jtuscano@observer-reporter.com

The Presidents' Athletic Conference title and accompanying playoff berth are at stake. So are bragging rights.

There also are several intriguing questions when Washington & Jefferson College travels to Waynesburg Saturday afternoon (1:30 p.m.) to play the rival Yellow Jackets.

Including:

n Can the W&J defense, ranked 22nd in Division III, stop the NCAA's leading rusher in Robert Heller?

n Will the W&J offensive line be able to neutralize the devastating pass rush by the Yellow Jackets, and in particular defensive end Mike Czerwien?

n Can W&J's red-hot quarterback Bobby Swallow continue his aerial assault against Waynesburg's diminutive but aggressive secondary?

n Will the inexperience of Waynesburg quarterback Kyle Kyper be a major factor.

Those questions will be answered in the 60-minute time frame for this important PAC matchup. The eighth-ranked Presidents enter the game at 7-0 overall and 3-0 in the conference. Waynesburg also is 7-0 and 4-0 in the conference. This is the first time these two teams have meet with undefeated records this late in the season and with so much at stake.

"These games are fun to play," said W&J defensive tackle Jacob Bloomhuff. "It makes practice a lot better. These are the games you've got to get up for."

For Bloomhuff and the rest of the Presidents' defense, corralling Heller is a priority. That's also easier to say than to do. The freshman tailback averages 186 yards rushing per game.

"He's got outstanding speed and great vision," Bloomhuff said. "It's hard to judge him on film."

Heller leads all Division III rushers with 1,305 yards, a single-season school record, 163 points and an average of 186 yards per game.

"He reminds me of Nate Kmic," said W&J head coach Mike Sirianni of the Mount Union running back. "They have a lot of similarities: strong and they both run hard."

What has Sirianni pacing the floor at night is the Yellow Jackets' defense, which is led by Czerwien. The 5-8, 225-pound senior makes a habit of tackling people behind the line of scrimmage (23 times) and feasts on quarterbacks (15 sacks). Inside linebacker Brendon Steele also is having a tremendous season with 52 tackles, three quarterback sacks and two blocked kicks.

"What makes them so good is that they are so fast," Sirianni said. "They blitz and stunt. There won't be a play in this game where they won't be blitzing or stunting."

Waynesburg will be zeroing in on Swallow, who leads all NCAA divisions with a passing efficiency of 218.9. His 33 touchdowns is the third-highest single-season total in school history.

"Ball control is going to decide this game," Swallow said. "The team with the least amount of turnovers will win the game because they will be able to control the ball. If we control the ball, then we keep the ball away from Heller."

Heller's running has allowed freshman Kyle Kyper time to gain valuable experience at quarterback. His numbers have improved nearly each game and he has thrown for 626 yards and five touchdowns.

"That's one of the areas where we feel we need to play well," said Waynesburg head coach Rick Shepas. "Over a good part of the season, Kyle Kyper has been that man. He's been making good decisions with the football."

W&J's defense is led by linebacker David Gitlitz, who averages 10.6 tackles per game. He's tied with Thomas More's Matt Clark for the conference lead.

"They are solid on both sides of the ball," Shepas said. "Their linebackers are very disciplined and they are an athletic bunch."

Notes

W&J is ranked second in the South Region behind Mary Hardin-Baylor. ... In the last five seasons, the Yellow Jackets are 19-4 record at Wiley Stadium, including 10-2 in conference games. ... The Presidents have won the last three meetings. ... W&J receiver Tom McCafferty is seven receptions shy of 100 for his career.

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