CHESTER, PA – Host Widener University rushed for 262 yards and two touchdowns on way to a 30-13 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) victory over Wilkes University Saturday afternoon at Leslie C. Quick Jr. Stadium.
 
Wilkes slips to 5-1 overall and 4-1 in MAC games following the road defeat. Widener improved to 6-1 overall and 4-1 in league contests.
 
Wilkes took the opening kickoff and began a promising first drive moving the ball down to the Widener 41 before Jose Tabora (Egg Harbor Township, NJ/St. Augustine Prep.) was sacked on a fourth and three turning the ball over to Widener on the loss of downs.
 
Widener got on the board first on the ensuing drive using eight plays capped by a Tristan Harris 17-yard touchdown pass to take a 7-0 lead after the extra point attempt was good.
 
Following a Wilkes punt, the Pride started its second scoring drive of the game using the ground game to move down the field and into Colonel territory. Dan Dutkiewicz ran the ball in from three yards out to extend the Widener advantage to 14-0 after the successful extra point with 7:47 left in the second quarter.
 
The Pride defense created a turnover on Wilkes' following possession as Tabora was picked off by Matt Okuniewski at the Colonel 40. The Pride moved the ball inside the Wilkes ten yard line, but a fumbled snap pushed Widener back and out of the end zone where it would settle for a 24-yard field goal by Larry Elmer to push the lead to 17-0 with 4:16 left in the first half.
 
Elijah Jules (Red Bank, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) took the ensuing kickoff 24 yards to the Wilkes 32. From there Tabora connected with Jonah Lilley (Wurtsboro, NY/Monticello) on the first play of the drive for a 68-yard pitch and catch to put the Colonels on the scoreboard trailing 17-6 with 4:09 left in the half.
 
Widener had one last chance before the end of the half for points, but an Elmer 45-yard field goal attempt hit the left upright and the Pride would settle for the 11-point lead at the break.
 
Widener opened the second half with the ball and wasted little time driving down the field using the run game. Shawn Thompson rushed for 33 yards and nine yards to move the ball to the Wilkes 20. Two plays later Harris hit Joe Bristow for a 16-yard touchdown to push the lead to 23-6 when the extra point was blocked by Wilkes with 10:53 left in the third quarter. That would be the only points scored by either team in the quarter as each offense traded punts over the next four drives heading into the final frame.
 
After the Wilkes defense forced a Widener punt, the Colonel offense began its second scoring drive of the game at its own four yard line. The screen game threw the Pride defense off balance as Tabora found both of his running backs, Jules for 26 yards and Kamaal Reed (Egg Harbor City, NJ/Cedar Creek) for 24 more yards, to move the ball to the Widener 35. Tabora and Nate Whitaker (Upper Darby, PA/Haverford School) made good on a 19-yard completion to move inside the Widener 20. From there Xavier Powell (Poughkeepsie, NY/Arlington) rushed in from four yards out to cut the lead to ten at 23-13 following a Justin Pollack (Sloatsburg, NY/Suffern) extra point with 8:27 left in the game.
 
Widener then put the game out of reach on the next drive when Tahir Cruse ran through the middle of the Wilkes defense for 65 yards to the end zone to give the Pride a 30-13 lead with under six minutes remaining in the contest.
 
Tabora finished 14-for-20 passing for 200 yards and one touchdown on the day. Whitaker was the top threat on the outside making five catches for 55 yards. Lilley had the lone catch for 68 yards and the score.
 
Wilkes entered the game as the MAC's leader in rushing yards at over 200+ a game, but the Colonels were limited to just 31 yards on 18 carries in the game.
 
Harris finished 16-for-26 passing for 194 yards and two touchdowns for Widener. Cruse and Thompson combined for 176 of the 262 yards on the ground for the Pride.
 
Dylan Walck (Hamlin, PA/Western Wayne) topped the Wilkes defense with a game-high 13 tackles. Nick Gazzola (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) finished with six tackles and one sack.
 
Wilkes returns home to Schmidt Stadium next Saturday when the Colonels host Lebanon Valley College for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff.