ROWAN’S JOHN MANNION RAN FOR 177 YARDS IN PROFS WIN OVER WIDENER (Rowan University Photo)

Chester, PA – It took until overtime for Rowan to get a lead in their battle with Widener in the season opening game for both schools but once the Profs got it, they held onto it and scored an improbable 41-34 win at Leslie C. Quick, Jr. Stadium. Rowan’s Elijah Rehm had a pair of kickoff returns for touchdowns and had another long return that set up a field goal while his teammate Messiah Devine had an 80-yard touchdown run and blocked a punt that led to a touchdown.

After both teams kicked field goals in the first overtime, Anthony Diorio scored from four yards out to give Rowan their first lead in a game that had been tied three times. When the Pride’s Sean McGaughey had his fourth down pass fall incomplete in the end zone, it gave Rowan a win in a game they trailed twice by 14 points. The Profs have beaten Widener four years in a row and five times in six all-time meetings.

“To be on the road,” said Rowan head coach Jay Accorsi, whose team is coming of off a 4-6 season, “against a good team, they’re up by two scores, most teams are just done, right? They fought back to the end and you could sense once they got it to overtime, we were going to make something happen. I just have to give them credit, I saw it in camp, I saw it last spring, they are just really resilient. I couldn’t be more proud.”

“You just want to have the success that past teams had,” said Rowan’s John Mannion, who ran for 177 yards. “So, we are hungry to get wins that past Rowan teams had.”

With several big plays occurring on special teams, Widener head coach Mike Kelly, who is also the special teams coach, was at a loss to explain the breakdowns.

“Typical Rowan-Widener game,” he said, “back and forth. Right when you start to feel a little bit comfortable, you can’t be comfortable.
“Special teams wise, that was just horrific. I have no idea what to say about those kickoff returns. I’m just going to have to look at the film and fire everybody that was on it, including the special teams coach. Otherwise this game is completely different.”

Widener’s Donte’ Harrell dove in from the one-yard line to open the scoring but Rehm returned the ensuing kickoff 83 yards. Later in the first quarter, Harrell scored on a nine-yard run and Chris Randle caught a 36-yard touchdown pass from McGaughey, one play after Chris Saunders forced a fumble that Darrin DiLauro recovered.

On the next play from scrimmage, Devine had no running room up the middle but he bounced it outside and raced to the end zone to cut the Pride’s lead to 21-14.

The Profs next drive ended when they turned it over on downs at the Widener seven. The Pride would matriculate the ball down the field in a hurry with a three-yard run by Randle capping the eight-play, 93-yard drive that took just over two and a half minutes.

Shortly before halftime, the Profs again cut the lead to seven, when Riley Giles threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to Cody Madden. Rowan was able to take advantage a short field after Devine blocked a punt by Michael Raczak that gave the Profs the ball at the Widener 29.

The only scoring in the third quarter was a 35-yard field goal by Rowan’s Alex Boyko. Rehm had taken the second half kickoff back 71 yards to facilitate that score.

ELIJAH REHM STARRED ON SPECIAL TEAMS FOR ROWAN

McGaughey was able to engineer a drive to put Widener in position to win it in regulation but Elmer’s try from 34 yards was short. He would redeem himself in overtime with a kick from 44 that just cleared the crossbar and Boyko would tie it from 22 on Rowan’s first overtime possession. In the second overtime, the Profs offense was right back on the field and Diorio scored but Widener’s hope ended on a forth-and-goal play at the five-yard line when McGaughey’s pass hit the turf.

Email Rock Hoffman at Rock@footballstories.com