READING, PA – Wilkes University junior quarterback Jose Tabora (Egg Harbor Township, NJ/St. Augustine Prep.) accounted for four touchdowns (three rushing/one receiving) to lead visiting Wilkes University to a 34-14 Middle Atlantic Conference victory over Alvernia University Saturday afternoon at FirstEnergy Stadium.
 
The win moved Wilkes to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in MAC games while Alvernia dropped to 1-3 overall and 0-3 in MAC contests. It marked the first meeting between the two schools in football, with Alvernia playing in its first season.
 
With the game tied at 14 at the half, Tabora used his legs and arm to give the Colonels the lead for good. On Wilkes first drive of the third quarter, Tabora connected with Jeff Steeber (Shickshinny, PA/Berwick) for 12 yards before short completions to Nick Yanik (Edison, NJ/Edison Twp.) and Derek Nelson (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock) moved the ball inside the Alvernia 30. From there Tabora scampered through the Golden Wolves defense from 26-yards away to put Wilkes ahead 21-14 with 12:40 left in the quarter. It was a lead the Colonels would never relinquish.
 
David Kutteroff (Stroudsburg, PA/Stroudsburg) made good on a 30-yard field goal on the Colonels next possession before connecting on a 29-yard attempt early in the fourth quarter to push the advantage to 27-14.
 
After a Nahjir Woods (Piscataway NJ/Piscataway ) interception gave the ball back to the offense deep in Alvernia territory, Tabora put the finishing touches on the MAC win. Yanik found Tabora for a four-yard touchdown pass as Wilkes reached the 30 point plateau for the third time this season.
 
The teams went scoreless through the first quarter of play as the Colonel defense impacted the game with a turnover late in the opening frame to setup the first Wilkes points of the game. Zachary Weber (Douglassville, PA/Twin Valley) intercepted an Alvernia pass at the Golden Wolves 37 with :36 left in the first quarter. After two incomplete passes and a short run, the Colonel offense decided to go for it on fourth down. Facing a fourth and nine, Tabora scrambled around the pocket extending the play before finding Yanik for a 29-yard completion down to the one yard line. From there Tabora called his own number diving in from one yard out on the goal line play to give the Colonels a 7-0 lead following a Kutteroff extra point.
 
The Colonels offense wasted little time to take back the advantage as Tabora began to lead another scoring drive. Starting at their own 45, Jason Wiley (Port Chester, NY/Port Chester ) rushed three times for 15 yards followed by a Tabora to Nelson completion that moved the ball into Alvernia territory. Another completion, this time Tabora to Juan Salas-Negron (Laurys Station, PA/Parkland) for 14 yards moved Wilkes inside the Alvernia 5. From there Tabora called his own number for the second time in the game running in from six yards out for his second rushing score of the first half. A Kutteroff extra point put Wilkes ahead 14-7 with 1:44 on the clock.
 
Alvernia once again answered back using an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to tie the game at 14-14 heading into the break.
 
Tabora finished 14-for-30 through the air for 147 yards while running nine times for 40 yards and three scores. Tabora moved into ninth place on the school's- all-time passing yards list currently with 2,635 career passing yards.

Wiley led the ground game with 17 carries for 90 yards. Six different receivers caught passes for Wilkes in the win.
 
Bud Moyer (Tamaqua, PA/Tamaqua)s led the Colonel defense with a team-high nine tackles.
 
Wilkes returns home Saturday for Homecoming hosting Albright College at 1:00 p.m. at Schmidt Stadium.