Complete Game Notes (.pdf)
 
Waynesburg (2-7, 2-5) at #10 Wash. & Jeff. (9-0, 7-0)
 
When: Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017, 1:30 p.m.
 
Where: Washington, Pa. (Cameron Stadium)
 
Radio: WCYJ-FM - 99.5, Webcast can be heard at http://vp.telvue.com/player?id=T01595&video=23812

Live Video: http://www.gopresidents.com/watch/?Live=255&type=Live

Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/washjeff/football/
 
Series Breakdown
All-Time Series: Washington & Jefferson leads 40-4
First Meeting: 1897 (Washington& Jefferson won 22-0)
Last Meeting: 2016 (Washington & Jefferson won 14-10)
 
Waynesburg wraps up the 2017 season on Saturday with the renewal of the PAC Backyard Brawl. The game is part of PAC Rivalry Week, which also features the following matchups:
"The Game" – Geneva at Westminster
The Battle for the Mercer County Cup – Grove City at Thiel
The Green Game – Bethany at Saint Vincent
The Academic Bowl – Case Western Reserve at Carnegie Mellon
 
Saturday's matchup features two-of-three teams in the conference currently enjoying multi-game winning streaks. W&J is one of two 9-0 squads in the PAC (Case Western Reserve). The Yellow Jackets are looking to stretch their current winning streak to three. Thomas More has won its previous five contests, but the Saints' season ended this past week.
 
Waynesburg senior punter R.J. Leon was honored as the PAC Special Teams Player of the Week after having a senior day to remember in Waynesburg's 31-21 win over Saint Vincent on Saturday. Leon averaged 39.3 yards on three punts (long of 55 yards), registered one special teams stop and came up with a clutch, two-yard fourth down run. His fourth-and-one conversion came midway through the fourth quarter with Waynesburg clinging to a 24-21 lead and proved to be a part of the game-sealing scoring drive.
 
Saturday will mark a homecoming of sorts for Waynesburg interim head coach Chris Smithley, who spent four years on the W&J coaching staff from 2012 to 2015. During that time, Smithley served as secondary coach, special teams coordinator and linebackers coach.
 
The Presidents boast the number-35 scoring offense in Division III, but, surprisingly, they are just third in the PAC with a 37.6 points per game average. Thomas More's 38.9 ppg mark is good for 36^th in the country, while Case Western Reserve leads the charge with the number-10 scoring offense in the land (43.8).
 
Thanks in large part to the efforts of freshman JaWuan Jones, Waynesburg has sky rocketed up the PAC's special teams statistical rankings. The Yellow Jackets are averaging a league-best 14.5 yards per punt return and Jones has one of just three punt return touchdowns in the conference. The Jackets have also worked their way up to seventh in kick return average (19.1).
 
Despite a wide disparity in overall scoring, Waynesburg and W&J are surprisingly close to each other in terms of end zone offensive effectiveness. The Presidents and Jackets rank sixth and seventh, respectively, by converting on 73.5 percent and 71.4 percent of their chances inside the opposing 20-yard-line.
 
Both of Saturday's participants like to use a committee approach to their respective ground games. The W&J running back trio of Jordan West, Justin Vickless and E.J. Thompson have all rushed for between 415 and 505 yards this season and have accounted for 17 touchdowns on the ground. Over the last two games, the Jackets have given running backs Austin Wilson and Chad Walker, as well as quarterback Jake Dougherty, a steady dose of regular carries. They've combined to rush the ball 93 times for 434 yards and six touchdowns.
 
Linebackers Nick Murgo (W&J) and John-Glen Davis (WAY) rank fifth and sixth, respectively, in the PAC in terms of tackles per game. Murgo's mark of 9.0 stops per contest and Davis' 8.8 per game are both tops for their teams.