GREENVILLE, Pa. (Sept. 29) – Last week, the defense played its best game of the year in leading the Waynesburg University football team to a 10-7 victory over Geneva. Today, the Yellow Jacket running game took center stage when the Orange and Black traveled to Thiel. Spearheaded by junior running back Chad Walker, the Waynesburg ground game battered the Tomcat defensive front en route to a 24-21 victory.
 
Waynesburg (2-3, 2-2) rushed for a season-high 168 yards, thanks in large part to a personal collegiate-best 134 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries by Walker. Freshman Jordan Taylor also set a new personal best with 51 yards on just six totes.
 
The Jacket rush defense was just as impressive as the offense. Waynesburg held the Tomcats (0-5, 0-4) to 38 yards on 26 carries. It also piled up 8.0 tackles for loss, four of which were sacks.
 
After getting the ball first to open the game, Waynesburg got a preview of what Walker had in store for the day. On his first carry of the day, which was the Jackets' second play of the first possession, the junior ripped off a 54-yard run that moved the ball to the Thiel 20-yard-line. After setting up a first-and-goal at the 10, the drive stalled, but still resulted in points when freshman kicker Garrett horned knocked down a 21-yard field goal to give his team an early 3-0 lead.
 
The lead was short-lived, however, as a bad snap on fourth-and-three from midfield gave Thiel the ball at the Jacket 22. Three plays later, the home team had its first lead at 7-3. The Tomcats needed less than two minutes to swell its advantage to 14-3 when a fumbled kickoff return set up a 43-yard scoring drive late in the first.
 
After putting itself in a two-score hole, Waynesburg started its comeback early in the second quarter. The combination of Walker and junior quarterback Tyler Perone led the visiting team down to the Thiel five-yard-line. Head coach Chris Smithley, who also serves as the team's offensive coordinator, reached deep into his bag of tricks and got tricky as junior wide receiver Nick Moretti tossed his first collegiate pass when he found Walker for the score. A successful PAT from Horne made the score 14-10 with 8:30 remaining in the half.
 
After the Orange and Black defense forced a turnover on downs at its own 28 on Thiel's next possession, Perone needed just one play to hook up with Moretti on a 72-yard catch-and-run that gave the lead back to Waynesburg. Another Horne PAT mad the score 17-14 with 4:31 showing on the second-quarter clock.
 
Another short Tomcat possession gave the Jackets the ball back at the Jacket 38. The Perone-to-Moretti connection was particularly effective on the drive, as the two connected on three completions for 26 yards. Waynesburg had enough time to set up for a field goal just before halftime, but Horne was unable to convert the try, leaving the Jackets ahead 17-14 at halftime.
 
After neither team was able to score in the third quarter, Walker pounded in his first rushing touchdown of the season on the opening play of the period. Horne's final PAT try of the day made the score 24-14 nine seconds into the fourth.
 
Thiel pulled itself back into the game two possessions later when it found the end zone to cap a 10-play, 85-yard drive and cut its deficit down to 24-21. Waynesburg punted the ball back to the Tomcats at the conclusion of its ensuing possession, but senior linebacker John-Glen Davis notched a sack on the first play of the Tomcats' final time with the football. After three straight incompletions, the Jackets got the ball back at midfield.
 
Facing fourth-and-two at the 42, Perone was able to close out the win with a two-yard run that gave the visiting team a first down and the opportunity to run out the remainder of the clock.
 
Perone provided valuable balance to the victors' rushing attack by completing 16-of-26 passes for 185 yards and a score. Moretti proved to be his favorite target on the day, pulling in six balls for 114 yards and a touchdown.
 
Davis paced the Waynesburg defensive effort with a team-high eight tackles, seven of which were solo stops. Senior Austin Kline collected two sacks on the afternoon, while junior defensive back Brennan Sefick combined five solo tackles with four pass breakups.
 
Waynesburg will look for its third-straight win next week, when it welcomes Carnegie Mellon to John F. Wiley Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.