Box Score

GREENVILLE, Pa. – After going into the locker room tied 14-14 with Thiel , the Widener  football team outscored the Tomcats 30-0 in the second half to register a 44-14 victory Saturday afternoon at Alumni Stadium.

Widener (2-0) quarterback Chris Haupt completed 28-of-51 passes for 294 yards and three scores and ran for another to pace the Pride offense. Haupt targeted Anthony Clayton seven times for 81 yards and a score and connected with Cedrick Clayton seven times for 88 yards. Steve Marrero and Dom DePasquale each finished with a touchdown reception. Terrant Morrison rushed nine times for 99 yards and a touchdown while Dante Pergolese totaled nine carries for 52 yards and a score.

Dan Cosenza registered five tackles (4 solo, 1asst), 2.5 tackles for loss, and a recovered fumble for the Pride. Jamal Dorsey and Dylan Ditmer each notched five tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss. Darious Johnson totaled three tackles, two tackles for loss and posted the Pride's lone sack of the afternoon.

Thiel quarterback Jared Soell (Oakmont, Pa./Riverview) threw for 179 yards and a touchdown on 17-of-31 passing. Soell also rushed 11 times for 29 yards. Nate Blazevich (Munhall, Pa./Steel Valley) hauled in a career-high eight passes for 79 yards and touchdown while Kyle Turkalj (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) corralled four catches for 28 yards.

Ryan Dawes (Transfer, Pa./Reynolds) led the Tomcats with a game-high nine tackles (6 solo, 3 asst). Tim Taylor (Girard, Pa./Erie Cathedral Prep) and Marshaun Hainesworth (Warren, Ohio/Warren JFK) each added eight stops.

Widener totaled 36 plays for 170 yards in the opening half, while Thiel (0-2) ran 36 plays for 158 yards. The second half was a completely different story as the Pride rolled up 309 yards on 49 second-half plays to finish with 479 total yards of offense. The Tomcats managed 244 yards on 62 plays, including just 86 second-half yards.

With the game tied 7-7 with 4:12 to play in the opening half, Haupt's third-and-20 pass from the Pride 18 was intercepted by Robert Edwards at the visitor 44 and returns for the score. The ensuring extra point by Cody McClelland (Sarver, Pa./Freeport) tied the game at 14-14.

Thiel held a commanding 19:22-10:38 advantage in first half time of possession, but Widener's strong second half saw them close out the final two periods edging Thiel 18:04-11:56 in time of possession.

The Tomcats, able to convert on just one-of-eight third down conversions in the first half, finished the day just 2-of-15 on third downs, compared to the Pride's 9-of-19 (47%).

Morrison's three-yard touchdown run with 11:33 to play in the third capped a 12-play, 64-yard drive for the Pride, and after a Matt Breslin extra point, the visitors jumped out to a 21-14 lead.

Entering the fourth quarter leading 21-14 the Pride would score on a Pergolsese seven-yard run to go up 28-14 with 13:30 remaining and would see their lead balloon to 35-14 on Haupt's seven-yard scoring pass to DePasquale with 10:39 to play.

Robert Watkins' block of Soells punt on fourth-and-seven from the Tomcat 18 was scooped up by Soell in the end zone, but allowed the Pride to extend their lead to 37-14 due to the safety.

Widener would score on the ensuing drive with Anthony Clayton finishing on the receiving end of a Haupt 15-yard touchdown strike with just under five minutes to play to close out the scoring at 44-14. The eight-play, 57-yard drove ate 4:05 off of the clock.

Thiel opens its 2011 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) season next Saturday, Sept. 17 as they travel to Waynesburg University to take on the Yellow Jackets. Kickoff from John F. Wiley Stadium is set for 1:30 p.m.