The Waynesburg University Yellow Jackets lost 46-10 to the Ursinus College Bears on Saturday, Sept. 12, to fall to 0-2.

The Yellow Jacket offense was once again dormant in their efforts to try to find the endzone. The Yellow Jackets finished the game with zero points scored on 57 plays and 167 yards of total offense.

Three and out was the story for the Yellow Jackets, going just 3-for-13 on third down conversions, causing six offensive drives for Waynesburg to be plagued with a punt. 

Three quarterbacks checked into the game. Junior Luke Hudson who was the starter, freshman Dominic Hickman and freshman Jaylen Bester. The quarterback room combined for just 132 yards on 29 attempts. 

The running back room saw little action in Saturday’s contest with Bester being the leading rusher with just 24 yards. Senior running back Zayne Cawley finished with eight carries for 20 yards, with his longest run being just four yards. Senior running back Carson Shriver had only 5 carries for 7 yards before being taken out of the game due to an injury.

For back to back weeks, junior receiver Isaiah Fields led the Yellow Jackets in receptions and receiving yards, this game having five receptions for 43 yards. Following Fields was freshman receiver Jamal Gilmore who hauled in 2 catches for 29 yards before leaving the game with an injury. 

The offensive line showed better skills in this game but still allowed the Bears defensive front to sack Yellow Jacket passers 3 times. 

The Yellow Jacket offense also turned the ball four times, three being interceptions and the other a fumble. 

Head coach Larry Wilson mentioned the offensive and defensive struggles and how this team will keep working forward. 

“We have to be able to execute,” Wilson said. “Right now we’re struggling with that. I don’t think these kids are used to this style of offense and defense where you have to value your job and you have to work extremely hard to get good at it.”

Wilson cleared the air about seeing multiple quarterbacks in a game and a possible quarterback change.

“Luke [Hudson] will be the starter for sure,” Coach Wilson said. “This is his game to lead the offense. He needs to start getting help from his running backs and wide receivers because we left stuff out there from an execution standpoint that makes the quarterback look inefficient. Luke gives us our best chance to win.”

Fields explained the connection that he and Hudson have.

“Luke and I have built a bond over the past few years but we need to make the bond even stronger which we are working towards as a whole,” Fields said. “The receiver room mindset is very positive going into PAC play we know we’ve gotta step it up for sure.”

One of the reasons Coach Wilson gave for the struggling offense last week was because of some of the players’ inexperience. Wilson talked about how he thinks the young guys performed with a game under their belt. 

“We definitely got better and the score doesn’t show it,” Wilson said. “It’s just not good enough against programs like that. We’re gonna continue to try and just keep pushing to get better. I’m still looking for this group of guys, even the veterans, to truly be all in on what it takes when you’re trying to build a super competitive program. I’m surprised it’s taken us this long to figure out how to play competitive football.”

The defense of the Yellow Jackets was double sided on Saturday, forcing four turnovers, only being able to recover two, having the only touchdown of the day on a Joanes Polynice interception that was returned for 84 yards. However, the defense allowed 508 total yards of offense on 73 plays and allowed 46 points. 

Wilson answered on the defense ideals and how the performance on Saturday didn’t change him.

“When I look at our defense, they have great moments, and then there’s moments we’re giving them touchdowns,” Wilson said. “If they could find their consistency and make it hard for the offense, they’re gonna be a good defense. Right now we’re not a good defense.”

Now heading into the matchup at Allegheny College, Coach Wilson shared some of the thoughts he is carrying into the upcoming Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) duals.

“Get better,” Wilson said. “I’m actually excited to get on a bus, go on the road and see how we react to a different environment away from the home setting. Like a Band of Brothers mentality, let’s get on a bus and go get to work and see if we can’t get competitive in this game.”

Fields agrees with Coach Wilson about how this football team needs to be better in their finishing of plays. 

“Execution is huge the past two weeks, we watch film and realize how much we left on the field. We’re beyond ready for PAC play now,” Fields said. “To perfect this beautiful offense we have to execute it’s as simple as that.”

Junior defensive back Vinnie Heller was one of the shining defensive stars on Saturday. Heller finished with 5 total tackles, a pass breakup, a forced fumble and an interception in the red zone. 

Heller talked about the emotions and mentality on the sideline as the Waynesburg University defense made its stands.

“It’s easy to get riled up but Coach Tobey is always one to get back right into it,” Heller said. “Another opportunity will come about and we just have to keep taking those opportunities regardless of what the offense does with the ball. As long as we keep executing and getting the offense the ball back and keep doing our job, the emotions really ride that.”

Heller was quick to mention his fellow teammates and how the defense is going to impact games as the Yellow Jackets get deeper into their schedule. 

“I think our defense is very scary,” Heller said. “The last two opponents are some of the best competition we’ll face all year. We have young bucks like Jumah Byrd getting in there and making big time plays for us in his first year of college football. I think what we keep putting on tape, what the teams are seeing in our film is the pressure we give and the action to get after the quarterback. Just keep bringing the pressure week in and week out and in PAC play I think our defense will prevail.”

Heller explained the turnover margin favoring Waynesburg and what mentality defensive coordinator Matt Tobey brings to game days.

“We practice that every day that we’re at practice,” Heller said. “We do a main drill where Tobey’s  station is a ball to tackle and punch from heaven. Get that ball out any chance we get. Our goal for each practice is four takeaways from the offense so that’s definitely one of the biggest aspects we go through in practice. Figuring out how to get the ball, get on top of it, and get it back to our offense.” 

Polynice talked about his feelings and those shared by the team after his interception that he returned for a touchdown.

“Our mentality was we are still in this fight,” Polynice said. “I feel like it definitely gave us momentum and gave a lot of my teammates hope to think like okay this is still possible.”

Polynice mentioned his thoughts about losing the first two games under Coach Wilson.

“Those were wake up calls to let us know that we are definitely nowhere near where we want to be as a program,” Polynice said. “There is still time for us to get there because our chances to reach our goal as a unit is still the same.”

The Yellow Jackets were trailing 22-3 with seven and a half minutes left in the first half. The Bears had the ball at the 50 yard line. After a holding penalty pushed the Bears back to second and 16, Ursinus College quarterback Tristan Machado threw an incomplete pass to push it to third down and was then sacked by Byrd and called for an intentional grounding penalty, forcing the Bears to punt.

On a 4th and 23, sophomore receiver Kyan Kline roughed Bears punter Ben Kiedrowski, gifting the Bears a free first down in Yellow Jacket territory.

A 24 yard rush from Bears running back Jason Bernard would set up a first down at the Waynesburg 24 yard line. Machado would then connect on a third down pass with Danny Gies on a 33 yard touchdown to put the Bears up 29-3 with almost three minutes left in the first half. 

Waynesburg now looks to Saturday, Sept. 19 to take on the Allegheny College Gators in their final matchup before PAC begins on Sept. 26 against the Westminster College Titans.