ASHLAND, Va. – The Washington & Jefferson football team fell to the Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Football Tournament, 38-22.
 
This marks the first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2018 for W&J after winning their 27^th Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship this season.
 
Two-time PAC Offensive Player of the Year Jacob Pugh (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) led the Presidents offense with 271 yards through the air and 15 yards on the ground. Pugh combined for three total touchdowns including two rushing touchdowns and one passing strike. Jacob Macosko (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) led the team through the air with 11 receptions for 140 yards and one touchdown reception.
 
W&J's all-time tackle leader Justin Johns (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) added 12 total tackles to his career total with 0.5 tackle for loss. Avery Keith (Hartville, Ohio/Lake) followed closely behind with 11 total tackles, 0.5 tackle for loss and a fumble recovery.
 
With a quick three-and-out to start the bout courtesy of the W&J Defense, the offense set up in prime position at the Presidents' 42-yard line. The offense started off hot with a five-play drive to snag the first score of the bout on a seven-yard rushing touchdown by Pugh up the middle. Following two traded drives of minimal success from each offense, the Presidents defense mustered a crucial turnover. On a quarterback option, Keith recovered a fumbled ball to set up the Presidents' second score of the game.
 
Following the fumble, Pugh trotted the offense down the field through the air with passes to Raymond Holmes (Verona, Pa./Serra Catholic) and Macosko to setup another designed quarterback rushing touchdown for five yards by Pugh.
 
The Yellow Jackets went on a methodical drive for their first score of the bout to bring the score within seven at the start of the second quarter, 14-7. Randolph-Macon held the W&J offense from scoring to tack on another score on a 61-yard touchdown pass to tie the score, 14-14. On back-to-back W&J drives, the Yellow Jackets created turnovers through a fumble from Troy Volpatti (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) and interception thrown by Pugh in the opening portion of each drive. The Yellow Jackets tacked on a touchdown and field goal minutes before the close of the half.
 
Randolph-Macon's productive second quarter granted the Yellow Jackets a 24-14 lead at the half.
 
The Presidents opened the second half with possession of the ball. W&J's offense trotted down the field within the red zone to set up a field goal attempt by Deven Wyandt (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle). Wyandt's 25-yard field goal missed the uprights to grant the Yellow Jackets their first possession of the half. The following drive, RMC trotted down the field to score another touchdown on a six-yard pass and catch, elevating the Yellow Jacket lead to 31-14.
 
Randolph-Macon started off the fourth quarter with a missed 32-yard field goal wide left. Following a three-and-out inflicted by the Yellow Jacket defense and short-distance punt, RMC tacked on an additional score to push the lead to 38-14. The Presidents offense mustered a scoring drive in the midst of the quarter on a nine-yard reception in the back of the endzone to Macosko. A complete pass to Zach Cernuto (Scottdale, Pa./Southmoreland) on a two-point conversion brought the RMC lead to 38-22 before the close of the bout.