Box Score Widener used a big second quarter to break open a scoreless game in a 40-10 defeat of Misericordia, Saturday afternoon in MAC football action.

The Pride scored 23 unanswered points in the second quarter and added a field goal in the third quarter before MU got on the board.

Widener scored twice in a four-minute span to go ahead, 40-7, and the Cougars added a fourth-quarter field goal.

Jeff Puckett had 61 yards rushing and threw for 135 yards, including a TD.

Juwan Petties-Jackson had 45 yards receiving and Sam Gillison had 34 yards on a team-high four catches.

Tom Stelzer had three catches, including a touchdown.

Tyler Collins led the MU defense with 12 tackles and Kevin Bagasevich had eight stops.

Bagasevich and Brian Hart both had interceptions.

Widener took the opening kick-off and moved deep into MU territory after converting a fourth-and-two.  Hart ended the threat when he intercepted a pass in the end zone four minutes into the game.

The Cougars held the ball for more than five minutes and picked up a first down at midfield on an eight-yard reception by Stelzer.  The drive stalled and Widener took over on its own 20 following a Pat Newins punt.

The MU defense held and took over on downs at the Widener 31, but the Cougars were hampered by a holding penalty and eventually punted back to the Pride.

Widener went 66 yards in less than a minute, but missed a short field goal at the end of the first quarter.

The Pride used to quick strike scores to take a 13-0 lead early in the second quarter and used a 10-play drive to go ahead 20-0 with 5:28 left in the first half.

After two field goals gave the Pride a 26-0 lead midway through the third quarter, the Cougars put together a lengthy scoring drive.

On third-and-10, Puckett hit Gillison for a first down at the MU 38 yard line.

After a seven-yard run by Puckett, he hit Petties-Jackson for a 45-yard gain to the Widener 10.

Puckett picked up six yards on the ground on first down and found Stelzer for a four-yard TD on second-and-goal.

Widener answered with an eight-play scoring drive for a 33-7 lead late in the third quarter.

After another Widener TD made it 40-7, the Cougars put together another long scoring drive.

A defensive holding penalty gave MU a first down and back-to-back five-yard runs by Puckett moved the ball to the MU 39.

Mark McMaster had a 15-yard catch for a first down in Widener territory.

Following an MU holding penalty, Puckett romped for 21 yards on first-and-20 and a facemask penalty took to the Widener 15 yard line.

Three running plays gave the Cougars a first-and-goal at the Widener four, but the drive stalled and the Cougars settled for a 36-yard field goal.