The Misericordia University football team improved to 3-0 in the MAC with a 40-35 win at Widener, Saturday.

Brady Williams was 23-30 for 294 yards and three touchdowns and Sam Gillison had 10 catches for 162 yards and two scores.

Michael Gawlik ran for 81 yards and a touchdown and David Cromwell gained 75 yards and added a score.

Isaiah Williams had 89 yards on seven catches, including a TD.

Alex Hafner had a team-high 10 tackles and Nick Yeager added nine stops, including seven solo.

Tavion Rogers and Ian Rogers both had interceptions and Jalil Garrison recovered a fumble.

The Cougars took the opening kick-off and marched 67 yards in nine plays to take a 7-0 lead.  Cromwell picked nine yards to set up and second and short at the Widener 45, but B. Williams was sacked on the next play.

Isaiah Williams had a 14-yard reception for a key third-down conversion and followed with a 20-yard grab to move to the Widener 23-yard line.

Williams hit Garrison for 15 yards to set up first and goal and Cromwell went the rest of the way on first down with 10:25 left in the first quarter.

Widener answered with a TD and turned a fumble on the ensuing kick-off into another score to take a 14-7 lead.

The Cougars answered with a quick strike of their own as B. Williams hit Gillison for 40 yards on first down and the pair connected on the next play for a 34-yard TD.  The PAT was blocked and the Cougars trailed 14-13 with 6:07 to play in the first quarter.

MU got the ball back when Jalil Garrison forced and recovered a fumble on the ensuing kick-off.  The Cougars drove the Widener one-yard line but lost the ball on a fumble on third-and-goal.

After Misericordia got the ball back on downs early in the second quarter, Gawlik rumbled 33 yards for a first down at the Widener 21-yard line.

The drive stalled, but Matt Dinnocenti nailed a 28-yard field goal to put MU back in front, 16-14, with 10:46 to go in the first half.

The Pride used a big kick-off return to set up a scoring drive and forced a punt before going 77 yards in just four plays to take a 28-16 lead with 3:36 left before halftime.

Starting at their own 31-yard line, B. Williams hit Dwayne Sharpe for 26 yards into Widener territory.  Facing third-and-12, B. Williams hit I. Williams for 14 yards and Gawlik picked up seven yards to the Widener 13-yard line.

The Williams connection covered the final 13 yards to pull MU within 28-23 with 38 seconds left in the second quarter.

The Cougars forced a three-and-out on the opening drive of the second half and took over at their own 13-yard line. 

Isaiah Williams made a 14-yard catch for a first down and Brady Williams gained three yards to convert a third-and-one to move to the MU 45.

B. Williams found I. Williams for 19 yards and Cromwell ran for 17 yards to the Widener 19-yard line.

Gillison followed with a 16-yard TD reception to put MU in front for good, 30-28, with 8:36 left in the third quarter.

The Cougars forced another three-and-out and took over at their own 30-yard line with 6:54 left in the third quarter.

MU put together a 13-play, 45-yard drive that ended with a 42-yard field goal by Dinnocenti to stretched the lead to 33-28 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter.

Misericordia forced another three-and-out, but Widener got the ball back on an interception.

MU regained possession when Tavion Rogers returned an interception 30 yards and a penalty moved the ball to the Widener 15-yard line.

The Cougars needed just one play as Gawlik went 15 yards for the score and a 40-28 lead with 7:14 to play.

Ian Rogers picked off a Widener pass with 5:19 to play but the Pride forced a punt and the Pride went 78 yards in 14 plays to get within 40-35 with less than a minute to play.

Zach Orzell covered the ensuing on-side kick and the Cougars ran out the clock.

The Cougars will visit FDU-Florham, Saturday.