Box Score

MADISON, NJ – Auxence Wogou (Hackettstown, NJ, Hackettstown) ran for 114 yards and a touchdown while Tyler Berntsen (Long Valley, NJ, West Morris Central) added two rushing scores as the Wilkes University defense held off a late FDU-Florham rally to gain a 28-23 win over the Devils in Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) football action on Saturday afternoon at Shields Field in Madison, New Jersey.

After the Colonels built up a 28-9 lead midway through the third quarter, FDU came back, first getting a 16-yard touchdown pass from Matt Jeffers to Jon Bennett with 2:18 left in the third. The Devils drive covered 64 yards in just six plays, getting a boost from a 15-yard Colonels penalty to get down to the Wilkes 21-yard line. The score brought FDU to within 12 points at 28-16.

Both teams then traded possessions, never getting past the 50-yard line on any of the five drives, before FDU threatened again.

Taking over on their own nine, the Devils drove 73 yards in 13 plays before getting an 18-yard scoring pass from Jeffers to Andrew Scamporino with 2:37 left on the clock in the final quarter. The score brought them to within five but the Colonels came up with the ensuing onside kick and looked to run out the clock.

However, the Devils played Wilkes tough, forcing a three-and-out and only allowing 29 seconds to run off the clock after using all three of their timeouts.

With 2:05 remaining, FDU took over at their own 15, looking for the go-ahead score. But the Colonels had other plans, as freshman linebacker Tate Moore-Jacobs (New Cumberland, Cedar Cliff) came up with a huge interception four plays into the drive at the Devils 35-yard line, preserving another tight win for Wilkes.

The victory put the Colonels at 4-3 (3-1) on the year, as all four victories have been by one-score and have come in the final minute of regulation or in overtime.

Wilkes started the scoring, getting into the end zone on its second possession of the afternoon when Berntsen took it in from one-yard out on fourth and goal after an 11-play drive. FDU responded right away, getting a 68-yard return consequent kickoff, and then five plays later got in the end zone as Jeffers ran it in himself from the six yard line.

After three scoreless possessions, the Devils took a 9-7 lead with a Travis Mullen field goal from 27-yards out less than five minutes into the third quarter. However, it didn't take long for the Colonels to regain that lead.

Starting at their own 33-yard line, the Colonels got a 13-yard run from Zach Tivald (Edison, NJ, Edison) and a seven-yard pass from Berntsen to David Kratzer (Flanders, NJ, Pope John) before Wogou broke loose for a 43-yard run down to the FDU 22-yard line. Three plays later Tivald ran it in from one-yard out to put Wilkes on top 14-9 with 7:35 left in the second.

FDU would only hold onto the ball for two minutes before freshman linebacker Tom Calabrese (Belvidere, NJ, Belvidere) forced and recovered a fumble at his own 19-yard line. The fumble came one play after another forced fumble which was recovered by the Devils and taken 30 yards to the Wilkes 30-yard line.

The Colonels then got another big play from Wogou, as the freshman tailback ran 58-yards for a score on the fifth play of the drive, giving him his first career 100-yard rushing day.

Wilkes got its fourth touchdown of the game in the third quarter, putting together a 12-play, 80-yard drive that resulted in Berntsen's second score of the day, this one from seven yards out.

Wilkes outgained FDU 387-360, as the Devils managed only 108 yards on the ground, the lowest total against the Colonels defense all year. Jeffers finished 25-of-40 for 252 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

The Colonels finished the day with 219 yards and four scores on the ground, as Tivald added 79 yards to Wogou's and Berntsen's totals. Berntsen was 15-of-24 for 168 yards through the air, as Kratzter and Anthony Dorunda (New Milford, Susqehanna) each caught four passes.

Kevin Gerhart (Hummelstown, Lower Dauphin) led the Wilkes defense with 11 tackles while Moore-Jacobs had 10 with the pick and a tackle-for-loss. Harry Reese (Plymouth, Wyoming Valley West) finished with two sacks.

The Colonels 4-3 in the MAC and 3-1 overall, are tied with Lycoming College for second place in the conference after the Warriors 36-0 loss to Delaware Valley College earlier today. Wilkes will face the Warriors next Saturday at home, as both teams look to gain ground on Delaware Valley in the race for first in the MAC. Kickoff for next week's game, which will be televised on Fox 56 in Scranton, is set for 1:05 p.m.