Wash. U. defenders Matthew Schmal (32), Keiran Conjar (33), and Dalton Bingman (46) maul Hendrix’s Jaxon Cobern during the Bears’ 52-7 win over the Warriors, Saturday afternoon at Francis Olympic Field in St. Louis. (Photo: Cedric Williams)

Team1st2nd3rd4thTotal
HENDRIX (1-1)07007
 WASH. U. (1-0)30137252
QtrTimeScoring PlayHENDRIXWASH. U.
1st14:55WASH. U. – TEAM 16 yd safety02
1st13:48WASH. U. – Goldberg, Collin 6 yd pass from Rush, Matt (Vartanian, Chris kick) 3 plays, 63 yards, TOP 1:0509
1st08:20WASH. U. – Ware, Fred 6 yd run (Vartanian, Chris kick), 9 plays, 53 yards, TOP 2:35016
1st05:38WASH. U. – Hamilton, Kennedy 36 yd run (Vartanian, Chris kick), 3 plays, 51 yards, TOP 1:27023
1st00:59WASH. U. – Peters, Tom 2 yd pass from Rush, Matt (Vartanian, Chris kick) 4 plays, 55 yards, TOP 0:57030
2nd10:37HENDRIX – Utley, Kanyn 12 yd pass from Wood, Jacob (Ellis, Bennett kick) 10 plays, 70 yards, TOP 3:05730
2nd09:11WASH. U. – Ware, Fred 37 yd pass from Rush, Matt (PAT blocked) 5 plays, 65 yards, TOP 1:26736
2nd00:00WASH. U. – Jopes, Jack 10 yd pass from Rush, Matt (Vartanian, Chris kick) 12 plays, 94 yards, TOP 3:51743
3rd12:07WASH. U. – Gardner, Will 24 yd pass from Rush, Matt (Vartanian, Chris kick) 6 plays, 60 yards, TOP 2:53750
4th06:49WASH. U. – TEAM 17 yd safety752

Torrance Terrell
Staff Writer

ST. LOUIS, MO — The Washington University football team enjoyed a spectacular debut to the 2022 season on Saturday. The Bears scored 30 points in the first quarter, including a safety on the first play of the season, en route to a blowout 52-7 win over visiting Hendrix College, at Francis Olympic Field.

Quarterback Matt Rush led the way with 15 completions on 22 attempts for 215 passing yards and five touchdowns. Wash. U. also dominated the ground game, as eight different ballcarriers combined for 289 yards and two touchdowns.

The two leading carriers were Kennedy Hamilton, who had a game-high 86 yards and one of those scores, and Fred Ware, who had 62 rushing yards and 37 receiving yards, for a combined 99 total yards, to go along with a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown.

The game began in about the most positive way it could for the Bears, who were on defense for the first play of the game, and watched Hendrix line up in a shotgun formation, but then snap the ball over quarterback Jacob Woods’ head.

The ball rolled into the Hendrix end zone, where Woods fielded it and tried to throw it away, but before he could, he stepped out of the back of the end zone for a safety that gave Wash. U. a 2-0 lead.

The Bears then scored touchdowns on four of their first five possessions of the game to take a 30-0 lead into the second quarter. Two of those scores were touchdown tosses by Rush. Hendrix got on the board with a touchdown pass of their own, to make it 30-7.

But Rush and the Bears closed the half with two more touchdown passes to go into halftime ahead 43-7.

The senior from Hinsdale, Ill., wasn’t done though, as he threw another touchdown on Wash. U.’s first possession of the second half to put his club up 50-7. Hendrix had another bad snap get recovered in their own end zone, midway through the fourth quarter, which accounted for Wash. U.’s final points of the game.

The Bears will be back in action next Saturday, September 17, when they’ll host Millikin College in another game at Francis Olympic Field. Kickoff for that contest is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Washington University Bears Upcoming 2022 Football Schedule
Sat., September 17 — vs. Millikin* — 1 pm
Sat., September 24 — at Carthage* — 12 pm
Sat., October 1 — at North Park* — 1 pm
Sat., October 8 — vs. Illinois Wesleyan* — 1 pm
Sat., October 15 — at Augustana* — 3 pm
Sat., October 22 — vs. North Central* — 1 pm
Sat., October 29 — at Elmhurst* — 1 pm
Sat., November 5 — vs. 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.