• Box Score
CARLISLE, Pa. (Nov. 17) – In a defensive battle, Dickinson College claimed a 16-10 overtime victory over the Yellow Jackets at Biddle Field in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Southeast Bowl on Saturday afternoon.
The overtime loss marks the second for Waynesburg in the last three weeks, while the post-season appearance is the third in the last five years for the program.
The Yellow Jackets failed to convert on a 27-yard field goal on their overtime possession, allowing the Red Devils to need only a field goal or touchdown for the win. Sophomore fullback Tim Wells scored the game-winning five-yard touchdown following a 20-yard reception by Chris McInerney near the sideline.
The teams traded a pair of first-quarter field goals before Wells gave Dickinson a 10-3 lead with 11:20 remaining before halftime. Waynesburg responded with a touchdown drive of its own when senior fullback Aaron Davis posted a one-yard touchdown plunge with 7:54 left in the second quarter.
Waynesburg looked to be in possession to win the game in regulation with an 11-play drive that had the offense at the Dickinson 26-yard line. However, a costly interception at the 12-yard line halted the drive and forced the game into overtime.
Freshman running back Robert Heller finished the game with 157 yards on 39 attempts against the Red Devils' defense. With his performance, he set an NCAA all-division freshman record with 2,176 yards this season, surpassing the previous total of 2,065 set by Joique Bell of Division-II Wayne State last season. Heller's rushing yards this year ranks as the ninth-highest single-season total in Division III history.
Defensively, Waynesburg was led by seniors Mike Czerwien and Brendon Steele with 11 tackles each. Czerwien registered a sack in the contest to finish the year with a single-season school record 23.0 sacks, just one shy of the NCAA all-division record.
The Yellow Jackets finish the season with an 8-3 overall record and eight wins is tied for the third-most in a season in school history (1932, 1967).
Notes:
The Yellow Jackets converted just 3-of-16 third downs and one-of-four fourth down attempts … Dickinson was without its all-conference option quarterback Ian Mitchell, who suffered a season-ending injury last week … Waynesburg all-conference tackle Jared Bussard left the game early in the first half with an injury and didn't return.
