The Waynesburg University football team picked up its first win of the 2025 season, defeating Hiram College 35-27 last Saturday. 

Senior running back Zayne Cawley led the team with 230 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns.

“It’s the mentality of, it’s conference time and these eight or nine-yard runs are now being broken for twelve or thirteen yards,” head coach Cornelius Coleman said.

Now, the Yellow Jackets will have its first road conference test of the season this Saturday, Sept. 27 against the Thiel Tomcats. 

Thiel has yet to pick up a win this season. Last week, they lost to Allegheny, 26-0. The Tomcats have struggled to get it going on offense, only scoring eight points through three games.

Graduate running back Deon Logan was an Presidents’ Athletic Conference honorable mention in the 2024 season rushing for 628 yards and 5 touchdowns. This season, he has 74 rushing yards and a touchdown. 

“I believe he runs hard. I believe he runs behind his pads,” Coleman said. 

However, the Waynesburg rushing defense was outstanding last week, only allowing 47 rushing yards. 

Through the air, the Yellow Jackets allowed 962 yards through three games, putting them just behind Geneva for most passing yards allowed so far in the PAC.

“One thing I’ve told the guys is, it’s not a scheme thing and it’s not an effort thing. We have to get better at the little things,” Coleman said regarding the pass defense. “We need to be able to collect routes and bump receivers off the top of their drive.”

Even though Waynesburg struggled to stop Hiram’s passing game for most of the game, they still made some big plays.

Marcus Crum Jr., a freshman cornerback for the Yellow Jackets, intercepted two passes against Hiram, including the game sealing pick. 

“We need to not guess and let the plays come to us,” Crum said. 

The Waynesburg defense looks to create turnovers while limiting the big plays. 

Thiel sophomore wide receiver/tight end Drevon Newton is somebody looking to spoil those plans.

“He’s a potential mismatch,” Coleman said. “I’ve known this young man [Newton] since he was in high school. He possesses all the athletic gifts.”

Newton was a part of six games as a freshman, mainly playing on special teams for the Tomcats. So far this season, Newton has two catches for ten yards. However, he has big play potential.

Sophomore Luke Hudson started at quarterback for the Yellow Jackets this past Saturday, with Tommy Burke III getting some snaps in the fourth quarter.

It was different from what we had seen against John Carroll and Dickinson, but Hudson helped Waynesburg to the win with 174 passing yards and two touchdown passes.

It remains to be known whether Hudson will take the bulk of the snaps against Thiel or if Burke returns to the fold.

Waynesburg heads to Thiel this Saturday, Sept. 26. Kickoff is at 3 p.m.