th | 00:43 | WASHU – Hamilton,Kenneth 12 yd run (Muchnick,Ross kick), 7 plays, 74 yards, TOP 02:00 | 28 | 21 |
2024 WashU Bears Football Schedule
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 16, 2024 | 12 p.m. | Home | Augustana College | Francis Olympic Field |