Men's D1-level games this weekend were punctuated by non-conference games of differing levels of importance.
Some of the games this week were modified games or scrimmages, but we also had full-on games that served as preseason warmups. But what is additionally worth noting is these games cross conference boundaries, giving fans an idea of where those conferences sit competitively.
We already discussed Friday's action, including Walsh University vs Thomas More, here>>
Mary Washington played Mount St. Mary’s in a game between two Rugby East teams but which is not a conference game. This was just a warmup and, notably, involved players from various places in the depth chart. UMW won 40-18, but this was largely a 2nds and 3rd MSM side so while we have some nice photos from tje always-great David Hughes, this results should come with a pinch of salt.
The two are slated to play a conference game October 19.
This was a good day for Mary Washington after a competitive loss to University of Guelph out of Ontario.
Davenport shut out Ohio State in a game that will probably do a lot in preparing OSU for the Big 10 season ahead. Luther Deacon scored two tries for Davenport while Rayziah Taele was outstanding among the forwards.
Freshman Joe Bennie impressed among the backs.
Head Coach Dustin Steedman said his players were itching to get started, even for a preseason warmup.
“The win today was a real team effort. We still have a lot of work to do on certain areas of the field, but today I'm thankful for the efforts of these young men that got us the victory.”
Kentucky played Illinois in a series of three games, and the Wildcats swept the day with a 44-0 shutout for their 3rds, a 34-10 win for their 2nd side, and a 57-36 victory for the 1st side.
Illinois was very powerful up front, especially in their scrum and in contact. Their 1st side was impressive on attack and broke through on multiple occasions.
It was a windy day and with the wind Kentucky was able to use the breeze thanks in large part to the kicking ability of flyhalf Jack Phillips. His ability to pin Illinois back, and a key clearance kick when the UK forwards won a scrum against the head, helped Kentucky control the momentum in the second half.
Flanker Holden Hahn was very good until he had to leave for an injury. Freshmen Eli Arthur (Pendleton), Bryson Shelton (Moeller), and Charlie Sizemore (St. Ignatius Cleveland) all had good debuts for the Wildcats.
“Overall our basics on offense are working well, especially after a sloppy first half where we rushed,” said Kentucky Head Coach Sam Enari. “We haven’t spent much time on defensive structure yet.”
