Football: Titans Drop, 24-21, in PAC Battle at W&J

WASHINGTON, Pa. - Despite leading 14-10 at halftime, the Westminster College football team lost, 24-21 at Washington & Jefferson Saturday. The Titans dropped to 2-3 overall and 1-3 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), while the Presidents improved to 5-2 overall and 4-1 in the conference. The loss was the closest margin for a Westminster-W&J game since the Titans last beat the Presidents, 19-17, in 2000.


Senior wide receiver Geno Pasquinelli (Salem, OH / Salem) caught two passes and is tied fifth-all time in Westminster history with Tim McNeil ('96) with 129 career receptions.


Down 10-7 in the second quarter, Westminster freshman defensive lineman Darrin Donikowski (Erie, PA / Mercyhurst Prep.) forced an incomplete pass that stopped the Presidents on downs at the Titans' 31-yard live with five minutes left before intermission. Three plays later, junior Dak Britt (Battle Creek, MI / Battle Creek) scored on a 61-yard run to put Westminster ahead, 14-10. This was Britt's second 60-plus rushing touchdown run of the season as he scored on a 62-yard scamper at Thomas More earlier in the season.


Westminster came out like a team on a mission in its first possession of the game and took a 7-0 lead after a 65-yard drive that was capped off with an eight-yard touchdown run courtesy of Britt. This was Britt's fourth rushing score of the season.


Titan senior Nate Moot (Johnstown, PA / Bishop McCort) stopped W&J's first possession with his first interception of season at the Westminster's 36 yard-line, however the Titans went three-and-out in its next offensive possession.


The Presidents tied the game, 7-7, on its third possession of the first quarter when junior quarterback Matt Bliss connected with senior Hunter Creel with a 15-yard pass-and-catch score.


At the 11:03 mark in the second quarter, the Presidents' capitalized on a Titan fumble and conducted a 9-play, 49-yard drive that ended with a 26-yard field goal to give W&J its first lead of the game.


After the Titans took a 14-10 lead with Britt's long run, the Presidents recaptured the lead (17-14) with 1:59 left in the third quarter as Don Wiegand rushed for a 2-yard score. After good field position, two possessions later, the Presidents went ahead 24-14 after Bliss ran in from three yards out.


The Titans answered when Britt threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to senior Collin Wallace (Mechanicsburg, PA / Cumberland Valley) in Westminster's next possession. Britt connected with Wallace for 46 yards earlier in the drive.


For the game, the Presidents outgained the Titans 436-327 and also used a 23-11 advantage in first downs.


Britt led the Titans as he passed for 158 yards and rushed for 93.  Titan senior linebackers Alex Kernicky (Greensburg, PA / Greater Latrobe) and Derrick Orloski (Butler, PA / Slippery Roc) recorded a team-high 13 tackles each. Sophomore Jared Heck (Pittsburgh, PA / North Hills) added eight tackles.


Westminster will host Bethany on Saturday at 1 p.m.