Washington & Jefferson (5-1) vs. #7 Grove City (5-0) 

When: Saturday, October 19, 2024
Where: Washington, Pa.
Stadium: Cameron Stadium
Kickoff: 6:05 p.m.

Gameday Coverage - Follow Live: WJPA Radio | Live Video | Live Stats
For more information view the FULL .PDF VERSION

The Series: Saturday's game between Grove City and W&J will mark the 59th time the two squads have met on the gridiron. The Presidents hold a sizable 44-14 advantage in the head-to-head series. Grove City won last year's matchup 31-24 in Mercer County, ending a streak of W&J wins in the series at ten. W&J has won 22 of the past 24 meetings in the series, with Grove City's last win in Washington coming in 1998. W&J head coach Mike Sirianni is 18-2 lifetime against the Wolverines.

Notable Notes:

DYNAMIC DUO: Junior wideouts John Peduzzi (Hilton Head, S.C./Hilton Head Christian Academy) and Jacob Macosko (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) have produced week-in and week-out for the Red and Black. Peduzzi has snagged 32 passes for 690 yards and nine scores, while Macosko has 41 grabs for 544 yards and seven touchdowns. Peduzzi's touchdown and yardage totals each rank third in D-III. Macosko's yardage and touchdown totals rank 24th and 12th respectively.

CHAIN MOVERS: The W&J offense has picked up 163 first downs through six games which leads Division III. On the flip side the Presidents' defense has held opponents to just 74 first downs, which is 29th in the nation. A big reason for the success at moving the chains is W&J's third down conversion rate (.532), which ranks 12th in D-III.

RECORD WATCH: Fifth year linebacker Justin Johns (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) picked up his 318th career tackle against Geneva, moving him into second place on Washington & Jefferson's career tackles list. Johns trails only Eric Field, who stands just 30 tackles in front. On the offensive side, John Peduzzi's nine touchdowns on the season have moved him into fourth place on W&J's career receiving touchdowns list. Peduzzi's 35 touchdown grabs stand behind Jesse Zubik (54), Andrew Wolf (40), and Aaron Krepps (39). Alex Baroffio and Craig Besong are tied for the fifth spot with 30 touchdown grabs.

SCOUTING GROVE CITY: The seventh ranked Grove City Wolverines will travel to Washington riding high off a victory over #14 Carnegie Mellon in week five. The reigning PAC champions have won 16 straight conference matchups. After winning their first ever NCAA tournament game last year against Susquehanna, Grove City fell in the second round to the Cortland Red Dragons after a last second, game-winning field goal attempt missed wide. Grove City has been led by a stellar defense, which has forced the second largest number of turnovers in division III. On the flip side, Grove City has found its offensive success up front, allowing no sacks all season, and rushing for 216 yards per game.

PUGH'S PERFECTION: Jacob Pugh (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) has had an effective season so far for the Red and Black. Pugh has thrown for the most yards (1,815) and touchdowns (24) in D-III.  Pugh also ranks 17th in passing efficiency (185.2) and 23rd in yards per pass attempt (9.55). After throwing for six scores against Geneva in week six, Pugh was named the PAC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season.