• Box Score

WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Sept. 6) – Last year, when Waynesburg University and the College of Wooster met up on the football field for a week three contest, the scoreboard operator could barely keep up as the Yellow Jackets earned a thrilling 45-35 win.

What a difference a year makes.

Both offenses found the sledding a lot slipperier in 2008, but thanks to a stellar performance from senior quarterback Austin Holter, Wooster got revenge on the Jackets as they picked up a 27-6 win in the season opener for both teams.

One of the biggest stories of the game was the ability of the Wooster defense to control Waynesburg's star sophomore running back, Robert Heller.

Last year, Heller eviscerated the Fightin' Scott defense for 277 yards and five touchdowns on 46 carries, while also hauling in a team-high three catches for 82 yards and a sixth score.

During Saturday's game, Wooster held the All-American to 104 yards rushing on 22 carries and no touchdowns. 
 

The Monongahela, Pa. native added four catches for 30 yards on the day.

On the other side of the ball, Holter was an impressive two-way threat, completing 18-of-24 pass attempts for 147 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He added a game-high 110 yards and another score on 13 carries to complete an impressive day.

Things started out well for the home team as Waynesburg (0-1) got the ball on the opening kickoff and marched 46 yards in nine plays to the Wooster (1-0) 27-yard line, where the drive fizzled.

The Jackets took the opportunity to unveil a new weapon, freshman kicker Bryan Arbes. The Ringgold graduate drilled a 44-yard field goal to put Waynesburg ahead 3-0 after a drive lasting around five minutes.

The Fightin' Scots didn't take long to respond as they took the ensuing kickoff and orchestrated an impressive 67-yard campaign to pay dirt. Holter recorded his first score of the afternoon when he tossed a four-yare scoring strike to wide receiver Mike Francescangeli to grab a 6-3 lead. Senior linebacker Ryan Krull kept it a field goal difference on the scoreboard when he blocked the extra-point try of Dan Grangaard.

After no more scoring in the first quarter, The Scots padded their lead with 10:12 left in the first half as Holter found Joe Francescangeli from 14 yards out to put his team up 12-3. Grangaard's kick ran the tally to 13-3.

The Waynesburg deficit remained at 10 going into halftime and for most of the third quarter. However, junior cornerback Scott Cree, a Waynesburg native, put some spark in his team with his first interception of the year.

The Yellow Jackets followed up the turnover with a 13-play 28-yard drive that took Waynesburg inside the Wooster 10-yard line. However, on third and goal, backup quarterback Kyle Kyper, who came into the contest in the second quarter for starting QB Brad Dawson, was sacked at the Scot 11-yard line.

The Jackets settled for a 28-yard Arbes field goal to cut the lead to 13-6.

Following the kick, Wooster took the game over, thanks in part to two Kyper interceptions.

Wooster senior running back Austin Sheppard, who came into the game as the school's sixth-leading career rusher, scored his first touchdown of the day with 11:48 left in the contest. Another Grangaard PAT put Wooster up 20-6.

The final nail in the coffin was pounded home with five minutes left on the clock.

After Kyper's second interception of the day gave Wooster the ball at the Waynesburg 46, the Fightin' Scots marched down the shortened field to pay dirt in just four plays to seal the deal. Again, it was Holter getting the six points as he scampered in from three yards out.

A third Grangaard extra point brought about the final score of 27-6.

While both Waynesburg quarterbacks showed solid accuracy, turnovers ruined their respective days.

Before leaving the game in the second quarter, Dawson, who was making his Waynesburg debut since transferring from California University of Pa., completed eight-of-11 passes with three interceptions for 80 yards.

Kyper followed by hitting on seven-of-13 tosses for 62 and two picks.

All told, Wooster picked off five Waynesburg passes.

Junior receiver Josh Fisher led the Jackets with five catches for 50 yards, while Mike Francescangeli was tops for the Scots with five catches for 40 yards and a score.

Overall, Wooster out-rushed Waynesburg 205 to 118 and out-gained the Yellow Jackets through the air 147-to-142.

Defensively, defensive back Pat Zimmerman had a huge day for the Scots. The senior from Akron, Ohio led the team with 10 tackles and intercepted a pair of passes.

For Waynesburg, Krull was tops on the team with 11 tackles, including a Waynesburg-best seven solo stops. Senior defensive tackle DJ DeWitt added six tackles, including two for loss. Junior safety Dylan August had a good starting debut with five solo tackles and two assisted stops for seven total.