10-14-2024 10:29am

MUSTANGS WIN

Football gets defensive in 10-3 win over Widener

Next Game: Albright College

10/19/2024 | 1 p.m.

CHESTER, Pa. – The Stevenson University football team got defensive after the bye week, defeating Widener 10-3 in a MAC contest on Saturday.

With the win, Stevenson (3-2, 3-1 MAC) stayed one game behind first-place King's and FDU-Florham. The Mustangs have now won three straight.

Donnie Waitt's 23-yard field goal with 11:17 left in the game proved to be the game-winner as Stevenson allowed a first quarter Pride (2-3, 2-2) field goal, before taking the lead for good as LJ Blackwell ran from 1-yard out with 4:04 left in the opening period.

Stevenson held the Pride to just 237 yards of total offense and just 1-of-9 in third downs in the win.

Nyaire Wilson made his season debut at quarterback, as he went 14-for-21 for 206 yards. The Mustangs ran the ball 45 times for 115 yards, with Blackwell rushing for 102 yards on 30 attempts.

Deion Richardson caught four passes for 125 yards, while Dillon Johnson caught a team and game high six passes for 57 yards.

Defensively, Stevenson forced two fumbles and caused two interceptions, with Anthony Russo having a forced fumble and the game clinching interception with just under two minutes left in the game.

Widener's lone field goal came off an interception, as the Pride went down to the Stevenson 18 before Ryan Pattison kicked a 35-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead with 9:27 left.

Blackwell's scored capped a scoring drive that started with 6:24 left in the first, with the big play going for 52 yards as Wilson threw a pass to Richardson on 1st-and-10. Widener drove down to the Stevenson 23 on its next possession, but, Pattison's field goal attempt from 33-yards out was blocked.

Widener's next drive was stopped at the Stevenson 12 when Gordon Hoover sacked Eli Warfel which was recovered by Clarence Travis at the Stevenson 21 with 12:48 left in the second quarter.

In the third quarter, Amari Fleming-Powell intercepted a pass with 9:15 left at the Stevenson 20, stopping a Pride drive. Another Russo play with 5:30 left in the third quarter prevented a Widener score as Russo forced a fumble at the Stevenson 1-yard line which led to a touchback.

In the fourth, Russo would nab the game-cliching interception on Widener's final drive as he picked a pass at the Pride 33 yard line.

Stevenson will host Albright on Homecoming next Saturday.