In the first drive of the game against Bethany College last week, the football team did something it hasn’t done all season in an opening drive – score a touchdown.
Despite the positive start, the Yellow Jackets gave up 16 unanswered points to the Bison which led to a 22-13 defeat.
Individually, Tyler Perone and Jake Dougherty both split time at quarterback. Perone completed eight passes for 97 yards despite being sacked three times. On the other hand, Dougherty only managed 43 passing yards, but was second highest in rushing yards with 43. Other offensive leaders in the game included junior running back Chad Walker, who rushed for a team high 72 yards, and junior wide receiver Nick Moretti, who picked up 45 receiving yards on a game-high eight catches.
For Geneva, the Golden Tornadoes rolled to a 27-14 victory over Thiel for their second consecutive win of the season. Under the triple-option offense, Geneva amassed 326 rushing yards. Senior running back Trewon Marshall led the team with 128 yards on 27 carries and a touchdown. Sophomore quarterback Levi Cook followed Marshall’s performance with 84 yards and a touchdown himself against the Tomcats.
Coming into the Week Four matchup against the Golden Tornadoes, who lead the Presidents’ Athletic Conference in rushing offense, there are a few key areas the Yellow Jackets will focus on.
Control Possession
So far this season, the Yellow Jackets have out-possessed opponents by nearly 10 minutes per game. While controlling possession gives the offense greater opportunity, head coach Chris Smithley said the offense struggles to complete drives consistently.
“We have been possessing the ball on offense and we got to continue to do that,” said Smithley. “But we have to finish drives and score touchdowns. That’s where we’re kind of stalling where we get down there and that stuff has to change.”
Stop the Run
Geneva leads the PAC in rushing offense averaging 328 yards per game. So far this season, the Golden Tornadoes have gathered 984 yards on the ground, which tops the league.
Smithley said Waynesburg, who is ranked fifth in the conference for rushing defense, must keep the Geneva offense off the field as much as possible – not just to minimize scoring opportunities, but also to help the defense.
“It takes a toll on those guys, especially if they are having long drives,” Smithley said. “Like I said, every play when our defense is going against their offense, especially on the defensive line and on the offense, it is like a car crash.”
Solidify the Offense
In every game so far this season, multiple quarterbacks have taken snaps for the Yellow Jackets. After switching between Perone and Dougherty last week, Smithley said there is no leader yet who will take over as the No. 1 quarterback for the Yellow Jackets.
“These guys are doing what they do well,” Smithley said. “No one is stepping up saying, ‘hey I’m the guy, its clear as day.’ No one is doing that. So we got to do what we got to do to win football games.”
Heading into a week of practice to prepare for the Geneva matchup, Smithley said the offense’s primary focus will be on spread zone scoring and finishing drives.
Kickoff this Saturday is set for 1:30 p.m. at John F. Wiley Stadium.