WESTMINSTER TITANS (1-1, 2-2)

vs.

WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON PRESIDENTS  (2-1, 4-1)

Saturday, Oct. 8, 1 p.m.

Harold Burry Stadium/Memorial Field, New Wilmington, Pa.

QUICK FACTS

Name of School … Westminster College

City/Zip … New Wilmington, Pa. 16172

Founded … 1852

Enrollment .. 1,400

Nickname … Titans

School Colors … Blue and WHite

Affiliation … NCAA Division III

Conference … Presidents' Athletic (PAC)

President … Dr. Kathy B. Richardson

Athletic Director … Jason Lener

Athletics Department Phone … 724-946-7307

Stadium … Harold Burry Stadium/Memorial Field

Capacity/Surface … 4,500/FieldTurf

HISTORY

First Year of Football … 1891 

All-time Bowl/Playoff Record … 35-13 (.729) 

Years in postseason play … 23

Last NCAA/NAIA appearance ........... 1996 (NAIA Quarterfinals,, Lost to Findlay (Ohio), 28-9

Last postseason appearance … 2021 (ECAC Asa S. Bushnell Bowl, Lost to Hobart, 21-3)

PAC Championships … 2 (2020, 2021)

Last PAC Championship …  Won, 27-20, over Washington & Jefferson

National Championships … 1994, 1989, 1988, 1977, 1976, 1970

Head Coach … Scott Benzel (9th, 58-26, 69%)

Alma Mater … Mercyhurst, 1997

Office Phone … 724-946-7310

Email … benzelsr@westminster.edu

TEAM INFORMATION

Basic Offense … Multiple

Basic Defense … Multiple

Starters Returning/Lost … 16/6

Offense … 7/4

Defense … 8/1

Specialty … 1/1

2021 Overall Record … 8-3

Home/Away/Neutral … 4-2/4-1

2021 PAC Record … 8-1

Home/Away … 4-0/4-1

2021 PAC Finish … 1st (tie)2022 SCHEDULE

9/3 … at Delaware Valley … L, 8-22

9/10 … BETHANY … W, 42-3

9/17 … ALLEGHENY* … W, 42-14

BYE

10/1 … at Carnegie Mellon* … L, 10-0

10/8 … WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON* … 1 p.m.

10/15 … THIEL* (Homecoming) … 1 p.m.

10/22 … at Grove City* … 1 p.m.

10/29 … at Waynesburg* … 1 p.m.

11/5 … CASE WESTERN RESERVE* … 1 p.m.

11/12 … at Geneva* … 1 p.m.

2021 RESULTS

9/4 … No. 1 MOUNT UNION, L, 7-48

9/18 … at Case Western Reserve* W, 34-12

9/25 … GROVE CITY* W, 33-32

10/2 … at Thiel* W, 49-14

10/9 … at Carnegie Mellon L, 10-34

10/16 … WAYNESBURG* W, 66-14

10/23 … at Washington & Jefferson W, 23-18

10/30 … at Bethany* W 42-6

11/6 … SAINT VINCENT* W, 41-6

11/13 … GENEVA* W, 31-6

11/20 … HOBART 

(ECAC Asa S.Bushnell Bowl) L, 3-21

*PAC Game; Home games in CAPS

COACHING STAFF

Head Coach … Scott Benzel (9th)

Record … 58-26 (69%)

Alma Mater … Mercyhurst, 1997

Office Phone … 724-946-7310

Email … benzelsr@westminster.edu9-yard

Twitter Handle … @coachbenzel

Assistant Coaches: David Blake (Asso. HC, co-OC, QBs), Colyn Haugh (co-OC/run game coordinator, OL), Jared Heck (Special Teams,, DBs), Michael Bongivengo (pass game coordinator), David Jamieson (DL), Rashad Wheeler (DL), Pat Mineok (LBs, Special Teams), Josh Wrightson (offensive asst.), Nick Marmo (TEs), Corey Oaks (DBs), Garvey Biggers (Specialist coach, Recruiting coordinator), Jim Mohr (chaplain).

 

GAME NOTES

THE SERIES

Since its Sept. 8, 1894 inception the series has been dominated by W&J – 36-7.

However Westminster has won the last 4 meetings, including the 23-18 Titans' triumph at W&J's Cameron Stadium on Oct. 23, 2021 when Washington & Jefferson was nationally ranked.

The programs have split their last 10 tilts, with Westminster having won 4 consecutive contests.

On April 23, 2021 at Harold Burry Stadium the TItans took a 27-20 triumph en route to the program's initial Presidents' Athletic Conference crown. Westminster also won Oct. 26, 2019 at W&J (28-21) and Oct. 20, 2018 in New Wilmington (27-20).

Against the Presidents Westminster is 4-28 at home (5-14 in PAC games).

 

LAST SEASON

Facing a 12-3 deficit, the Titans tallied 20 unanswered points, highlighted by a pair of TD tosses (41 and 30 yards) from Cole Konieczka (Coraopolis, Pa./Moon Area High) to Tylon Eilam (Sharon, Pa./Sharon High). It was part of Eilam's career-high 10-catch, 172-yard performance.

What jump-started the comeback, however, was a 2-yard pass from Frank Antuono to Brayden Thimons – the respective 1st career TD pass and 1st career TD reception for them.

Another highlight was the TItans throttling W&J's offense, limiting the Presidents to 174 total yards (19 rushing). That defensive performance included a half-dozen quarterback sacks overall and 9 Ian Barr tackles.

Washington & Jefferson went 8-3 and qualified for the Eastern College Athletic Conference Clayton Chapman Bowl.

 

THIS SEASON

The Presidents pounded Allegheny (66-14) last week, while Westminster was edged by Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh (10-0) in an old-school defensive contest. The TItans have taken on two nationally-ranked opponents and lost both on the road (Delaware Valley University, 22-8, in the season-opener). 

W&J is coming off an overwhelming offensive performance against Allegheny (66-14). The Presidents also posted wins over Ohio Athletic Conference power John Carroll University (35-26) – a team the Titans scrimmaged in the preseason – Saint Vincent College (52-21), and Bethany College (50-7). The lone loss occurred in Cleveland Heights to Case Western Reserve University (14-10). 

W&J also scrimmaged perennial power University of Mount Union – Head Coach Mike Sirianni's alma mater.

Sirianni, in his 20th season at the Presidents' post, is 171-41 (80.6%). He is the winningest coach in W&J football program history and the 5th-winningest coach in college football – FBS, FCS, NCAA Division II or III, NAIA. His brother Nick Sirianni is head coach of the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles.

 

IRRESISTIBLE FORCE vs. IMMOVABLE OBJECT

Washington & Jefferson paces the PAC by averaging 42.6 points-per-game, while Westminster leads the circuit in stinginess (12.3 ppg.), having permitted only 49 points thus far.

W&J quarterback Colton Jones has completed 100 of 151 pass attempts (66.2%) for 1,201 yards and 10 TDs (3 interceptions) for a 150.9 efficiency rating. His top targets are John Peduzzi (24 catches, 393 yards, 16.4 per-catch, 3 TDs) and Anthony Rosati (28-371, 13.3, 2 TDs). The ground game is led by Justin Huss (47 carries, 212 yards, 4.5 per-carry, 1 TD) and Raymond Holmes (41-243, 5.9, 3 TDs).

Westminster's dominating defense has been led by Nick Treloar (New Castle, Pa./New Castle High) and Brayden Thimons (Natrona Heights, Pa./Highlands High), with 26 and 25 tackles, respectively. They have logged 3.5 and 4.5 tackles-for-loss, respectively, and Treloar's 11 solo tackles is among the PAC's best, while Thimons has a pair of sacks. Ian Barr (State College, Pa./State College High), Luca Botti (Ellwood City, Pa./Ellwood CIty High), and Kevin Wright (West Palm Beach, Fla./Seminole High) have been credited with 3, 2 and 2 pass break-ups, respectively, while Botti has a pair of picks.

Conversely, Westminster's offense has been paced by the passing of Konieczka (71 of 133, 721 yards, 6 TDs, 103.3 efficiency rating), the rushing of Ryan Gomes (Tampa, Fla./Walter L. Sickles HIgh), and Eilam's receiving (14 catches, 214 yards, 15.3 per-catch, 3 TDs). Gomes has gained 371 yards rushing on 71 totes (4.9 per-carry; 92.8 yards-per-game) with 2 TDs.

W&J's defense has been paced by Justin Johns and Dawson Dietz, with 35 and 32 tackles, respectively (18 and 16 solos). Dietz has been credited with 6.5 sacks (11 tackles-for-loss) and Alex Keith 6.5 TFL. Also, Jaren Thimons has 4 sacks, and Tanne Volpatti and Tyler Sabo have split 4 pass interceptions.

 

WELCOME HOME

PAC Commissioner Joe Onderko – a Westminster College alumnus and former sports information director – is expected to attend Saturday's game.