CHESTER, Pa. - Widener Football fell to Albright on Homecoming in a close first half contest.
The 26-7 loss moves the Pride to 2-3 in the regular season and 2-2 in MAC play.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Liam Nelson grabbed his first collegiate start with 18 completions for 125 passing yards.
- Nelson also led on the ground with 19 yards alongside Michael Turner.
- Turner snagged 50 yards of passing yards on nine receptions.
- Machai Stinnett led the defense with nine tackles and a forced fumble.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Widener's defense came out ready to compete, limiting Albright's scoring opportunities and forcing a key turnover. Luke Shimko recovered a fumble by Isaiah Megginson late in the opening quarter to give the Pride the ball back. A back and forth emerged as the game remained scoreless after 15.
- Offensively, Widener showed its ability to move the chains through the air. Nelson connected with Khylil Jones for a 23-yard completion on third down, moving the Pride from their own 24-yard line to the 47. Nelson later found Michael Turner for a seven-yard gain on third-and-four to pick up another first down.
- Albright opened the scoring at 13:08 when Kadan Smith scored on a one-yard rushing touchdown and tacked on the extra point to make the score 7-0 Albright in the second quarter.
- The Pride continued to battle defensively, with Ryan Caloiaro recording a tackle near the goal line and Miceli and Ryan Wilson combining to bring down Logan Rothberg after a deep completion. Albright extended its lead with a 25-yard touchdown pass with 5:13 left in the third.
- Shimko forced a fumble late in the third before recovering his own force. The Pride would turn the ball back to the Lions shortly after and would end the third quarter down 14-0.
- Albright added another touchdown to extend its advantage to 21-0. Widener continued to compete defensively, working to limit the visitors' opportunities as the Pride entered the final quarter. Albright added to its lead with a two-yard rushing touchdown by Roberts at 14:55. The Pride answered with a key special teams play as Ryan Kuhl blocked the extra-point attempt. Machai Stinnett recovered the ball off a blocked extra-point and returned it 15 yards to the WID18.
- The Widener defense continued to make plays, as Anthony Miceli intercepted Roberts in the end zone to stop an Albright scoring opportunity. The Pride would answer the Lions scoring drive with one of their own with that began at the WID25. Marquell Perry would snag an 8-yard reception to make the score 20-7. The fourth ended with a Miceli pick in the endzone which also negated an offensive pass interference call. The game ended with a 26-7 final.
UP NEXT
Widener heads to St. David's, Pa. for a noon kickoff against the 4-1 (4-0 MAC) Eastern Eagles.
