WATERBURY, Conn. -- They had never scored 40-plus points in a game nor won at Municipal Stadium in the first two years of the program, but in Saturday's home opener, both of those narratives changed for Post University Football as they used a 28-point first half to propel themselves to their historic first-ever home win against West Virginia Wesleyan College, 41-24, featuring nine record-setting marks, three of which were achieved by junior wide receiver Josh Tracey in the victory.

THE BASICS

Post University 41, West Virginia Wesleyan College 24

Post University (1-0)

West Virginia Wesleyan College (0-1)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Taking the opening kick, it was the Bobcats who struck first with a quick drive that lasted less than two minutes after sophomore quarterback Quinton Pulley hit senior wide receiver Dariuse Cooper with a 45-yard touchdown pass on just the fourth play from scrimmage. However, the lead would be short-lived for the visitors as Tracey took the ensuing kickoff to the house for a 95-yard return, the longest in program history which surpassed the mark that he had set in last year's home opener when he went for 90 yards on a kick off against Lincoln University. After both teams stalled out for a drive, it was once again Pulley finding Cooper for the score on a five-yard red zone pass to help West Virginia Wesleyan regain control, 14-7, heading into the second quarter.

But a 21-point blitz in the second would end up making the ultimate difference in the affair as the running game for the Eagles started to find its footing with senior running back Isaiah Emmanuel taking the eighth play of their drive in for a four-yard score that helped knot things up at 14 all after it took 3:47 to work the ball down the field. Taking the exact same amount of time would be the Bobcats, capping off their nine-play drive with a two-yard run into the end zone by sophomore running back Kevin Mitchell, which gave the Bobcats their final lead of the game with 1:37 to go in the half. 

Scoring twice within a minute of each other, a quick 17-second drive ending in junior quarterback Malakai Taylor's 45-yard strike to Tracey tied the game back up with 1:07 left, but a quick three-and-out on three straight incompletions by Pulley and a short punt put the Eagles just outside field goal range at their own 40 with still 37 seconds left to play in the half which they would make the most of. Using an eight-yard run followed by a 42-yard pass play by sophomore quarterback Tyler Phommachanh, Post was set up deep in opponent's territory at the 10-yard line and Phommachanh did the damage with his legs to send the Eagles into the half with a 28-21 lead.

Both drives to end the half last just 17 seconds and 23 seconds respectively with the 17-second drive being the third shortest scoring drive in the history of the program. After a quick end to the first half, both sides would level out the rest of the way as senior kicker Liam Depp drilled a 25-yard field goal while sophomore kicker Aden Caine responded with a 35-yarder and 37-yarder of his own to re-up Post's lead to two scores. 

Corralling his second touchdown catch of the game, tying himself as well as Antonio Spencer and Christian Collin back in 2022 against Lock Haven for most receiving touchdowns in a single game, Tracey caught a 57-yard pass from Phommachanh to close out the scoring and the first home win in program history for the Eagles, 41-24, moving them to 1-0 at the start of the season for the first time in program history as well. 

BY THE NUMBERS

• With 41 points in the game, this is the first time in program history the Eagles have eclipsed 40 points -- The previous high was 34 points against Lock Haven at home on September 3rd, 2022 in their first-ever game as a Division II program
• Having 38 rushing attempts, that also set a record for most attempts by the program, surpassing the September 10th, 2022 mark of 37 attempts against Stonehill
• Tallying 163 receiving yards, Josh Tracey set the single-game receiving yards record, beating Robert Oliverio's 118 yards against Assumption on November 11th, 2022 -- Tracey is also the new record holder for most all-purpose yards in a game with 311 after accumulating five rushing yards and 143 kick return yards --  Tracey rounded out the day with the longest kickoff return touchdown in program history with his 95-yard take to the house which moves ahead of his 90-yard run against Lincoln University on September 9th, 2023 at home
• Having 23 rushing attempts today, Isaiah Emmanuel is now the new program record holder for most rushing attempts in a game ahead of Broghean McGovern's mark at Pace University on October 1st, 2022 when he ran the ball 18 times 
• The Eagle offense manufactured the third-fastest scoring driving in program history at 17 seconds on Malakai Taylor's 45-yard touchdown pass to Josh Tracey in the second
• Aden Caine set the new record for most point after attempts made in a game with five, jumping Ian Scannell's four against Lock Haven on September 3rd, 2022 and broke his own longest field goal record (35 yards at AIC on 11/4/23) with his 37-yard make in the second half

WHO'S NEXT
Post University has a bye week next week before hitting the road to take on Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio on Saturday, September 14th at 2:30 PM. This will be the first meeting between the two teams in program history.