Washington & Jefferson (0-0) vs. Utica (0-0) 

When: Saturday, September 6, 2025
Where: Washington, Pa.
Stadium: Cameron Stadium
Kickoff: 12:05 p.m.

Gameday Coverage - Follow Live: WJPA Radio | Live Video | Live Stats
THE SERIES: Washington & Jefferson and Utica have never met on the gridiron. W&J is one of the most storied college football programs, holding a record of 790-405-40 with a .656 Winning percentage. The 790 wins are third in Division III history and 22nd in all of NCAA football. Utica holds a 108-131 record with a .452 winning percentage since the program's conception in 2001. The Pioneers made their lone NCAA playoff appearance and picked up the first playoff win in program history in 2022, finishing the season with a 10-2 record. The Presidents compete in the Presidents' Athletic Conference while the Pioneers are members of the Empire 8.

RICH TRADITION: The Washington & Jefferson football program has won 790 games in its 132-year history (790-405-40), third behind Mount Union (868) and Wittenberg (805) among NCAA Division III schools. Widener (732) and Wabash (725) round out the top five in D-III wins. Among all NCAA divisions, the Presidents' win total places them 22nd all-time.

ON THE AIR WITH WJPA: From the 1984 opener through the 2023 season, Bob Gregg has been the voice of W&J football on WJPA radio. In that span, the Presidents piled up more than 300 wins, a .800+ winning percentage, 26 PAC titles, and a pair of Stagg Bowl appearances. Gregg and longtime partner Mark Uriah were honored in 2023 as recipients of the Dow Carnahan Media Award at PAC Football Media Day. Uriah has since retired from the booth, while Gregg returns for his 41st season on the call. Returning for home games for the second consecutive season will be the newest Dow Carnahan Award winner, John Sacco, who has covered W&J football since 1985 and remains a fixture across the Presidents' Athletic Conference.

HOME SWEET HOME: The Presidents have won 57 of their last 62 games at Cameron Stadium, boasting a .919 winning percentage. W&J has gone undefeated at home in seven of the last twelve seasons, including most recently in 2023.

SWEET SEPTEMBER: The Presidents have had consistent success in the month of September under Mike Sirianni, going 69-12 (.852) since his arrival in 2003. The Presidents went 3-1 in September last season with wins over Saint Vincent, Thiel, and Waynesburg, while the lone loss came against Carnegie Mellon.

WEEK ONE WINNERS: The Red and Black have claimed victory in 14 consecutive season openers. The Presidents' last defeat in a season opener came against Delaware Valley (27-0) in the 2010 debut. 

ESTABLISH THE RUN: The Red & Black have won 27 straight contests when out-rushing their opponent. The Presidents' last loss in such a game came in the PAC Championship against Westminster during the shortened 2020-21 season.

W&J VS. THE PAC: W&J has claimed 27 PAC championships in program history—by far the most in the league and more than the next three programs combined. Former members Carnegie Mellon (10), John Carroll (8), and Thomas More (8) trail behind. Among current football-playing members, Allegheny, Bethany, and Grove City each hold four titles. The Presidents also boast a winning record against every current PAC opponent.

Team                                    Record (Pct.)
Allegheny                             24-20-1 (.545)
Bethany                                79-21 (.790)
Case Western Reserve        22-19-1 (.537)
Geneva                                50-19-2 (.725)
Grove City                            45-14 (.763)
Hiram                                   17-14 (.548)
Saint Vincent                        15-1 (.938)
Thiel                                      53-22-2 (.707)
Waynesburg                          48-4 (.923)
Westminster                          39-7 (.848)
Total                                     392-141-6 (.735)

HALFWAY HOME: One of the things that has allowed W&J to have great success under Mike Sirianni is that his teams are extremely good at winning games in which they're leading at halftime, boasting a 152-6 record in those contests, good for a .962 winning percentage.

RANK & FILE: The PAC looks to be a strong league once again in 2025, after having four teams play postseason games last season. Grove City enters the 2025 season ranked 23rd in each of the D3football.com and AFCA preseason rankings, while W&J and Westminster received votes in each of the polls. The Presidents were tabbed as the preseason favorite in the PAC, which was voted on by conference coaches and media members.
 

2025 PAC Football Preseason Poll (Predicted order of finish)
School	Points (first place votes)	2024 Record (PAC)
1. Washington & Jefferson College	431 (17)	9-2 (9-1)
2. Grove City College	413 (13)	9-2 (9-1)
3. Westminster College	400 (12)	8-3 (7-3)
4. Case Western Reserve University	347	6-4 (6-4)
5. Geneva College	267	5-5 (5-5)
6. Waynesburg University	260	4-6 (4-6)
7. Thiel College	167	3-7 (3-7)
8. Allegheny College	158	1-9 (1-9)
9. Saint Vincent College	152	1-9 (1-9)
10. Bethany College	117	1-9 (1-9)
11. Hiram College	60	0-10 (0-8 NCAC)

NON-LEAGUE LISTINGS: W&J's Week 1 matchup with Utica marks the Presidents' first nonconference regular-season game since opening the 2022 campaign with a 35-26 victory over John Carroll. Week 2 takes the Red & Black to Virginia to face Hampden-Sydney, giving W&J two nonconference games to start a season for the first time since 2017.

SCOUTING UTICA: The Pioneers enter 2025 off a 5-5 2024 season, going 3-4 in Empire 8 play for a fifth-place finish. Utica excelled in special teams, blocking six kicks and four punts—ranking ninth and fourth nationally, respectively. The Pioneers also posted a turnover differential of +0.8, 38th in Division III. Red zone efficiency was a weakness, however, as Utica allowed scores on 81.8% of opponents' trips and converted 76.5% of its own, ranking 165th and 133rd nationally.

FACING THE EMPIRE 8: W&J holds a 9-4 (.692) record in all-time matchups against current Empire 8 football programs:

Team            Record Against (Pct.)
Alfred                    2-0 (1.000)
Brockport              1-1 (.500)
Cortland                4-1 (.800)
Hartwick               0-0 (.000)
Hilbert                   0-0 (.000)
Morrisville             0-0 (.000)
St. John Fisher     2-2 (.500)
Utica                     0-0. (.000)
Total                      9-4 (.692)

DYNAMIC DUO: Senior wideouts John Peduzzi (Hilton Head, S.C./Hilton Head Christian Academy) (Hilton Head, S.C./Hilton Head Christian Academy) and Jacob Macosko (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) made history in 2024 as the first W&J receiving tandem to eclipse 1,000 yards in the same season. Peduzzi hauled in 57 passes for 1,059 yards and 13 touchdowns, while Macosko tallied 83 receptions for 1,230 yards and 14 scores. Nationally, Macosko ranked 12th in yards and 11th in touchdowns, while Peduzzi finished 25th and 19th, respectively. Macosko's 83 catches also placed him eighth in Division III. Looking ahead to 2025, Peduzzi enters as the nation's active leader among Division III receivers with 39 touchdown grabs and 3,100 career yards. Macosko sits sixth in active career yardage with 2,169 across his three years at W&J.

THE OPENING ACT: Senior quarterback Kellan Stahl (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) will make his first career start against Utica. The last time that a W&J quarterback lost their opening start came in the 2006 season opening defeat to Salisbury.