CHESTER, Pa. – Widener Football's defense powers through Alvernia offensive line to help secure a Homecoming 2024 win on Saturday (Oct. 26) afternoon.
 
The Pride's 34-24 win moves them to 3-4 in the regular season and 2-3 in MAC rankings.
 
OF NOTE
 
Widener celebrated the Class of 2024 Hall of Fame at halftime along with former Head Athletic Trainer AJ Duffy.
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Eli Warfel commanded the offense with 54 passing yards and 96 rushing yards. 
• Bryce Casey punched in three touchdowns for a new season high.
• The defense was led by Jacob Kopelman with eight total tackles and 2.5 TFLs. Joining him was Jalen Walker who had a season high four sacks for 23 lost yards.
• Ryan Pattison tacked on six points through field goals and went 4-of-4 in PATs.
• The Pride would lead the game with 304 total offensive yards to average 5.4 yards a carry and add 10 sacks for 72 yards 

HOW IT HAPPENED ON HOMECOMING

• The Pride opened the game with a coin toss win to receive. A short series from both sides would keep the game scoreless in the first. The 9:08 drive showed the first points of the game as Casey rushed for 57 yards along with Warfel's two to punch in a touchdown. The momentum stayed with the Pride as Luke Shaeffer intercepted the ball at the ALV31 after a successful Coach Barainyak challenge flag. The next series would result in another Casey TD as the Warfel-Casey duo rushed for all the offensive yards. 
• A slow series five minutes into the second quarter would be thwarted by short gains that chewed four minutes off the clock. Ryan Wilson would begin the ALV drive with a tackle to push the Golden Wolves back five. A walker 8-yard sack would force a punt that would be blocked by Wilson to set the Pride up on the ALV42. The defense would hold out with two big Kopelman tackles and a Nate Brown 10-yard sack to force another Golden Wolves punt. The Pride would head into halftime with a tied game at 14.
• The first lead change would happen right out of half with a Golden Wolves field goal. The Blue and Gold marched down the field to answer the field goal to tie the game at 17 as Isaac Hostetter grabbed his only catch for 28 yards on the drive. Widener's drive starting at three minutes would begin after a muffed punt that was recovered by Elijah Benton to set the Pride up on the ALV24. Warfel took to the ground to rush in for a 7-yard touchdown to extend the score to 24-17. A 2-yard sack from Shaeffer would end the third.
• Kyle Jones continued the sack trend to open the final 15 minutes of play with a 10-yard sack for force a punt. The offense found a groove as Wickel's feel would move the Pride down the field. Casey punched in his third touchdown of the afternoon with a 4-yard run right up the gut to make the score 31-17. Walker added another sack to move his number up. The Blue and Gold defense held out and would send the Golden Wolves defense right back on the field after a turnover on downs deep in the game. Pattison tacked on the final points of the game with a 36-yard field goal. The final series of the game would result in a Jones and Walker sack to give the Pride a 34-24 final on Homecoming.

UP NEXT
Widener hits the road for a two-week stint with the first stop being to the 3-4 (3-3 MAC) Lebanon Valley Flying Dutchmen for a 1 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, Nov. 2.