WESTMINSTER TITANS (1-1, 0-0)

vs.

ALLEGHENY GATORS  (1-1, 1-0)

Saturday, Sept. 17, 7 p.m.

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

Quick Facts - General

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, 57-25, .695)

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* … 7 p.m.

BYE

10/1 … at Carnegie Mellon* … 7 p.m.

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 … 57-25 (69.5)

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:

SERIES HISTORY

According to archives, Westminster leads the all-time series, 28-26-5 (24-24-5 at home; 4-2 on the road), although Allegheny annexed a 27-14 win in the programs' last meeting on Sept.12, 2009 in Meadville. The programs have split their last 10 meetings since Oct. 15, 1994. Westminster last won against the Gators on Sept. 13, 2008 in New Wilmington by a 6-2 score. The series dates back to Aug. 19, 1899. Westminster won, 76-0, on Sept. 10, 1904.

 

GOING … GOING … GOMES

Senior running back Ryan Gomes (Tampa, Fla./Walter L. Sickles High) garnered PAC Offensive Player of the Week laurels following his career-best 23-carry, 183-yard, 2-TD rushing performance against Bethany that included a 59-yard scoring sprint and another 7-yarder, as well as 3 pass receptions. He currently paces the PAC in yards rushing (232) and led last year's TItans with 594 yards (4.3 per-carry) and 3 TDs. Gomes cited his offensive line, led by senior standout tackle Gabriel Cleveland (Cumming, Ga./South Forsyth).

 

OFFENSIVE ORCHESTRATOR

Senior signal-caller Cole Konieczka (Coraopolis, Pa./Moon Area High) tossed 2 TDs – a 9-yarder to sophomore speedster Jalen Washington (Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips) and a 21-yarder to last season's leading receiver, junior Ty Eilam (Sharon, Pa./Sharon High). Konieczka connected on 12 of 28 pass attempts for 139 yards and Westminster went for 373 total yards (231 rushing, 142 passing) in scoring 42 unanswered points. The Titans tallied on 6 of 11 3rd-down attempts, also.

 

BUTLER THE BANDIT

For the second time in as many seasons sophomore defensive back Brice Butler (Farrell, Pa./Farrell High) registered a Pick-Six. Against Bethany he pilfered a Marquice Robinson pass and returned it 30 yards for a score. Last season en route to a Titans' team-high 5 interceptions Butler brought back one 100 yards for a score against Case Western Reserve (one of 3 in that game.) Butler was named to the 2022 College Football America Yearbook Division III Preseason Starting Lineup after earning 2021 PAC Honorable-Mention accolades and a pair of D3football.com Team of the Week laurels.

 

WELCOME BACK

Allegheny College has returned to the PAC following a successful stint as a North Coast Athletic Conference member (9 championships). According to the college's web site Allegheny annexed an aggregate 26-season, 94-63-3 won-lost ledger during its previous PAC tenure, including 4 championships. Overall the program has compiled a composite 518-475-42 won-lost record that includes the 1990 NCAA Division III championship. Last season Allegheny ended 3-7 overall (2-7 NCAC).

 

THIS SEASON

Led by 4th-year Head Coach Rich Nagy (8-14, including the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic-plagued season) the Gators have garnered an early-season split. Allegheny suffered a season-opening setback to Union (N.Y.), at Frank B. Fuhrer Field in Meadville (42-27) before bouncing back to top Thiel (34-6) at Alumni Stadium in Greenville. In the triumph over the Tomcats Allegheny earned an aggregate 289-217 total yardage edge (163-122 passing; 126-95 rushing) led by returning leading rusher Tre Worship's 2 TDs and quarterback Jack Johnson's 13-for-24, 117-yard passing performance that included a 24-yard scoring strike to Ian Durci. Johnson spread the ball to 9 different receivers, and thus far this season Durci, Declan O'Brien and Hunter Lohr have evenly divided 21 catches. Johnson has completed 41 of 77 pass attempts (51.7%) for 232 yards, 2 TDs and 2 interceptions, while Worship has rushed for 106 yards on 39 carries (2.7). Another highlight in the Gators' game against Thiel was Hudson Alread's 52-yard Pick-Six.

 

A YEAR AGO

Defensive lineman Chris Rubino recorded 46 tackles (14 solos), including 4 for-loss (1 quarterback sack) en route to All-NCAC 2nd-Team honors. The 295-pound Rubino was joined on the All-NCAC 2nd-Team by returning 270-pound offensive lineman Jack Turner, as well as returning Honorable-Mention defensive back Azariah Beaugard (2 interceptions).