WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson College Football Team dropped their likely last yearly bout against the Carnegie Mellon Tartans (CMU) in a thrilling overtime showing, 30-27. CMU recently announced they will be departing the Presidents' Athletic Conference, effectively ending the two team's annual matchup.
The last W&J football overtime competition occurred on Oct. 21, 2017, when the Presidents took a 33-30 win over Westminster on homecoming. The opposite would occur for the Presidents in this matchup, picking up their first lost of the season moving the team to 3-1.
Jacob Pugh (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) logged a two-touchdown performance, throwing for 246 yards and rushing for eight.
John Peduzzi (Hilton Head, S.C./Hilton Head Christian Academy) highlighted the receiving room, racking up 112 yards on eight grabs and one touchdown against the Tartans. Senior
Owen Petrisek (Ellsworth, Pa./Bentworth) stole the show between the three-back rotation, rushing for 112 yards and one touchdown.
Keaton Hall (Dover, Ohio/Dover) posted a top tier day defensively, leading the teams in solo tackles with nine and total tackles with 12. Hall also registered the Presidents' third interception of the season. Game wreckers on the defensive line,
Avery Keith (Hartville, Ohio/Lake) and
Dawson Dietz (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton), registered crucial performances upfront for W&J. Dietz compiled four tackles for loss, eight total tackles and one sack. Kieth also found his way to the backfield with one tackle for loss, one sack and 11 total tackles. The Presidents also forced two fumbles forced by the hands of
Justin Johns (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) and
Raymond Holmes (Verona, Pa./Serra Catholic).
The Tartans took an early 3-0 lead in the first following a slow offensive drive for W&J. After trading offensive drives, W&J tacked on their first score of the game with a 14-yard connection between Pugh and Peduzzi. Immediately following the first touchdown of the bout, W&J created a turnover as the special team's unit created a costly Tartan fumble forced by Holmes. The CMU turnover resulted in a 39-yard field goal for the Presidents, holding a 10-3 lead after the first quarter of play.
Regaining possession prior to the start of the second quarter, the Presidents logged their second touchdown of the day to grow the score to 17-3. Petrisek's hard-nosed running style granted him the gritty 11-yard touchdown rush. After giving up a safety on a high snap punt, the Presidents and Tartans traded interceptions. Prior to the close of the half, W&J logged their third and final touchdown of the bout with a seven-yard touchdown grab from Pugh to
Jacob Macosko (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township), taking a 24-5 lead into the half.
The tale of two halves took place early and often in the second half, as Carnegie Mellon went on a 19-0 point run through the final two quarters of regulation. W&J was held scoreless in the second half, getting two field goals blocked and giving up an additional safety. The Tartans evened the score at 24 and inflicted an overtime opportunity.
In overtime, the Presidents started with possession and were able to fit a field-goal over the tall Tartan front to take a three-point lead prior to CMU's drive. Two plays into the CMU drive, broken coverage on the right side of the field left an open Tartan on a wheel route from the slot for an easy 20-yard score to end the bout, 30-27.
W&J looks to shake off the loss in their matchup against the Westminster Titans on Saturday (Oct. 5). Opening kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
