READING, Pa. – Three defensive takeaways by Widener Football surge the Pride to a three score win over Alvernia on Saturday afternoon.
The Pride's 32-14 win advances them to 3-4 and 2-4 in MAC play.
BY THE NUMBERS
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Pride defense opened with a quick defensive series with Ryan Kuhl adding a quarterback hurry forcing a punt. A 57-yard punt set the Pride up with 1st and 10 on the WID5. Leszczynski hit a deep ball to Jerry McArdle for a 52-yard gain. Malachi Holmes would snag two quick catches moving the chains. Finn Whittle punched in a 2-yard run for a Pride touchdown making the score 6-0 with 6:16 left in the first. Chris Purnell picked up his first tackle on the defensive series. The Golden Wolves would drive the field but a fumble recovered by Ryan Wilson would give the ball back to the Pride in the endzone with 3:23 left. Leszczynski hit Marquell Perry for a 48-yard catch and run for a first down on the ALV30. The first ended with an 18-yard Kareem McCoy run to the ALV1.
- To start the second, Leszczynski rushed for four to make the score 13-0 with 14:18 left. A short drive for the Golden Wolves would be ended as Luke Shimko snagged a pick-six making the score 20-0 after a Rodney Escober-Gonzalez PAT. A short offensive series for the Pride would be overcome with a safety forced by Kuhl with 9:17 left in the second. Michael Turner took a quick 18-yard rush for a first down while Leszczynski hit a 28-yard pass to Khylil Jones another first to the ALV25. The Pride would capitalize on the safety kickoff with a 41-yard Fred Adler field goal making the score 25-0 with 5:03 left. Luke Shaeffer and Shimko would hold the Golven Wolves scoreless at the 2:00 timeout. A Shimko sack and tackle would give the ball to the Pride with 30 seconds left to head into half up 25.
- Out of half, the Pride would begin with the ball and drive to their own 44 before Brandon Yoder punted to the ALV20. The offensive side would slow as the defense led by Shimko, Dean Brown, Kuhl, and Shaeffer would hold the Golden Wolves before they put their first points on the board with :40 left in the third. The third would end with the Pride up 25-6 after a missed Golden Wolves PAT.
- A Pride heavy possession would begin the final 15 minutes of play. An eight-minute drive would result in a Whittle 1-yard rush for a Pride touchdown. The score was 32-7 after an Adler PAT with 7:12 left. The Golden Wolves would drive the field and make it to the Pride 17 before Elijah Benton snagged an interception. The final two-minutes would be held by the Golden Wolves with a late touchdown. The Golden Wolves touchdown wouldn't be enough as the Pride took the game with a 32-14 final.
UP NEXT
Widener returns to Hirschmann Field on Saturday, November 1 to take on the 0-0 (0-0 MAC) Eastern Eagles. Kickoff at Quick Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m. with the Pride Walk scheduled for 11 a.m.
