GREENVILLE, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson Presidents scored two first-half touchdowns Saturday en route to a 17-0 victory over the Thiel Tomcats.
 
Dion Wiegand scored W&J's first touchdown of the game with 5:08 left to play in the first quarter on a 1-yard run. Alex Baroffio set up the score on a 54-yard punt return to the Thiel 7-yard line.
 
The Presidents went into the locker room at halftime leading 14-0 after a 9-play drive concluded with a 30-yard touchdown pass from Baroffio to Hunter Creek with 17 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
 
W&J extended its lead to 17-0 on its first possession of the second half when Eric Eberle booted a 44-yard field goal to put the finishing touches on a 12-play drive that consumed more than seven minutes of game clock.
 
After the Presidents went up 17-0, the Tomcats responded with a long drive of their own, but the march was stopped short of pay dirt when the Presidents sacked Andrew Smith (Williamsfield, Ohio/Pymatuning Valley) on a fourth-and-goal play from the 3-yard line.
 
On their next possession, the Tomcats advanced the ball to the W&J 25-yard line, but an interception by Nathan Melhorn ended the threat.
 
Wiegand led the Presidents on the ground with 88 yards on 20 carries. Baroffio carried 16 times for 28 yards and completed 6-of-11 passes for 72 yards and one touchdown pass. Also for the Presidents, Matt Bliss completed 7-of-13 passes for 59 yards.
 
Taylor Fink (Kittanning, Pa./Kittanning) led the Tomcats with 22 yards on the ground while Josh Potter (Chipley, Fla./Chipley) picked up 18 rushing yards. Tight end Berend Grube (Venetia, Pa./Peters Twp.) made seven receptions for 48 yards.
 
Tom Thorpe (Charleroi, Pa./Charleroi) led Thiel's defense with 14 tackles (11 solo).
 
Thiel defensive end Tim Taylor (Girard, Pa./Erie Cathedral Prep), who made five tackles Saturday, recorded two sacks, 3.5 tackles for a loss and recovered one fumble. Taylor now has 26 career sacks, two less than Chris Lorber (2004-07), who is Thiel's career leader. Taylor also has 52 tackles for loss, 1.5 less than Jon Howson (2002-05), who is the college's career leader.
 
The Tomcats (1-3, 1-1 PAC) will try to get back on track Saturday (Sept. 29) when they host the undefeated Waynesburg Yellow Jackets (4-0, 2-0 PAC). Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.