NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Westminster intercepted the first and last plays that Washington & Jefferson ran en route to a 16-10 victory against the Presidents at Harold Burry Stadium.
 
It was the first win in the series for the Titans over the Presidents since 2000 when Westminster was still a provisional member of NCAA Division III and recorded a 19-17 victory. W&J falls to 5-2 overall and 3-2 in Presidents' Athletic Conference play and 35-3 all-time versus the Titans. Westminster improves to 6-1 this season and 4-1 in conference games after posting its first win over W&J in New Wilmington.
 
Westminster outgained W&J 337-262 behind a rushing attack that held a 233-71 edge.
 
The Presidents received the opening kickoff, but Gator Phillips intercepted Pete Coughlin (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) on the first play from scrimmage at the W&J 37-yard line. The Presidents held the Titans to a 39-yard field goal, but allowed points off the turnover, a 39-yard field goal, 3-0.
 
On the ensuing possession, W&J went 58 yards on seven plays to march right down the field for a touchdown and take a 7-3 lead with 6:47 left in the first quarter. Coughlin capped the drive with a six-yard run into the end zone. The big play was a completion from Coughlin to Dante Luther (Jeannette, Pa./Hempfield Area) for 19 yards that had a 15-yard personal foul against Westminster added to the end.
 
Westminster matched the W&J output on the next possession, marching 75 yards in eight plays to re-take a lead they would not relinquish.
 
W&J drove down to the Westminster two-yard line at the conclusion of the first quarter, but Coughlin's pass into the end zone for Jesse Zubik (Sewickley, Pa,/Avonworth) was intercepted by Todd Jeter for a touchback on the opening play of the second quarter. The Titans turned the turnover into another field goal to stretch the margin to 13-7 which held up at halftime.
 
In the third quarter, the Presidents got within three at 13-10 after a 29-yard field goal by Ted Ford (Carnegie, Pa./Carlynton), but those would be the last points scored by the Red & Black on the day.
 
Coughlin completed 17-of-31 attempts for 191 yards and three interceptions but no touchdowns, snapping a streak of 14-straight games with a touchdown pass. Zubik caught four passes for 47 yards, his lowest output of the season, but went without a score for the first time in 11 games. Luther caught four passes for 45 yards and Jake Cullen (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park) led the team with 59 receiving yards on three grabs.
 
Austin Kemp (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) paced the running backs with 36 yards on nine rushes, while David Kincaid (Washington, Pa./Chartiers-Houston) carried seven times for 30 yards.
 
Defensively, Luke Merhaut (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland) led all players with 10 tackles, all solo, for his third 10-plus tackle game of his career. The junior also added his first interception of the season. Nick Murgo (Warren, R.I./Mount Hope) made nine tackles (seven solo), while O'Shea Anderson (Rochester, Pa./Rochester) posted eight stops (all solo). Two of Ryan Snedeker's (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Kenston) five tackles were solo for losses.
 
The Presidents will return home to Cameron Stadium for a 2 p.m. kickoff against Saint Vincent on Saturday, Oct. 29. It will be the first time the two schools have met since Oct. 26, 2013, a 42-7 win for W&J in Latrobe.