{"id":531585,"date":"2025-11-17T06:37:10","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T06:37:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/531585\/"},"modified":"2025-11-17T06:37:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T06:37:10","slug":"ncaa-football-playoffs-pac-champion-w-iup-to-host-division-ii-super-region-one-contest-in-first-playoff-berth-since-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/531585\/","title":{"rendered":"NCAA football playoffs: PAC champion W&#038;J set to hit the road with focus on making deep run; IUP to host Division II Super Region One contest in first playoff berth since 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The start to Washington &amp; Jefferson\u2019s season was less than ideal.<\/p>\n<p>After losing two non-conference games to open their 2025 campaign, the Presidents responded by winning every one of their Presidents\u2019 Athletic Conference games.<\/p>\n<p>Despite earning its 28th conference championship \u2014 and first undefeated title since 2017 \u2014 W&amp;J coach Mike Sirianni said his team\u2019s first two games of the season loomed large Sunday night.<\/p>\n<p>The NCAA announced its 40-team Division III playoff bracket, and the Presidents (8-2) received a first-round game on the road against No. 22 Susquehanna (8-2) at noon Saturday at Doug Arthur Stadium in Selinsgrove.<\/p>\n<p>The winner of this weekend\u2019s contest will face No. 6 Christopher Newport (10-0), which received a first-round bye, in the second round.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re proud of our eight-game win streak and all that good stuff, but if we would\u2019ve won one of our first two games we are probably playing at home,\u201d said Sirianni, now in his 23rd season at W&amp;J. \u201cThe computer rankings are what they are. We didn\u2019t get a non-conference win this year, so that\u2019s probably the biggest reason we are on the road.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>W&amp;J is making its second consecutive NCAA playoff appearance after winning the PAC\u2019s automatic qualifying bid for the second straight time. The River Hawks, meanwhile, fell to eventual national champion North Central, Illinois, in the NCAA semifinals a season ago.<\/p>\n<p>The Presidents are 2-1 against Susquehanna all time. W&amp;J last defeated the River Hawks, 34-0, in 1994.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe knew that this was a possibility,\u201d Sirianni said. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the two or three teams that we thought we could get. It\u2019s really not surprising. Everyone is good now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN! \ud83d\udd34\u26ab\ufe0f<\/p>\n<p>The W&amp;J Football team is scheduled to play in the First Round of the 2025 NCAA Playoffs against the Susquehanna River Hawks on Saturday (Nov. 22) at 12 PM!<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/PrezPride?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">#PrezPride<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/LEkVDVepWR\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/LEkVDVepWR<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Washington &amp; Jefferson Athletics (@wjathletics) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wjathletics\/status\/1990195491485925823?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">November 16, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<p>No one around the country will be surprised by the prolific offense the Presidents will be relying upon in the playoffs.<\/p>\n<p>Quarterback Kellan Stahl threw for 2,977 yards, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions to lead the W&amp;J passing game.<\/p>\n<p>Wide receiver Jacob Macosko, a Peters Township product, caught 65 passes for 1,002 yards and eight touchdowns, while fellow senior John Peduzzi caught 67 passes for 920 yards and 13 scores.<\/p>\n<p>With 4,020 receiving yards over four seasons, Peduzzi has the most career yards of any player across all NCAA divisions. He is second across all NCAA levels with 52 career touchdowns.<\/p>\n<p>Macosko, meanwhile, has 3,171 career receiving yards and eclipsed the 1,000-yard threshold for the third straight season.<\/p>\n<p>A pair of former WPIAL running backs also paid huge dividends for the Presidents this season.<\/p>\n<p>Baldwin product Andrew Sharp rushed for 564 yards and 11 touchdowns, while Laurel graduate Kobe Derosa added 546 yards and 11 scores on the ground.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have to match how hard they play,\u201d Sirianni said of Susquehanna. \u201cThey are very physical and we\u2019ve got to be just as physical.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Susquehanna won its third straight Landmark Conference championship, and fourth overall, behind a veteran offense and defense. The River Hawks offense led the Landmark with an average of 44 points per game, while their defense held opponents to a conference-low 14.9 points per game.<\/p>\n<p>Quarterback Josh Ehrlich threw for 2,419 yards, 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions while also rushing for 609 yards and four scores. His top target in the passing game was wide receiver Daniel Growney, who caught 44 passes for 541 yards and six scores.<\/p>\n<p>Running back Rahshan La Mons was the Landmark Conference\u2019s second-leading rusher with 909 yards and 10 touchdowns.<\/p>\n<p>Defensive lineman Galen Limantour was a force inside for the River Hawks. He had 51 tackles, 14 for a loss, with six sacks.<\/p>\n<p>Defensive back Xavier Maple led the Susquehanna secondary with eight passes defended and two interceptions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey are big and athletic,\u201d Sirianni said. \u201cThey were in the national semis last year. They had a great run, upset some teams, beat St. John\u2019s, beat Bethel [Minnesota]. They really kind of put themselves on the national map.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of players are back,\u201d he added. \u201cWe were in the playoffs last year, too, but they made a run. They are going to have the playoff experience over us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sirianni said his program\u2019s focus is now clear.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLast year, we kind of won a playoff game because we got a bye in the first round, so we advanced to the second round, but we wanted to win a playoff game last year,\u201d Sirianni said. \u201cThat\u2019s our 100% focus for now. We\u2019re not looking ahead. We\u2019re not looking at any draw or anything like that. We\u2019re just trying to do everything we can to try to win a playoff game.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After winning seven straight games to close its regular season, Grove City was rewarded with its third consecutive NCAA playoff berth.<\/p>\n<p>The Wolverines (8-2) received an at-large bid and will travel to face Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference champion Hanover (8-2) for a first-round game at noon Saturday at Alumni Stadium in Hanover, Indiana.<\/p>\n<p>Grove City coach Andrew DiDonato, a Bridgeville native and South Fayette graduate, is hoping to reverse the heartbreaking trend, which ended each of his team\u2019s last two NCAA postseason runs.<\/p>\n<p>Despite nearly completing a rally from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit against Johns Hopkins in a second-round game a season ago, kicker Daniel Sullivan missed a potential game-tying field goal with nine seconds remaining in a devastating 17-14 loss for the Wolverines.<\/p>\n<p>Just a season earlier, Grove City also fell in the second round when kicker Caleb Kuechly missed a 37-yard field goal with six seconds remaining in a 25-24 loss to eventual national champion Cortland.<\/p>\n<p>As has been the case over the past three seasons, the Wolverines will be riding one of the PAC\u2019s top defenses into the NCAA playoffs.<\/p>\n<p>Grove City finished third in total defense in the conference after allowing just 17.5 points per game. The Wolverines were particularly strong against the run, conceding a PAC-low 66.6 yards per game.<\/p>\n<p>That dominance started up front.<\/p>\n<p>Senior linebacker Caleb Brubaker recorded 14 tackles for a loss and 7\u00bd sacks, which were both good for first in the PAC, while his 88 tackles ranked sixth in the conference.\u00a0 Penn-Trafford product Jack Jollie, also a senior linebacker, also recorded 77 tackles, eight for a loss, with 3\u00bd sacks.<\/p>\n<p>The Wolverines have played their past three contests without injured linebacker Ben Bladel, the school\u2019s all-time sacks leader. The Moon product recorded 11\u00bd tackles for a loss and 5\u00bd sacks in just seven games.<\/p>\n<p>Senior safety Keegan Fraser, a Knoch graduate, was the beneficiary of much of that pressure. He had six interceptions, which was good for second in the PAC, while defensive back Noah Wheeler also recorded four interceptions.<\/p>\n<p>Grove City\u2019s defense will certainly have its hands full against Hanover\u2019s offense, which led its conference with an average of 41.7 points per game.<\/p>\n<p>Quarterback Eian Roudebush threw for 2,610 yards, completing 73% of his passes, with 29 touchdowns and just five interceptions. The dual-threat junior also led his team with 90 carries for 304 yards and six scores.<\/p>\n<p>Junior wide receiver Curbrian Shelby led the Panthers with 59 receptions for 913 yards and 10 touchdowns, while Jack Pennington caught 37 passes for 656 yards and seven scores.<\/p>\n<p>The winner of this game will face defending national champion No. 1 North Central, Illinois, in the second round.<\/p>\n<p>NCAA Division II<\/p>\n<p>After hanging tough with Kutztown, the nation\u2019s fourth-ranked team, in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship game Saturday, Indiana University of Pennsylvania will get a new lease on life with its 21st all-time appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs.<\/p>\n<p>The Crimson Hawks (7-3) received an at-large bid, the fourth seed in Super Region One and will host No. 5 Assumption (8-2) in a first-round contest at 1 p.m. Saturday at George P. Miller Stadium in Indiana.<\/p>\n<p>The winner will advance to face the winner of a first-round game between Super Region One\u2019s top-seeded Kutztown and No. 8 Bentley.<\/p>\n<p>The region\u2019s No.1 Golden Bears defeated IUP in the PSAC championship game, 28-23, after fighting back from a three-point halftime deficit<\/p>\n<p>The Crimson Hawks will look to once again lean upon its high-powered passing attack led by quarterback Matthew Rueve in its first NCAA postseason berth since 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Rueve, a graduate student who previously played at Division II Findlay and Division I Boston College, threw for a PSAC-leading 3,107 yards, 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.<\/p>\n<p>Graduate student Maurice Massey, redshirt sophomore Devin Whitlock and freshman Jeremiah Coleman were Rueve\u2019s top targets and a formidable trio of wide receivers.<\/p>\n<p>Whitlock, a Belle Vernon native and Pitt transfer, caught a team-high 71 passes for 775 yards and six touchdowns, while Massey racked up 47 receptions for 795 yards and eight scores. Coleman caught 22 passes in eight games for 464 yards and eight touchdowns.<\/p>\n<p>Redshirt sophomore tight end Connor Shamany also caught 31 passes for 407 yards and four touchdowns, while Aliquippa product Cyair Clark also caught three touchdowns passes.<\/p>\n<p>Assumption earned an at-large bid after finishing tied for the Northeast 10 Conference title with Bentley. The Greyhounds dropped a 20-17 decision two weeks ago to Bentley, which earned the conference\u2019s automatic bid.<\/p>\n<p>Quarterback Jay Kastantin led Assumption to an average of 33 points per game, which was tops in the NE10. He threw for 1,974 yards, 19 touchdowns and just five interceptions.<\/p>\n<p>A dual threat, Kastantin also rushed for 530 yards and five scores.<\/p>\n<p>Junior wide receiver Connor Smith finished second in the NE10 with 737 yards and seven touchdowns with 37 receptions.<\/p>\n<p>Running back Kameron Robbins was also among the conference\u2019s top running backs. His 658 rushing yards and seven touchdowns were good for fourth most in the NE10.<\/p>\n<p>The Greyhounds defense will also present a considerable challenge, particularly with its pass rush.<\/p>\n<p>Assumption had the nation\u2019s fourth-most productive pass rush with 36 sacks and 79 tackles for a loss to its credit.<\/p>\n<p>Senior linebacker Owen Fitzgerald led the NE10 with 113 tackles, 11\u00bd for a loss, and 4\u00bd sacks. Defensive lineman Tindell Frick tallied 62 tackles, 12\u00bd for a loss, but led the Greyhounds\u2019 conference with 9\u00bd sacks.<\/p>\n<p>California University of Pennsylvania received an at-large bid for its second straight NCAA playoff appearance and ninth all time dating back to 2007.<\/p>\n<p>Super Region One\u2019s sixth-seeded Vulcans (8-3) will travel to face No. 3 Virginia Union (9-2) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hovey Field in Richmond, Virginia.<\/p>\n<p>The Panthers rode an eight-game winning streak to the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship game, where it fell to Johnson C. Smith, 45-21, Saturday afternoon.<\/p>\n<p>Virginia Union will be making its fourth straight trip to the NCAA playoffs and 13th all time. The Panthers advanced to the Super Region Two championship game a season ago.<\/p>\n<p>The Vulcans, meanwhile, are no strangers to facing \u2014 and defeating \u2014 nationally ranked opponents this season. Coach Gary Dunn\u2019s team won three games over Top 25 teams and will be looking to notch another when it hits the road in the NCAA postseason for the first time since 2017.<\/p>\n<p>California is led by the dynamic play of running back Kendrick Agenor, who rushed for 732 yards and eight touchdowns, while also catching 26 passes for 265 yards and a score.<\/p>\n<p>Quarterbacks Phaeton Hill and Roman Purcell have both seen time leading the Vulcans offense. Hill threw for 1,079 yards and three touchdowns, while Purcell threw for 1,009 yards and eight scores while also rushing for 253 yards and four touchdowns.<\/p>\n<p>The top targets in the passing game are D\u2019Avay Johnson, who racked up 642 yards and three scores, while Woodland Hills product Deontae Williams added 454 yards and a touchdown through the air.<\/p>\n<p>Williams also returned two kickoffs and one punt for touchdowns this season.<\/p>\n<p>The Vulcans defense, though, will certainly have its hands full in stopping the nation\u2019s leading rusher.<\/p>\n<p>Virginia Union running back Curtis Allen was the nation\u2019s only 2,000-yard rusher. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound senior racked up 2,281 yards and 29 touchdowns.<\/p>\n<p>Quarterback RJ Rosales also threw for 1,603 yards, 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions. His top target was sophomore Keon Davis, who caught 536 yards and six touchdowns.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/goaliefight.bandcamp.com\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GoalieFightAd2.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9131\" width=\"485\" height=\"125\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"m-a-box-avatar-url\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unionprogress.com\/author\/jsanta\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/JohnSantaMug.jpg\" class=\"attachment-100x100 size-100x100\" alt=\"\" itemprop=\"image\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>John is a copy editor and page designer at the Post-Gazette, but he&#8217;s currently on strike. Email him at jsanta@unionprogress.com.<\/p>\n<p>\t<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The start to Washington &amp; Jefferson\u2019s season was less than ideal. After losing two non-conference games to open&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":531586,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[83644,12657,83645,83646,7,83647,83648,83649,83650,83651,83652,83653,83654,49,83655,83656,48,83657,83658,83659,83660],"class_list":{"0":"post-531585","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ncaa-football","8":"tag-andrew-didonato","9":"tag-cal-football","10":"tag-california-university-of-pennsylvania","11":"tag-devin-whitlock","12":"tag-football","13":"tag-grove-city-football","14":"tag-indiana-university-of-pennsylvania","15":"tag-iup-football","16":"tag-jacob-macosko","17":"tag-keegan-fraser","18":"tag-kellan-stahl","19":"tag-matthew-rueve","20":"tag-mike-sirianni","21":"tag-ncaa","22":"tag-ncaa-division-ii-football-playoffs","23":"tag-ncaa-division-iii-playoffs","24":"tag-ncaa-football","25":"tag-pennsylvania-state-athletic-conference-football","26":"tag-presidents-athletic-conference","27":"tag-super-region-one","28":"tag-washington-jefferson-football"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/531585","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=531585"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/531585\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/531586"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=531585"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=531585"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=531585"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}