A couple of pass plays turn out better than expected during win over Northwestern.

FROM THE MORNING CALL

Northwestern quarterback Ben Snyder took a deep drop in the pocket and looked deep.

The junior saw tight end Josh Suter open across the middle.

Snyder fired a ball in Suter's direction. It tipped off Suter's right hand just as it was about to find a Saucon Valley defender's hands.


The ball deflected over the Saucon defender and into the waiting hands of Tigers receiver Josh Werley, who went untouched for a 41-yard touchdown reception.

"When I saw the pass, I thought we had a pick and I was already thinking about the next play I was going to call on offense," Saucon coach Matt Evancho said.

It was a play that has been indicative of the two teams' seasons two weeks in.

Host Northwestern overcame mistakes for a second week in a row and improved to 2-0 with a 34-19 victory on Friday night.

Saucon (0-2) has seen rays of light, but has come up empty the last two weeks.

"I'd rather win ugly than lose pretty," Northwestern coach Tom Linette said.

The crazy tip play, in which Werley ran a wrong route to put him in the same vicinity as Suter, gave the Tigers a 27-6 cushion midway through the third quarter.

After the Panthers closed within eight (27-19) on two touchdown passes from Andrew Remaly to Chris Voag late in the third, the Tigers got another surprise from their passing game to regain control.

Snyder hit Ty Cunningham on a short shuffle pass and the junior running back took it 47 yards for the game-clinching score at the 11:50 mark of the fourth quarter.

"That play worked better than at any time we ran it in practice," Snyder admitted.

"We haven't had that kind of timing all of preseason on that play," Linette added.

Still, Saucon had chances to close the gap. But a fumble at the Northwestern 2-yard line, an interception and a series ended on downs at the Northwestern 5 in the game's final 11 minutes.

"We left 21 points on the field," Evancho said. "That's a different ballgame if we can convert those. That's the way it is. We're a young team, but we need to grow up."

Northwestern controlled the first half with its solid running tandem of Cunningham and Payton Bachman, but led only 13-6 at the break because Saucon's Brandon Shuck ran a kickoff back 95 yards for a touchdown.

Shuck never had a chance at running back. The Tigers stuffed him to the tune of minus-1 yard on 13 carries.

That and the growing deficit forced the Panthers into a throwing situation. It is a situation they can handle. Remaly, back after missing last week with an injury, threw for 248 yards and two scores. He used six receivers, including Jason Okken (seven catches for 62 yards) and Voag (four for 112 and the two TDs).

"They gave us some things in the passing game, but people will realize we can throw the ball," Evancho said. "Once our young line catches up to our runners, we'll be OK.

"But we need to fix these mistakes."

Northwestern's passing game remains a work-in-progress. Snyder, in his first year at QB, threw two interceptions in the first half and would have had two more if not for a dropped ball and the deflection that turned into a touchdown.

But Linette is confident that his first-year skill players, as well as the first-year head coach, will make progress in the coming weeks.

"Ben does a good job taking control of the offense," said the long-time assistant at Northwestern. "He completed one pass coming into this year. He's got to settle down and that's hard in this conference."

"I just need to hit a couple of shorter throws first, then look for the deep ball," Snyder admitted. "I've got to make the adjustments and make the throws. We've got to find a way to get teams from putting nine guys in the box, and the way to do that is to complete some passes."

Linette also said he expects his inexperienced secondary to improve as the season goes on.

He's hoping both improvements come sooner rather than later, with Wilson next up on Northwestern's schedule.

http://www.mcall.com/sports/varsity/mc-northwestern-football0910-20100910,0,6696220.story