PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The Westminster College football team won, 33-6, over Utica College in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) James Lynah Bowl on Saturday at historic Franklin Field on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania.
 
Junior Paul Columbo (Boca Raton, FL / West Boca Raton Community) was named the Bowl's Most Valuable Player. He went 9 of 23 for 105 yards and surpassed Sean O'Shea (1991-94) for third all-time for most career passing yards in school history with 4,992. Columbo also had 17 carries for a game-high 121 yards on the ground and two touchdowns.
 
Senior Justin Dahl (Cochranton, PA / Maplewood) finished four-for-four in field goals (29, 25, 26, 41), while breaking the school record for most made field goals in a single season with his first successful kick. Dahl was one field goal away from eclipsing Rob Dancu's school-record five made in a single game during the 1991 season.
 
Sophomore Bryson Paulinellie (DuBois, PA / Dubois Area) had a career-long 81-yard punt return for a touchdown, the third of his career. Junior Dominique McKinley (Greensburg, PA / Greensburg-Salem) added 85 rushing yards.
 
Westminster (8-3) out-gained Utica (7-4) 350 yards (235 rushing, 115 passing) to 213 (65 rushing, 148 passing).
 
Senior Mac Quinn (Pittsburgh, PA / Northgate) led the Titan defense tying a season-high with a game-high 14 tackles. Junior CJ Armstrong (Lake Worth, FL / Park Vista) added nine tackles, including a game-high three tackles for a loss. Junior Todd Jeter (Monroeville, PA / Gateway) and senior Gator Phillips (Deland, FL / Deland) each had an interception.
 
The Titans scored first on its first drive of the game with a 29-yard field goal by Dahl capping off an 11-play, 42-yard drive with 10:34 to play.
 
Utica answered on its first possession, taking a 6-3 lead after Teddy VanGalen found Jerred Beniquez for a 32-yard touchdown pass with 6:07 on the clock. A two-point try by the Pioneers was unsuccessful.
 
Early in the second quarter, Utica's 36-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Titan senior Bobby Noble (Greensburgh, PA / Greensburg Central Catholic).
 
The Titans regained the lead after Columbo scored his first touchdown of the game with a 22-yard run with 5:55 remaining in the second. After a Dahl extra point, Westminster led 10-6. On Westminster's ensuing drive, Columbo extended the Titans' lead to 16-6 with a 16-yard touchdown scamper. Dahl's extra point brought Westminster's lead to 17-6 with 37 seconds remaining.
 
Jeter picked off VanGalen's pass on the first play of Utica's ensuing possession at the Pioneers 41-yard line. The Titans took advantage of the turnover with a 25-yard field goal by Dahl as time expired and led 20-6 at halftime.
 
Paulinellie extended Westminster's lead with a career-long 81-yard punt return for a touchdown with 3:08 remaining in the third quarter.
 
Dahl made his fourth field goal, this time from 41 yards out, with 7:39 to play in the fourth.
 
Today marked the Titans' second-straight ECAC Bowl victory as they won 42-21 over St. John Fisher College in the same bowl last year, which was Westminster's first postseason victory since 1996.
 
The Titans, under third-year Head Coach Scott Benzel, have posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1996 (9-3)–1997 (9-2).