Guilford Shuts Out Greensboro 14-0 in Gate City Soup Bowl

GREENSBORO – In the 23rd annual Soup Bowl, Guilford College's defense put on a masterclass performance, forcing five turnovers and shutting out crosstown rival Greensboro College in a 14-0 victory at Pride Field on Saturday. This win marks Guilford's eighth consecutive triumph in the rivalry series, improving their all-time record against Greensboro to 16-8.

The Quakers' defense set the tone early and maintained their dominance throughout the game. They held Greensboro to a mere 3.8 yards per play and prevented the Pride from running a single play in Guilford territory during the entire second half. This shutout is the third in the history of the Soup Bowl rivalry, with the previous two occurring in 2016 and 2014.

Eli Davis led Guilford's defensive effort with a career-high eight total tackles. Malik Hargrove, a transfer who previously played for Greensboro in 2021 and 2022, contributed six total tackles, including five solo stops, one tackle for a loss, and one sack. Avery Garner was a force in the backfield with 1.5 sacks among his 2.5 tackles for a loss.

The turnover battle heavily favored Guilford, with Tristan Bailey and Jaylan Richardson each intercepting Greensboro passes. Richardson, in particular, had a standout game with two interceptions. The Quakers' defense also forced and recovered a fumble, although the player responsible for this turnover was not specified in the game report.

Offensively, Guilford relied heavily on their ground attack, accumulating 198 net rushing yards. The Quakers employed a committee approach in their backfield, with Josh Campbell, Evan Sullivan, and Malik Woodard all recording double-digit carries. Campbell led the group with 73 yards on just ten carries, including a crucial late touchdown. Woodard served as the primary back, gaining 72 yards on 20 attempts and adding one reception for 17 yards, which resulted in the game's only receiving touchdown.

Photo Credit: Bryce Johnson (Guilford Athletics)

Quarterback Jaelan Brown managed the game efficiently for Guilford, completing 10 of 15 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown. He connected with six different receivers, with JuJu Rice emerging as his favorite target, catching three passes for 40 yards.

The scoring opened early in the game when Guilford capitalized on their first turnover. Tristan Bailey's interception on Greensboro's third play from scrimmage set up the Quakers in Pride territory. Despite two false start penalties, Guilford's offense persevered. The drive culminated in a short swing pass from Brown to Woodard, who tip-toed down the sideline for an untouched touchdown, putting Guilford up 7-0 less than five minutes into the game.

Surprisingly, the scoreboard remained unchanged for over 53 minutes of game time. Guilford had several opportunities to extend their lead, including two drives that reached inside Greensboro's five-yard line, but they couldn't convert these chances into points.

The Quakers finally broke through again late in the fourth quarter. After back-to-back carries of 12 and 25 yards by Campbell, the junior back punched it in from two yards out with just 1:50 remaining in the game, sealing the 14-0 victory for Guilford.

This win not only keeps the Soup Bowl trophy firmly in Quaker hands but also gives Guilford a 1-0 start to their season. The Quakers will look to build on this momentum as they prepare for their home opener against Methodist on Saturday, September 14th, under the lights at Appenzeller Field.