Box Score
 
WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Oct. 1) – The Waynesburg University football team avenged a 2010 road loss at Bethany and stayed at the top of the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) by taking down Bethany 23-7 on Saturday.
 
With the win, their third in a row, the Yellow Jackets improved to 3-1 overall and 3-0 in PAC play. Bethany's overall record dropped to 2-2 for the season and 1-2 in conference action.
 
Saturday's game, which was played in rainy, cold conditions at John F. Wiley Stadium featured a matchup of Bethany's offense, that ranked second in total yardage and first in rushing, against Waynesburg's defense that was tops in the PAC in total defense and second in scoring. Powered by their senior leaders, the Jacket defense held the Bison, who average 436 total yards and 199.3 rushing yards per game, to 348 total yards and just 108 yards rushing on the day.
 
The Jacket offense gave their defensive counterparts an early cushion to work with. After junior Christian Jackson took the opening kickoff back to the Waynesburg 47-yard line, the home team made a slow march to the Bethany end zone. The Jackets ran 11 plays, including six on the ground, and covered 53 yards to pay dirt. Sophomore fullback Dominic Moore capped the possession with a one-yard scoring dive to put his team up 6-0.
 
After the Waynesburg defense stifled a Bethany drive that ended with a missed 32-yard field goal, the Jackets moved the ball on the opposing defense with relative ease on their way to a second score. With just over a minute gone by in the second quarter, senior quarterback Josh Graham hooked up with sophomore wide receiver Pat Depizzo on a 38-yard touchdown play that capped a 10-play 80-yard drive. Senior kicker Chris Marini added the extra point and the home team was ahead 13-0.
 
Waynesburg's defense continued to do its part by forcing a pair of Bison punts as the second quarter wore on. With 4:26 to go until halftime, the Jackets regained possession at their own 23-yard line and were able to record their third touchdown of the day. Sophomore running back Bertrand Ngampa, the PAC's leading rusher heading into the game, capped a six-play, 77-yard drive with a 12-yard touchdown run that concluded with 1:47 showing on the clock and put the home team ahead 20-0.
 
The Bison were able to regroup at halftime and score their first touchdown of the game during their opening drive of the quarter to cut the lead to 20-7. However, the Jackets managed to eat up half a quarter of clock and extend their lead to 23-7 when Marini knocked in his first field goal of the season from 23 yards away. The possession lasted 7:29 and was composed of 13 plays, including nine of them on the ground. With 5:33 still to play in the third quarter, Waynesburg led 23-7, but needed its defense to continue its fine afternoon.
 
The Jacket defenders did just that over the final five Bison possessions. During that stretch, the road team recorded a three-and-out, two four-and-outs, a missed field goal and a fumble that was forced by senior Brandon Myers and recovered by senior LaVance Turnage, Jr. Appropriately, the afternoon's contest ended when Bethany was stopped at Waynesburg's two-yard line on a fourth-and-goal with no time remaining.
 
As previously mentioned, Waynesburg's senior defenders played a huge role in the victory. Safety Ryan Williams led his team in tackles with seven tackles, including four solo stops. Myers added six stops, including five solo hits, a forced fumble and a pass breakup, while defensive tackle Darryl Moore, Jr. chipped in six tackles of his own. Sophomore defensive end Brandon Fedorka and junior linebacker Jordan Helmick picked up two tackles for loss and a sack each.
 
The Jacket offense was led by its own potent running game, which went off for 210 yards, including a game-high 79 from Ngampa and 64 from senior Jamelle Bowers. Graham didn't put up big numbers, but was very efficient in completing eight-of-12 attempts for 89 yards and a score.
 
Bethany was led offensively by quarterback Matt Grimard, who threw for 240 yards and rushed for 29 more. Junior wide receiver Ed Holmes led all players with five catches for 115 yards.
 
Though the Bison out-gained the Jackets 348 to 313 in total yardage, Waynesburg held the advantage in several other key statistical categories. The Jackets won the turnover battle 1-0, held onto the ball for 33:26 and converted a combined seven-of-15 third and fourth down situations. Waynesburg was also much more efficient in the red zone, scoring on all three of their trips inside the 20-yard line, while Bethany went 0-5 deep in Jacket territory.
 
Waynesburg will host a second-straight home game on Saturday, Oct. 8, when the Geneva Golden Tornadoes come to John F. Wiley Stadium for the Jackets' homecoming festivities. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.