W&J’s first-half offensive blitz buries CMU
Film study will not be a particularly fun time for Carnegie Mellon’s football team this week.
Especially for the defensive players.
That’s because Washington & Jefferson unleashed an offensive tsunami on the Tartans in a 36-14 victory in a Presidents’ Athletic Conference game at Cameron Stadium Saturday night.
W&J erupted for 33 first-half points, finished with 501 total yards, then turned the game over to the defense for the second half. Carnegie Mellon did not score in the final 30 minutes.
Andrew Wolf had another outstanding game, catching three long touchdown passes from Jacob Adams, who completed 14 passes out of 25 attempts for 284 yards. Wolf had TD catches of 39, 66 and 67 yard. Wolf had five receptions for 186 yards.
“They played single coverage and we just blew by them,” said Wolf. “I just made sure I caught it and got into the end zone. Jake threw a fantastic ball. He was putting it where only I could get and the receive couldn’t.”
Alex Cline completed 30 of 48 pass attempts and set the school’s single-game record for yardage with 410 yards. He had two touchdowns.
W&J’s defense held CMU’s rushing attack to 76 yards.
“The offense won the first half and the defense won the second half. That’s a real good way of putting it,” said W&J head coach Mike Sirianni. “We played real well in the first half, moved the ball well. And in the second half, we got conservative. … When we needed a stop, we got it, every time. That just doesn’t happen. It’s a credit to (our defense).”
Jordan West, a Washington High School graduate, rushed for a career-best 179 yards and scored two TDs in the first half.
This was the first big test for W&J, which came into the game with lopsided victories against St. John Fisher and Thiel. Carnegie Mellon, because of a scheduling glitch, had a Week 1 bye before disposing of Rochester, 31-7.
Adams to Wolf worked well in the first half and helped the Presidents build a 33-14 lead over Carnegie Mellon at intermission. Adams had 195 yards and three touchdowns just in the first quarter.
It took W&J just three plays and 49 seconds to take a 7-0 lead. Adams hit Wolf with a pass down the left side for a 39-yard score.
Just three minutes later, the two connected again, this time from 66 yards and a 13-0 lead as the PAT kick went wide left.
To show the previous two TD passes were no fluke, Adams hit Wolf with a 67-yard scoring pass to make it 19-0 at the 5:27 mark.
All three touchdowns were on fly patterns, allowing Wolf to use his speed.
“We didn’t think we were going to get (single coverage) but we liked the looks we had,” said Adams. “We got great protection from the big boys up front and that’s where it all starts. We were able to hit some deep balls.”
W&J switched gears on the next possession, showing off the running game. Jordan West burst through the line for a 37-yard run that gave the Presidents a 26-0 lead.
Just when one thought the Tartans were out of it, they scored when Cline hit Willie Riichter with a 39-yard strike to make it 26-7 with 1:21 left in a high-scoring first quarter.
West gave Washington & Jefferson a 33-7 lead when he scored his second touchdown on a one-yard run on fourth down. The score was set up on a long pass to Tim Swoope.
W&J held on the next series and was to get the ball back but Brayden Toy muffed a punt and the Tartans got the ball back. CMU made W&J pay when Hubbard caught a nine-yard TD pass to make it a 19-point lead for the Presidents at intermission.
W&J’s defense made a goal-line stand in the first quarter and the Tartans missed a field goal in the second, leaving a possible 10 points on the field.