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Bridgewater fans voted the top five BC football wins since Michael Clark was named head coach in 1995. The past 13 seasons have seen 91 victories, which include 49 conference, 32 regular season non-conference and 10 NCAA playoff games.
After reading through the five games the fans picked, click here to view Coach Clark’s top five wins with very interesting commentary. It is worth noting that only two of the fan voted games are in his list.
No. 1 -- When Dreams Became a Reality
No. 2 -- When the Unthinkable Happened
No. 3 -- When the Stagg Became Possible
No. 4 -- When Clark Jumped
No. 5 -- When Lightning Struck
[-Click here to discuss this feature on the BC football message forum-]
No. 1 -- When Dreams Became a Reality
December 8, 2001
Bridgewater College 29
Rowan University 24
No. 2 -- When the Unthinkable Happened
November 18, 2000
Bridgewater College 59
Washington and Jefferson College 42
No. 3 -- When the Stagg Became Possible
November 24, 2001
Bridgewater College 41
Trinity University 37
Game Recap:
Our Stagg Bowl appearance couldn’t have happened without this victory – and it was a victory that required an immaculate reception.
Trinity jumped on the Eagles first, taking a 14-0 lead. BC was forced to punt twice, threw an interception, and turned the ball over on downs. Then mid-way through the second quarter, things began to change. Over the next five offensive possessions, the Eagles would cover 305 yards and score five touchdowns. The Tigers would match the BC scoring by tying the game at 34 apiece with five minutes remaining in the game.
BC marched 57 yards on eight plays over three minutes, but missed a field goal. The Tigers responded with 61 yards of their own, hitting their FG attempt to make it 37-34.
With a minute remaining, quarterback Jason Lutz rumbled 31 yards on BC’s first play to Trinity’s 37-yard line. Lutz then tried to connect with junior Andre Jones. It fell incomplete. He looked for senior Marcus Richardson on second down – also incomplete. On third-and-10 with only 40 seconds to go, Lutz threw the ball to the back left part of the end zone. As he fell with a defender all over him, freshman P.J. Berry would make one of the most amazing catches in BC history – giving BC the victory and paving their storied road to the Stagg Bowl.
Game Analysis:
Thanks to Bridgewater’s first undefeated regular season in program history, the Eagles received a first round bye in the 2001 NCAA playoffs. During the opening round, Trinity (Texas) University destroyed a nationally ranked team 30-6 – setting up a second round matchup against the Eagles at BC’s Jopson Field.
The Tigers had won nine straight conference titles up to this point, having made five straight NCAA appearances. Bridgewater came into the game having won their first conference title since 1980, and only one playoff appearance under their belt.
Quarterback Roy Hampton, a three-time All-American, was picked off three times by the Eagles defense. Bridgewater piled up 41 points and 553 yards of total offense on the Trinity defense, which came into the game allowing 15.7 points per game and less than 300 yards a contest.
Berry’s game-winning reception would be his last touchdown at BC, as he would transfer to Division II Virginia State where he became a first-team All-American.
This also happened to be a rematch of last year’s dramatic overtime playoff game in Texas. As a former player stated, “this game proved that 2000 was not a fluke.” That confidence took them all the way to the national championship game.
No. 4 -- When Clark Jumped
October 20, 2001
Bridgewater College 28
Emory and Henry College 14
Game Recap:
You’ve heard it before; to be the best, you have to beat the best. “The best” in the conference was Emory & Henry, and the Eagles simply weren’t able to beat them – before this game.
It began as a defensive bout, with both teams forced to punt twice to begin the game. Then two senior All-Americans helped put BC on the scoreboard first. Linebacker Lonnie Parker forced a fumble, and running back Davon Cruz scored a 19-yard touchdown run on the very next play.
After the Wasps answered with an 11-play scoring drive to begin the second quarter, two punts and a missed field goal sent the teams tied at 7-7 into the locker room. For the Eagles, halftime meant gathering around E&H’s indoor swimming pool (i.e. the visitor’s locker room).
To start the second half, Cruz caught the opening kickoff at the five-yard line and never looked back – and neither did the Eagles.
To celebrate their victory, football players – and even Coach Clark – plunged into the pool. Some jumped in after stripping down to their underclothes, a handful took the leap after taking off their pads, and some dove in with everything on. They didn’t care what was on their back – but they knew they had gotten the monkey (or Wasp) off.
Game Analysis:
Prior to this victory, the Eagles had lost 19 straight games to Emory & Henry. It was Bridgewater’s longest post-World War II losing streak to any opponent. The Wasps had won six of the last seven ODAC titles, and 11 of them dating back to 1985.
The 14 points scored by E&H tied their lowest ever total against the Eagles, while BC’s scoring output of 28 was the second-most against the Wasps in their 28-game history.
Even though the 2001 Bridgewater team was led by seniors – including QB Jason Lutz, Cruz, WR Marcus Richardson, OL Matt Huffman, and Parker – there were a couple youngsters who played a large part in this victory.
Freshman return specialist P.J. Berry totaled 71 yards on four punt returns, and freshman running back Michael Kelley gained 65 yards on six carries. Sophomore receiver Nicholas Lehto hauled in the only touchdown through the air, while sophomore linebacker Jermaine Taylor led the team in tackles with 12.
This victory marked a changing of the guard in the ODAC, as Bridgewater would reel off five-straight undefeated conference titles from 2001 to 2005, and Emory & Henry would lose more games than they’ve won up through the next six seasons.
As a former player stated, “I don’t remember what Coach Clark said in his post game speech, all I can remember is him standing on the diving board and then jumping into the pool.”
No. 5 -- When Lightning Struck
October 22, 1999
Bridgewater College 37
Johns Hopkins University 24
Game Recap:
You are probably asking yourself why -- out of 91 wins since 1995 -- a 13-point win over a non-conference opponent was voted No. 5.
Johns Hopkins’ faithful saw their team take a 24-10 lead after three quarters. The Blue Jay defense held Bridgewater to 188 total yards, even though the Eagles had averaged 354 yards over their last three games. Then lightning struck, literally.
Both teams went to the locker rooms for what would turn into an hour-long delay. That is when Bridgewater received the infamous offer. Johns Hopkins asked the Eagles if they wanted to forfeit.
Coach Clark told his kids, “I'll stay until midnight to win this game.” The players agreed, declined the offer, and went back onto the field.
In the fourth quarter, the Eagles scored 27 unanswered points. They scored on a run, a trick play, a pass, and on defense. Over 17 plays, BC covered 326 yards – including a 92-yard interception return. The rest is history.
Game Analysis:
BC had already shown in 1998 and 1999 that they had what it took to compete. Five weeks before this game, BC only lost to the five-time reigning ODAC champions Emory and Henry by three points. In 1998 they lost to them by only one. But the Eagles still needed a signature win. Coming into this game, Bridgewater had lost 18 of 22 games. Against Johns Hopkins, the Eagles had lost all three previous contests by a combined score of 81-29.
The 27 points scored by Bridgewater in the fourth quarter against Hopkins is the most in any fourth quarter in program history. And since that 27-point outburst, BC has scored four touchdowns in a single quarter only seven times; twice in the first, three times in the second, and twice in the third.
You may also not know that since this come-from-behind victory, only once has Bridgewater come back from a third quarter deficit to win a game. In 2004 the Eagles trailed Randolph-Macon 13-10 after three quarters but won 19-16 in overtime.
And one more thing stands out about this game. It showed that everyone on the roster matters. Not just the guys who earn postseason accolades, or the ones who put up gaudy statistics. Garry Cook, the third-string running back, ran the ball 17 times for 132 yards versus Hopkins. Starter Davon Cruz was healthy, and second-stringer Earl Payton was also available. But Clark turned to Cook, and he delivered.
As one fan emailed me, “the win over John Hopkins was a character building comeback that proved Bridgewater belonged.” A former player stated; “That win changed Bridgewater College football forever.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
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