W&J offense rolls up 756 yards in rout of Thiel
Washington & Jefferson rolled up 756 yards – the fourth-highest total in NCAA Division III this season – and scored 51 first-half points Saturday en route to a 65-28 victory over Thiel in a Presidents’ Athletic Conference football game at Cameron Stadium.
Pete Coughlin completed 20 of 24 passes for 363 yards and four touchdowns to lead the W&J attack. Eight of Coughlin’s completions went to Jesse Zubik, who turned them into 167 yards and two touchdowns.
Running back Ryan Ruffling went over 3,000 career rushing yards and 1,000 for the season with a 132-yard, 18-carry day. Ruffins scored four touchdowns, on runs of 15, 9, 4 and 10 yards to give him 50 rushing and 55 total touchdowns in his career.
W&J (5-2, 7-2) forged a 28-0 lead in the game’s first 12 minutes and led 51-21 at halftime.
Coughlin had touchdown passes of 25 yards to Daniel Lis and 20 yards to Cody heart in the opening quarter and Ruffing ran for two scores. Coughlin hooked up with Zubik for TDs of 66 and 29 yards in the second quarter, Ruffing added his third TD and the Presidents added a safety.
Thiel (0-7, 1-8) scored two touchdowns in the final two minutes of the first half. Quarterback Ryan Radke, who had a 48-yard TD run in the first quarter, threw a 21-yard scoring pass and added a three-yard run with 25 seconds left in the half.
Ruffing’s fourth touchdown and a two-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Alex Rowse to Michael Giampole made it 65-21 early in the fourth quarter.
The 756 yards represent the second consecutive season that W&J has generated 700 yards in total offense against Thiel. The 756 yards is the tyop single-game output in the PAC this season.
W&J concludes its regular season Saturday when it hosts Waynesburg.