Late Score Keeps Jackets From Being Shut Out
In the challenging Westminster matchup last weekend, offensive struggles underlined the Waynesburg’s 28-7 defeat.
The Jackets were shut out until the fourth quarter, when sophomore quarterback Jake Dougherty ran in a 1-yard touchdown with 6:13 left in the game. From the perspective of head coach Rich Shepas, he said the veteran stature of Westminster’s defense was a challenge, along with their speed.
“I just think under the circumstances of this particular game, you know, it was a tougher matchup for us offensively with their veteran secondary and matching speed for speed, in many cases [was] more speed than what we had,” said Shepas. “It was a tough matchup, especially in press coverage.”
However, the offensive struggles were not due to a lack of opportunities. Eight drives ended in Westminster territory, with only one ending in a score. Shepas said there were some significant misplays that led to the difficulty of cashing in on created opportunities.
“I think we played some more people both up front and a couple more guys at receiver, which I think is good,” said Shepas. “But then we also made some key mistakes at some critical times that stopped us from moving the ball.”
With the offensive struggles, Shepas said he felt that sophomore quarterback Jake Dougherty – who went 12-26 passing with 103 yards on the afternoon – had improved from where he was in the last game against Muskingum.
“I was real happy with the way Jake stepped up and ran the football and made some plays when there wasn’t much to get us going a little bit,” said Shepas.
The effort by Dougherty, Shepas said, allowed the team to move the ball better when compared to last week. Another positive found in Waynesburg’s offense on the afternoon, according to Shepas, was in the form of freshman running back Whitney White–who rushed for a net of 25 yards on the afternoon–due to his effort in practice the week before.
“[Dougherty] got us going that allowed us to move the ball between the 40s better this week than last week,” said Shepas. “I thought we got some good breakout runs by Whitney White as running back, because I think he practiced harder during the week.”
Going into the Jackets’ next game against Carnegie Mellon University, Shepas said the team needs to improve its consistency. Additionally, Shepas said that the team needs more experience through practice.
“[Our goals are] simplify the run game, keep people spread out, continue to get better,” said Shepas. “We obviously haven’t gelled yet. There’s no reason for us to panic; we’re just an inexperienced team, and we need those practice reps and need time.”
The Jackets will have another opportunity to continue to grow when they travel to Carnegie Mellon Saturday, Sept. 17. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.