WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Oct. 6) – It was homecoming at Waynesburg University on Saturday and the fans at John F. Wiley Stadium were treated to a highly entertaining Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) matchup between the home-standing Yellow Jackets and Carnegie Mellon. The Jackets jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead, but had to come back in the fourth quarter to pick up a 24-21 victory over the Tartans.
 
The win was Waynesburg's third in a row, marking the team's longest winning streak since taking three straight in 2014. It is also the second-longest active run of victories in the PAC and all three triumphs have been by three points, including back-to-back by 24-21 final scores. The Jackets' 3-3 overall record also marks the deepest into a season that they have been at or above .500 for the season since 2014. Waynesburg's 3-2 league mark has it tied for fourth in the PAC standings.
 
The Yellow Jacketse came roaring out of the gate under the sunny home sky, scoring touchdowns on each of its first two possessions. Junior quarterback Tyler Perone started a strong day under center by completing all three of his pass attempts on the game's first drive for 44 yards. As if that wasn't enough, he also tucked the ball and ran the ball twice for 19 yards. The second of those totes went for 13 yards and the game's first score.
 
Senior kicker Garret Guthrie knocked down his first PAT try of the day to give Waynesburg a 7-0 lead 4:21 into the game. The Jacket defense was just as effective, holding the Tartans (2-3, 1-3) to a punt after forcing them backwards four yards on a three-and-out situation.
 
Working with a short field, the Jackets went 43 yards on eight plays to double their advantage. Junior running back Chad Walker capped the possession with a six-yard scoring run. Another Guthrie extra point put Waynesburg up 14-0 with just over five minutes remaining in the first quarter.
 
The home defense continued to show it was up to the challenge against a potent Carnegie Mellon offense by keeping the visitors off the scoreboard after they set up shop with a first-and-goal from the Waynesburg eight. Unfortunately, the Jackets were unable to move the ball past the three-yard-line and punted it back to CMU.
 
Two possessions later, the Tartans got on the board with their first touchdown of the day, which came early in the second quarter. That score began a 21-0 run for the visiting team that stretched from the first half to the second, with CMU taking a 21-14 lead following its first possession of the third quarter.
 
However, the Orange and Black offense rediscovered its rhythm in its first possession of the fourth quarter. Again, it was Perone leading the charge, as he hit on four-straight attempts en route to finding the end zone for the tying score. The last of those completions went to freshman Dozhay Crumb, who pulled in his first collegiate touchdown on an 11-yard fade route with around 10 minutes left in the game. Another Guthrie extra point knotted the score at 21-21.
 
Two possessions later, the home team got the ball back with a chance to regain the lead for the first time since the second quarter. The Jackets did just that, marching the ball 30 yards on seven plays to the Tartan 18-yard-line. Facing a fourth-and-goal, Guthrie connected on a 35-yard field goal to provide the eventual game-winning points with just under two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
 
Carnegie Mellon had one more chance to pull out the victory, but senior safety Andrew Brncic came up with the game-clinching interception on the Tartan's first play from scrimmage. The Jackets were able to run out the remainder of the clock and enjoy yet another hard fought triumph.
 
As has been the case throughout the winning streak, the Waynesburg defense rose to the occasion against a stiff test. The Jackets held the number-three passing attack in the PAC to just 161 yards through the air. Brncic and junior Brennan Sefick both had interceptions in the victory. The unit was also stout against the run, allowing just 91 yards on the ground on 32 carries.
 
Senior linebacker John-Glen Davis led the way with a team-high 10 tackles, six of which were solo stops. He also had a tackle for loss and broke up a pass. Senior linebacker Garrett Hepner helped out with eight tackles, six of which were of the solo variety, and two tackles for loss.
 
Perone paced the Jacket offense by completing 22-of-41 passes for 222 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. He also rushed seven times for 18 yards and a second score.
 
Speaking of running the ball, Walker posted a team-high 61 yards and a touchdown on 17 totes.
 
Perone did a solid job of spreading the wealth around when it came to getting multiple receivers involved in the offense. Sophomore Cole Booth posted a game-high seven catches for 75 yards, while junior Nick Moretti and sophomore JuWuan Jones each caught five passes for 57 and 55 yards, respectively.
 
The Jackets were outstanding in multiple statistical categories. The victors piled up 20 first downs to CMU's 15, while also holding a 33:21 to 26:39 advantage in time of possession. Waynesburg was also a perfect four-for-four in red zone chances with three touchdowns.
 
After playing four of its first six games at home, the Jackets start a three-game road stretch on Saturday, Oct. 13, at Grove City. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Waynesburg won't be back at John F. Wiley Stadium until Saturday, Nov. 10.
 
Note: Congratulations to Brian Drake and Jordyn Wyllie, who were named the 2018 Homecoming King and Queen.