Washington and Lee scored 13 points in the game’s final 3:54 to overcome a 23-14 deficit and record a 27-23 win over Gettysburg College Saturday evening on Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium.

Ryan Clemens ran the ball 20 times to lead the Generals, amassing 111 yards and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 28 seconds left.

Sophomore receiver Gabriel Diaz had a productive day for Gettysburg.

Gettysburg’s Sean Clark threw for 249 yards on 24 of 32 passing and a touchdown. He also ran for a score, while Gabriel Diaz caught six passes for 61 yards and a touchdown. RJ Weiss led the defense with a career-high 13 tackles and a pass breakup.

After an exchange of punts early, Washington and Lee took its second possession of the game to the 12-yardline before having to settle for a field goal attempt. Anthony Gaitano came off the edge and blocked the kick to keep it a scoreless game and give Gettysburg the ball at the 20 with 3:08 to play in the first quarter.

The Bullet offense churned out 11 plays over nearly five minutes before Isaac Parks-Gill then booted a 45-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead with 13:19 to play in the second. The defense got a turnover on downs before another nine-play, 69-yard drive over 4:34 yielded a 21-yard Parks-Gill field goal to double the lead with 3:31 to play. After a three-and-out, the Bullets worked 63 yards over 13 plays, and Parks-Gill made it a 9-0 game at the break with his second short field goal and third of the first half.

Washington and Lee took the opening possession of the second half 72 yards in nine plays before Ryan Clemens scored from one yard out to make it 9-7. Gettysburg responded with a nine-play drive of its own, ending with Sean Clark finding Gabriel Diaz on a slant for a 21-yard touchdown to re-establish the nine-point lead with 6:38 to play in the third quarter.

Washington and Lee responded with a drive that consumed the rest of the quarter before Anthony Crawford scored from two yards out on the first play of the fourth quarter – and the 15th of the drive – to make it 16-14. Clark and his offense had their own long drive in response, taking 5:35 to go 65 yards over 10 plays before the senior called his own number off the left end for a four-yard run and a 23-14 lead with 9:20 to play. Washington and Lee twice converted a fourth down on the ensuing drive, going 75 yards over 14 plays before Tommy Acosta got the end zone from the 10 to make it 23-21 with 3:54 showing.

The Generals’ defense came up with a three-and-out, and Gettysburg appeared to have unfurled a 64-yard punt that would have pinned the Generals at the six, but a penalty on the play forced a re-kick, and a 12-yard Jake Lohmann return set up his offense at midfield. Eight plays later, Clemens went up the middle for a seven-yard score with 28 seconds remaining. The Generals missed on the two-point conversion to keep it a four-point lead. Clark completed a pair of big plays to Jayden Lee to get the ball to W&L 37, but after a short gain, Clark had one last shot with two seconds left from the 33, but the pass fell incomplete in the end zone.

THE INSIDE STORY

Isaac Parks-Gill’s three field goals were the most by a single Bullets kicker since 2022.
Washington and Lee finished with a slight 381-369 advantage in total yards.
Carson Shoffner ran the ball 17 times for 77 yards.
Lee made eight catches for 73 yards – both career highs.
Weems finished with 12 tackles while Ty Can (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newton) added 10.

NEXT UP
Gettysburg returns to action at home against Western Connecticut State on Saturday. Game time is 1 p.m.

This story originated on the Gettysburg College website.