Widner Suffers Heartbreak at Lycoming

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Sean McGaughey threw for a career-high 435 yards and five touchdowns, but the Widener University football team was dealt a heartbreaking 43-42 loss at Lycoming on Saturday afternoon.

RECAP

The game got off to a hot start offensively, as Lycoming scored on its opening drive, but missed the extra point. The Blue and Gold battled back, needing six plays to go 75 yards, capped by Sean McGaughey connecting with James Gillespie from 14-yards out to make it 7-6. Key on the drive was a 55-yard pass from McGaughey to Ty Holbert on third-and-long. The Warriors scored on a corner fade two drives later, but Chris Randle plunged in from a yard out with five seconds left in the corner to push the Pride up by a point at the end of 15 minutes.

Early in the second quarter, the Warriors took the lead back with a field goal. Widener had a field goal of its own blocked before forcing a punt on the ensuing defensive possession. Working on a short field, the Pride needed under two minutes to score as McGaughey connected with Joe Bristow in the back of the end zone. After a punt, Widener seemed to have a drive stall with a 4th-and-16. The field goal unit came out before Lycoming called timeout to ice the kicker. Widener opted to bring the offense back on the field. McGaughey was flushed from the pocket, but found Zach Vanscovich in the back corner of the end zone, pushing the lead to 28-16 at the break.

The Warriors scored on their first drive of the second half to pull within a score. Lycoming started its second drive after the Pride pinned LC inside its own 20. On a first down play, Ryan Beck came up with an interception and returned it to the Warriors’ 20. The next play, McGaughey found Gillespie for his fourth TD pass of the day. On the next offensive play for Lycoming, Austin Rivera came up with an interception, returning it 30 yards. Three plays later, Holbert made an acrobatic, one-handed catch, crossing the goal line, extending the lead.

The fourth quarter became a different story as a pair of TD drives for the Warriors cut the lead to 42-36 with 10:38 to go. After playing tough for the next 10 minutes, LC scored with 25 seconds left. The Pride marched downfield and had a chance at the end, but a 42-yard field goal attempt missed the mark.

BY THE NUMBERS

• McGaughey’s 435 yards through the air represented the first 400+ yard game for the Pride since Alex Krivda had 411 against FDU-Florham on November 7, 2015. He came within 35 yards of the Widener single game record set by Christ Haupt with 470 against Waynesburg in the ECAC South Atlantic Bowl in 2011.
• Seven different receivers caught a pass, four of them grabbing touchdowns. James Gillespie led the group with seven catches for 174 yards and two scores. Holbert had four receptions for 107 yards and a score.
• Randle led the ground attack with 21 rushes for 72 yards and a TD
• Matt Russo topped Widener in passing for the second straight game with 13.

GAME NOTES

• The touchdown catches by both Vanscovich and Holbert were the first of their careers.
• When Beck picked off a pass late in the third quarter, it the first of his career and the first of the season for the Pride. He came away with another INT later in the contest.
• Austin Rivera also intercepted his first career pass.

UP NEXT
Widener has its home opener on Saturday, September 21 when it hosts FDU-Florham. Kickoff from Elizabeth J. Hirschmann Field at Leslie C. Quick, Jr. Stadium is slated for 1:00 p.m.