Game Leaders
Team Stats
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Time of Poss.
GREENVILLE, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson football team rolled to a 55-0 victory Saturday afternoon in a Presidents' Athletic Conference game at Alumni Stadium at Stoeber Field in Mercer County.
The victory is the 16th straight for W&J in the head-to-head series with Thiel. The victory improves W&J to 6-2 overall and 4-2 in PAC play. The loss drops the Tomcats to 1-7 overall and 1-5 in league games.
W&J scored early and often in the decisive victory. The Presidents led 21-0 after the first quarter and took a 41-0 advantage into halftime. W&J tacked on two more third quarter touchdowns to conclude the scoring.
Sophomore quarterback Jacob Pugh (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) rushed for two first quarter touchdowns to give W&J a 14-0 lead. Pugh rushed in from four yards out at the 12:49 mark before adding a one-yard scoring run with 3:56 remaining in the first. The Presidents tacked on one more first quarter touchdown when Brandon Brown (Monessen, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) recovered an errant Thiel snap on a punt and scored.
Sophomore running back Raymond Holmes (Verona, Pa./Serra Catholic) plunged in for a one-yard touchdown run. The run capped a 10-play, 88-yard touchdown drive for the Presidents. The 88-yard scoring drive is W&J's longest of the season.
On the next Thiel possession, senior linebacker Tanner Volpatti (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) intercepted a pass and raced 29 yards for a pick six. The interception return for touchdown is Volpatti's second in 2022. Pugh added a touchdown through the air when he connected with Shakir Perkins (Austintown, Pa./Mineral Ridge) for a seven-yard touchdown pass with 1:08 to play before halftime. Freshman kicker Deven Wyandt (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle tacked on the extra point to give W&J a 41-0 advantage at halftime.
Freshman running back Troy Volpatti (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) scored his first collegiate touchdown. His one-yard run in the third quarter gav W&J a 48-0 lead with 10:01 to play in the third. Junior quarterback Colton Jones (Louisville, Ohio/Louisville) tossed a 73-yard touchdown to Chris Church Jr. (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill West) to conclude the scoring. The final touchdown came with 4:56 showing on the third quarter clock.
Pugh and Jones combined to complete 20-of-31 through the air for 313 yards passing. Freshman wide receiver John Peduzzi (Hilton Head, S.C./Hilton Head Christian Academy) finished with a game-high 93 receiving yards. Defensively, junior linebacker Justin Johns (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) racked up a season-best 10 tackles. Sophomore defensive tackle Dawson Dietz (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) continued his stellar campaign with seven tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and a sack.
The Presidents finished with 513 yards of total offense while limiting Thiel to just 118. The Tomcats had just eight first downs and just nine rushing yards. W&J converted 7-of-14 on third down.
W&J hosts Grove City for Senior Day at Cameron Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 5. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.