WASHINGTON, D.C. - The visiting Western Connecticut State University Wolves suffered a 28-27 loss to the Catholic University Cardinals in Landmark Conference football action this afternoon at Cardinal Stadium. WestConn falls to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in the Landmark and Catholic improves to 1-6 overall and 1-2 in the league. The Wolves will visit conference rival Lycoming next on Saturday, October 24 at 1 p.m. WestConn outgained the Cardinals, 484-245, had 27 first downs to 13 for Catholic, and possessed the ball for 34 minutes but could not convert on a game-tying PAT after scoring the game's last touchdown.
WestConn took a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter on a 75-yard run, after Wolves had begun the drive at their own four-yard line. Wolves senior QB
Dylan Jackson (Monroe, Conn.) completed a 15-yard pass to sophomore
Quinn Speller (Waterford, Conn.) on 3rd-and-4 from his own 10-yard line to set up the score. Catholic took advantage of a muffed punt return by the Wolves that was recovered by the Cardinals' Billy Turner later in the first quarter, and tied the score at 7-7 on a 12-yard pass from Charles Gulbin to Nole Henry.
Jsai Smith intercepted Jackson early in the second quarter and returned the ball to the Wolves six-yard line to set up a four-yard touchdown run by Keegan Eichert. WestConn was stopped on 4th-and-goal at the Catholic two-yard line with 8:11 left before halftime, and the Cardinals scored their third touchdown on a 67-yard scamper by Lamar West Jr. The Wolves responded with a 72-yard drive that included three completions from Jackson to senior WR
Serge Lagardere (Stamford, Conn.) for 40 yards and ended with a 29-yard touchdown pass on 4th-and-29 from Jackson to freshman WR
Wade Evans (Queens, N.Y.) with six seconds left before intermission.
The Wolves tied the score at 21-all on a seven-yard pass from Jackson to sophomore RB
Donald Highsmith (Middletown, Conn.) with 7:54 left in the third quarter. Jackson rushed three times for 40 yards and found Lagardere on a 22-yard pass for a first down on 3rd-and-7 during the scoring drive. The Cardinals took the lead back on a two-yard scoring run by Adrian Fresen with 47 seconds remaining in the third frame. WestConn answered immediately when Jackson found Lagardere for a first down on a 22-yard pass and then connected with Benson on a 21-yard touchdown pass with 11:46 left on the clock. The PAT failed, however, on a fumbled snap to keep the Wolves behind by a point at 28-27. Both defenses kept the score the same the rest of the way.
Jackson finished 23-for-51 for 272 yards while Gulbin totaled just 87 yards on his 17 completions in 32 attempts. Benson rushed for 115 yards and Lagardere caught eight passes for 111 yards. West rushed for a game-high 145 yards on 17 carries. Defensively, WestConn senior LB
Luis Jaquez (Holbrook, N.Y.) and junior S
Tafari Johnson (Bronx, N.Y.) had eight tackles apiece and
Chris Caracter (Wilmington, Del.) intercepted a pass. Maximus Desir made nine tackles and Smith added six tackles, a tackle for loss, and a pass breakup to hisinterception for the Cardinals.
