WASHINGTON, Pa. -- A pair of career-best performances were not enough as a valiant second half comeback attempt came up short as Washington & Jefferson suffered a 28-21 setback to Westminster College at Cameron Stadium.
Senior quarterback Jacob Adams (Louisville, Ohio) tossed for a single-game school record 499 yards and Payton Skalos (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) recorded career bests in receptions (16) and receiving yards (220) in the loss.
The 499 yards surpassed the previous high of 482 by Alex Rowse in a 2017 win over Thomas More. Meanwhile, the 16-catch performance was one shy of tying the single-game school record set by Jesse Zubik against Carnegie Mellon in 2016.
Trailing by a 21-0 score at halftime, the Presidents regrouped with a strong third quarter offensively. On their second possession of the frame, Adams connected with Cameron O'Brien (Irwin, Pa./Norwin) for a 17-yard pickup. On the very next play, Adams hit Skalos, who used a nifty catch and run up the sideline for a 51-yard touchdown. After a missed point after, the Presidents trailed 21-6.
After the defense forced a three and out, the W&J offense went back to work. With excellent field position, EJ Thompson (La Plata, Md./Thomas Stone) rushed 15 yards down to the Westminster 29-yard line. Three plays later, Adams hit freshman Johnny O'Rourke (Pittsburgh, Pa./Pittsburgh Central Catholic) for a 17-yard passing score. The touchdown was the first in O'Rourke's collegiate career. A successful two-point run by Thompson closed the deficit to 21-14 with 5:05 to play in the third.
In the early stages of the fourth quarter, a seven-play, 62-yard drive helped the Presidents even the score at 21-21. An 18-yard catch and run by Jordan West brought the Presidents all the way back with 6:42 to play.
However, the Titans answered quickly, totaling 73 yards on just two plays to take a touchdown lead. It was Grice again, this time breaking free from several tackle attempts and scoring from 42 yards out. The point after gave Westminster a 28-21 lead with 5:52 left.
The Presidents had three offensive opportunities down the stretch but were unable to even the score. On their final drive of the game, the Presidents had first-and-10 at the Westminster 14-yard line. A pass fell incomplete on a fourth and 19 play from the Titans 23 on the game's final play.
The story of the first half was missed opportunities for the W&J offense. The Presidents came up empty handed on three chances inside the red zone.
Trailing 14-0 early in the second quarter, W&J appeared poised to cut their deficit in half. With a first-and-goal opportunity at the Westminster 10-yard line, a pass by Adams was tipped and intercepted in the end zone by the visitors. Aaron Pierce, who was the recipient of the takeaway, raced 100 yards down the far sideline to push the Westminster lead to 21-0. The interception return for touchdown was the third of the season for Pierce.
W&J outgained Westminster in total offense by more than 200 yards (569-328) in the game. The Presidents passed for 499 yards compared to the Titans 140 through the air. The difference in the game was the big play for Westminster. Aside from the defensive touchdown, Grice played a key role in the Titans win. The junior running back racked up 189 rushing yards on 17 careers. Grice finished with touchdown runs of 25, 71 and 42 yards, respectively.
Adams completed 34-of-57 pass attempts on the day. Aside from Skalos' career day, Josh Burns finished with seven catches for 119 yards through the air.
Conor Manning (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) led the way defensively with five tackles, three of which were for loss and a pair of sacks. Joey Koroly (Washington, Pa./Trinity) put together a strong day in the secondary, as the sophomore finished with three pass breakups.
The loss drops W&J to 5-3 overall and 4-3 in PAC play. The win improves the Titans to 6-2 overall and 5-2 in the conference.
After a bye week next weekend, the Presidents will host Saint Vincent College on Saturday, Nov. 9. Kickoff is slated for a 1 p.m. kickoff at Cameron Stadium.
Second half rally comes up short as W&J falls to Westminster, 28-21
/seasons/2019/boxscores/20191026_h2z8.xml
2019
Westminster (Pa.)
28
Washington and Jefferson
21
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westminster (Pa.) (6-2) | 14 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
| Washington and Jefferson (5-3) | 0 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 21 |
Oct 26, 2019