Blue Hose Dominates in Second Half, Slays Virginia-Lynchburg 48-17

Undoubtedly the most complete offensive performance in Steve Englehart‘s two-year tenure directing the show, quarterback Tyler Wesley and the Presbyterian College football team overpowered Virginia University of Lynchburg on Saturday afternoon to the tune of a 48-17 final decision.

Concluding the contest on a 28-0 run after a 77-minute lightning delay, the Blue Hose found the end zone six times from five different players in the lopsided W, a drastic antonym from the previous season’s win over the Dragons that ended in an eight-point clip.

Wesley, a sophomore Floridian making his third career start, shined brightly with 307 yards of total offense (240 through the air, 67 on the ground), responsible for four TD’s and six plays that went for 20 yards or better.

Only punting three times behind 26 first downs and 534 yards altogether, PC grabbed their 55^th victory at Bailey Memorial Stadium over the weekend and second straight over Virginia-Lynchburg.

The last of three non-conference dates on the 2023 lineup, the Blue Hose will make a brief trip to Wofford next Saturday for a 6:00 PM start against the Terriers. That bout will serve as the 86^th between the two Palmetto State neighbors.

FINAL SCORE – Presbyterian, 48 – Virginia-Lynchburg, 17
RECORDS – Presbyterian (1-1) – Virginia-Lynchburg (0-2)
LOCATION – Bailey Memorial Stadium (Clinton, S.C.)

OPENING KICK

– The second instance in his young career eclipsing 250 yards with his arm, Wesley (and by extension, Ty Englehart during the fourth quarter) connected with nine different receivers for the team’s most efficient passing effort in 12 months.

– Senior wideout Jordan Irizarry enjoyed his best outing in a Blue Hose uniform, hauling in five catches for 93 yards. The Hollywood, Fla. native logged a career-high 39-yarder in the third frame before duplicating that same length in the next stanza.

– Dominic Kibby, Cincere Gill, and Dylan Boone tallied at least one TD reception (the latter two doing so for the first time with the program), marking four scores in two Lynchburg matchups for Kibby – a preseason All-Pioneer Football League selection as only a sophomore.

– Gill and second-year special-teamer Shawn Lodge synced up for 107 combined yards in returning punts and kickoffs, the latter reaching a career-best 39-yard gain as PC began the second-half run away.

– Dating back to last season’s home finale against Dayton, PC has now made it back-to-back home meetings with a pick six after sophomore Caleb Francis notched a 32-yard interception return with nothing but green grass in front of him. The momentum-shifter occurred with exactly 60 ticks to go until the first half horn, signaling a 10-point sequence for Englehart’s club in 16 seconds.

– Presbyterian’s work in the trenches was sublime against the Dragons, racking up seven sacks which reversed VUL for a total of 42 yards. That number stands as the third-most in a single game since PC made the Division I transition 16 years ago, only two shy of the record that was achieved in a 26-24 win over Gardner-Webb in 2010.

HOW IT HAPPENED – FIRST HALF

– The Dragons’ quarterback group realized it would be a rough day in the office from the early going, as Alex Herriott and newbie Jaylon Stoker each registered a sack on the game’s first series.

– Englehart gambled during PC’s second drive on a 4^th and 2 at the Lynchburg 32-yard line, paying off on a Dealo Parson dive past the line of scrimmage. Following a 22-yard completion to senior tight end Worth Warner, the Blue Hose gained a chip shot field goal by Mack Mikko to draw first blood.

– The blue and garnet defensive line continued its terror on VUL’s answering series, releasing a Cade Lewis sack and a blocked field goal by transfer Carter Szydlowski in the early moments of the second period.

– Wesley and Kibby provided the backbreaker two snaps later on a 59-yard go route that increased the advantage to 10. Lynchburg wouldn’t go down quietly, however, seizing a five-play scoring drive that was capped by a similarly-sizable 64-yard lob.

– The Dragons threatened to potentially wrestle the lead away on the lone blunder from Wesley (a strip sack with 11 minutes to go in the 2^nd), although PC’s defense held strong at their 29 and only conceded three points.

– A game-long 6:34 drive was Presbyterian’s answer to the sudden tie, converting a third and nine by virtue of a 16-yard dart to Terik Mulder. The taxing series wrapped up with another manageable boot from Mikko, improving the freshman to a three-for-three mark after two bouts.

– Seemingly taking a three-point edge into the locker room, Francis emphatically changed that notion for the better on the aforementioned INT. The defensive touchdown boosted the tally to 20-10 shortly before Mother Nature intervened in the second half.

HOW IT HAPPENED – SECOND HALF

– Although the majority of the second and third frames were drowned in positives for Englehart’s crew, the opening of that array brought some nerve-racking glances caused by a VUL blocked punt that was scooped into the end zone.

– The slimmer lead didn’t phase the Blue Hose in the slightest, even with the hour-plus delay, charging out of the gates once the skies had cleared up and embarking on three touchdown drives in a row that created significant separation.

– Gill bested his defender in man-to-man coverage on the third snap after the pause (under eight minutes in the third), going 20 yards for Wesley’s second TD throw that simultaneously bubbled the lead back to double digits.

– Robert Porter granted PC their fourth sack of the contest once the defense returned to the field, opening the door for another successful red zone trip that started on a 56-yard scamper from the squad’s blossoming QB.

– Wesley plunged it to paydirt on a fourth-and-one sneak that allowed the Blue Hose to double up the Dragons (34-17), not satisfied with 14 points in the third and thirsty for seven more.

– They’d get their wish once Wesley eyed Warner for a 31-yard gain on third-and-long, finishing the third consecutive touchdown drive with a gorgeous 14-yard loft to Kibby with 15 seconds remaining in the quarter.

– Boone put a bow on Presby’s 48-point day by toting an 11-yard flick from Ty Englehart, completing the team’s highest point gathering in 15 games. All in all, the 534 yards are the most obtained by the program since 2021 as they handily controlled possession by plus-13 minutes.

– Another landmark was hit from the Blue Hose with 227 rushing yards, the highest figure from PC in four years, while limiting Lynchburg to a paltry eight yards in the ground game.

– Presbyterian was never thwarted in any of their six visits to the red zone, while their defensive front accumulated 11 tackles for a loss en route to the commanding W.

UP NEXT

– The miniscule trip to Wofford will renew a longtime rivalry that began all the way back in 1914, with the programs’ most recent encounter happening five years back. PC will be searching to end a seven-game losing skid in the series, last defeating the Terriers in 1994.

– Wofford was defeated by the Pittsburgh Panthers on September 2 in a 45-7 route, clashing with William & Mary in Virginia on Saturday. The all-South Carolina duel in Spartanburg will be streamed live on ESPN+.

 

Photo credit: Tim Cowie