FULTON, Mo. - William Woods University (1-7) hosted Peru State College (5-2) for the opening competition of the inaugural homecoming weekend at the Woods. The Bobcats held the control of the game from beginning to end, besting the Owls 50-7.
WWU began the game on the defensive end, looking to set the tone. PSC also began the game looking to gain some momentum early, cranking a 40 yard run by Stacian Livings that was stopped at the Owls' 25 yard line by
Carter Holloway. Another run by the Bobcats took them into the red zone, but
Carleon Jones and Holloway each earned a tackle for loss on second and fourth down respectively, turning the ball over to William Woods.
The Woods' first offensive drive was cut short by the Peru State defense. After just three plays, the Owls were facing a fourth and one. The offense was left on the field, tricking the defense to believe there would be a fourth down attempt, but instead, QB
Liam Hughes punted the ball for 54 yards, the ball being downed on Peru State's 18 yard line.
Despite the excellent punt from Hughes, PSC was able to create a big play on a 71 yard pass for their first touchdown. The Bobcats continued momentum from here, scoring 50 straight in spite of interceptions by
Carter Holloway halfway through the first quarter,
Sean Conner at the end of the first half,
Austin Levias early in the third, and
Jacob Lozano towards the end of the third quarter.
The Owls' sole scoring possession came with three minutes left in the game. With the ball on their own 48 yard line and facing a fourth and two situation,
Liam Hughes used a hard count to draw a Bobcat defender offside, granting WWU a free play. Meanwhile,
Troy Oliver was sent on a streak down the left sideline. Hughes disregarded the double coverage on Oliver, taking a chance anyway. A perfectly-placed strike traveled past the outstretched arms of the defenders, landing into the hands of Oliver, who trotted into the end zone for a 52 yard score.
On offense,
Liam Hughes went 11-28 for 128 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Elijah Rupejko also completed four passes for 44 yards.
Jalen Proctor carried the ball eight times, gaining 26 yards in total.
Troy Oliver hauled in ten receptions for 117 yards and the only William Woods touchdown of the day.
On defense,
Carter Holloway ended with a staggering 13 tackles. He was followed closely by
Darrias Butler, who tallied 12. Holloway,
Sean Conner,
Austin Levias, and
Jacob Lozano all had an interception.
Jaylen Wiley Scruggs and
O'Neal Cotton each had two pass breakups.
William Woods University fell short on its inaugural homecoming weekend. The Owls are back in action on Saturday, November 2nd against another Heart of America Conference South Division opponent, Central Methodist in Fayette, Mo.
