WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Washington & Jefferson College installed a new scoreboard at Cameron Stadium this past week and the W&J football team wasted no time testing it out as the No. 25 Presidents scored 58 first-half points en route to a 65-13 nonconference win over Grove City in the fourth annual Presidents' Athletic Conference Kickoff Classic.
Pete Coughlin (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) completed 12-of-16 passes for 337 yards and a school record breaking and PAC record tying seven touchdowns. He was on the field for just 25 plays from scrimmage and, despite a second-quarter interception, Coughlin's efficiency rating of 383.3 is the best mark in PAC history. The 337 yards were his 13th career game going over 300 passing and sixth straight dating back to the final four games of last season. The 337 yards also moved him to 7,538 for his career and into fifth place on the conference list, passing former Grove City QB Andrew DiDonato, who is in his first year as the head coach of the Wolverines.
Wide receiver
Jesse Zubik (Sewickley, Pa./Avonworth) hauled in seven passes for 164 yards and three touchdowns (career 100-yard game number 12), while
Dante Luther (Jeannette, Pa./Hempfield Area) made four receptions for 124 yards and two scores. Both catches by
Anthony Keriotis (Beaver, Pa./Beaver) went for touchdowns as he finished with 53 yards.
The defense posted 16.0 tackles for loss, the most since recording 17 TFL against Westminster on Oct. 9, 2004. The next best was a 15 TFL showing against Saint Vincent on Oct. 18, 2008.
Nick Getz (Tyrone, Pa./Tyrone) led the way with 3.0 TFL and 2.5 sacks, as part of his six tackles.
John Loper (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) added 2.5 TFL and a sack, while
Justin Bauer (Pittsburgh, Pa./Brentwood) and
Tom Marra (Moon Township, Pa./Our Lady of the Sacred Heart) each contributed 2.0 TFL.
Ryan Snedeker (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Kenston) and
Freddie McKissick (Carnegie, Pa./Carlynton) each added a sack, while
Xavier DeRose (Titusville, Pa./Titusville) led W&J with seven stops.
The Presidents needed just 45 seconds to get on the board as Marra and Snedeker met at the quarterback in the end zone on third down for a safety after the Wolverines started the game with an ill-advised kickoff return from seven yards deep in the end zone that led to a drive start of the five-yard line.
It took just two plays after the free kick for the Presidents to reach pay dirt as Coughlin found Keriotis on a crossing pattern that the latter took 47 yards untouched.
After a Grove City three-and-out, W&J went aggressive on the first play of the next drive and Coughlin hit a streaking Zubik in stride for a 68-yard score.
The Wolverines responded with a touchdown of their own and recovered an on-side kick, but a third-down pass was intercepted by
Tim Blair Jr. (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton LaSalle) and returned 64 yards to make it a 23-7 game with 8:19 left to play in the first quarter.
Another three-and-out by Grove City was answered with a six-yard touchdown reception by Keriotis as the Presidents reached 30 points in a quarter for the second time in as many weeks.
The opening drive of the second quarter was capped with a 13-yard touchdown grab by Zubik and within 1:31, Luther reached the end zone from 23 yards out, 44-13.
Zubik scored his third TD of the day on a 31-yard catch and run at 4:46 of the second period and then Luther's 68-yard grab at 2:18 made it 58-13.
The final score came on the first play of the fourth quarter when
Cody Milsom (Butler, Pa./Knoch) went in from 12 yards out for his first career rushing TD.
On the day, W&J posted 630 yards of total offense behind 490 yards passing. All four W&J QBs that played completed at least one pass, including the first career completions for
Jacob Adams (Louisville, Ohio/Louisville) and
Matt Heslin (McDonald, Pa./Fort Cherry). 12 Presidents carried the ball at least one time, led by
Justin Vickless' (Pittsburgh, Pa./Brentwood) six carries and
Austin Kemp's (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) 33 yards.
The Presidents will travel to No. 22 Thomas More next Saturday, Sept. 17 for a 12 p.m. kickoff in Crestview Hills, Ky.
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