Following a big win against Bethany on Saturday, W&J running back Ryan Ruffing was named the President’s Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week.
Ruffing had 170 yards from scrimmage on 19 touches, rushing 17 times for 116 yards and three scores and catching two passes for 54 yards in Saturday’s 66-42 win over Bethany. The senior running back only played in the first half as W&J led 52-21 at the break.
The 100-yard effort was the 14th time Ruffing has eclipsed the 100-yard plateau in the past two seasons.
The 66 points scored by W&J were the most the Presidents have scored since hanging 72 on Saint Francis in 2008.
In addition to Ruffing’s big day, quarterback Pete Coughlin threw for three touchdowns and ran for one as well.
The defense also got involved in the action, intercepting Bethany quarterback Lincon Reyes four times. The special teams also made a mark, blocking a punt for a touchdown.
In other PAC news:
– Bethany’s Jalen Holmes set a career high with 180 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns in the loss to W&J. Wide receiver Eric Blinn also had a big day, catching three touchdown passes.
– Carnegie Mellon running back Sam Benger became the fourth player in school history to reach the 1,000-yard mark. Benger’s 1,174 rushing yards leads all of Division III. CMU defeated Grove City 44-0 on Saturday, the program’s first shutout since 2007.
– The Case Western Reserve offense has been getting the job done this season, but on Saturday in a win against Geneva, the defense turned in their best performance of the season, holding Geneva to just 24 yards rushing and 124 total yards. Case Western hosts W&J this weekend, which is a huge game in terms of the conference standings.
– Thomas More stayed unbeaten, defeating Saint Vincent 42-38 on Saturday. The Saints had a battle on their hands though as they trailed by 14 at one point. Thomas More looks to stay perfect on the season when they travel to Grove City this week.
– Jametrius Bentley totaled 172 scrimmage yards (100 receiving, 72 rushing) as Westminster defeated Waynesburg 24-7.
– Thomas More’s Trey Wells was named the PAC Defensive Player of the Week after intercepting a pair of passes, the second of which he returned for a touchdown in a 42-28 win over Saint Vincent.
– Case Western Reserve kicker Ben Carniol was named the PAC Special Teams Player of the Week. Carniol accounted for eight total points and knocked down a pair of field goals in a 20-7 win over Geneva.
This Week’s Schedule
Geneva at Bethany 1 p.m.
Saint Vincent at Carnegie Mellon 1 p.m.
Thomas More at Grove City 1:30 p.m.
Thiel at Waynesburg 1:30 p.m.
W&J at Case Western Reserve 6 p.m.
Off – Westminster
Last Week’s Results
W&J 66, Bethany 42
Carnegie Mellon 44, Grove City 0
Case Western Reserve 20, Geneva 7
Thomas More 42, Saint Vincent 28
Westminster 24, Waynesburg 7
Photo Credit: Washington & Jefferson College
