Saturday’s area college football games

Washington & Jefferson 35, Westminster 31

WASHINGTON, PA.

The Titans (1-1) nearly pulled off an upset over the No. 14 Washington & Jefferson, but couldn’t hold a 24-14 entering the fourth quarter, The Presidents (2-0), however, scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to rally and stay unbeaten. Westminster sophomore Kimu Kim, a Canfield High School graduate, two touchdowns on the ground, the second giving Westminster a 31-28 lead with 2:26 to play. The Presidents on their ensuing possession, however, drove the ball down the 1-yard line in just over a minute and scored on fourth down after Ryan Ruffing notched his fourth touchdown of the game, giving the Presidents the lead for good with 1:04 to play. Washington & Jefferson then clinched the victory with an interception.

Bethany 51, Thiel 16

BETHANY, W.VA.

Senior wide receiver Eric Blinn had 12 receptions for 185 yards and three touchdowns. Blinn also became the Presidents’ Athletic Conference’s all-time career leader in receiving yards, surpassing Washington & Jefferson’s Alex Baroffio. When the game was over, Blinn had pushed his career numbers to 3,328 receiving yards. Along with the three touchdowns through the air, the Bison added four more on the ground, including runs of 65 and 58 yards by junior Jalen Holmes. The first half of the game was all Bethany as the Green & White tallied 35 points over the first two quarters and entered the locker room with a 35-3 lead. Holmes and quarterback Lincon Reyes (Gaithersburg, Md./Gaithersburg) posted a rushing touchdown, each in the first quarter. The second quarter, however, was all Blinn, as the senior tallied three-straight touchdowns, including catches of 30 and 44 yards. He also added a 5-yard touchdown run. Reyes was 16 of 24 for 244 yards and three scores. He also added 57 rushing yards and a score on just five carries.

Geneva 21, Grove City 16

GROVE CITY, PA.

A 12-game losing streak was bound to end when Geneva visited Grove City. The host Wolverines were on a 12-game overall losing streak while the visiting Golden Tornadoes entered with a 12-game road losing streak. But Geneva forced five turnovers, including interceptions by former Mahoning Valley high school standouts Jimmy Quinlan (Brookfield) and Thomas Benyo (Western Reserve), to finally win a road game. Offensively, Geneva (1-1) was led by senior Dylan Jones with 106 yards rushing.

Saint Vincent 28, Waynesburg 21

LATROBE, PA.

Waynesburg’s bid for a late tying touchdown was denied when Saint Vincent picked off quarterback Jake Dougherty at the Bearcats’ 3-yard line to preserve a victory in wet, sloppy conditions. The teams combined for 23 penalties for 236 yards. The Jackets and Bearcats were also successful on just five-of-25 combined third-down conversion attempts. The game was contested as the 2015 Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Kickoff Classic, although it did not count towards either team’s conference record. The loss marked just the second time Saint Vincent (1-1) has defeated Waynesburg (1-1) since joining the PAC in 2007. Dougherty was 16 of 34 passes for 189 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Kevin Barnes pulled in a game-high six catches for 73 yards and a score. Jerry Lawman ran for 90 yards and a score on 20 carries. He produced the bulk of the Jackets’ 139 yards on the ground.

Duquesne 26, Bucknell 7

LEWISBURG, PA.

Dillon Buechel threw three touchdowns, and Duquesne’s defense smothered Bucknell. The Dukes (2-0) held the Bison (1-1) scoreless until R.J. Nitti ran for a 17-yard touchdown with 11:37 left in the game. Buechel got the Dukes going on an 8-yard score to Wayne Capers in the first. The missed extra point made it 6-0. Buechel connected with Chris King for 4 yards in the second to make it 13-0. King caught eight passes for 88 yards.

Towson 35, Saint Francis 20

TOWSON, MD.

Darius Victor ran for two touchdowns and Donnell Lewis added a 49-yard punt return for a touchdown to lead Towson. Each of Victor’s scoring runs came in the first half, helping the Tigers to a 14-7 lead at the break. The lone Saint Francis points came on a 99-yard kickoff return by Lorenzo Jerome. Towson (1-1) lengthened its lead in the third on an 11-yard TD run by Connor Frazier and Lewis’ punt return. The Red Flash (1-1) made a late charge, cutting the Towson lead to 35-20 on a touchdown pass from Zack Drayer to Terell Smith, but that was as close as Saint Francis would get.

Staff and wire reports