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Saturday's Game: Allegheny Gators (2-0) vs. Oberlin Yeomen (0-2)
Opening Kickoff:
Saturday's game marks the 44th overall and fourth straight meeting between Allegheny and Oberlin in a series that began in 1907. The Gators hold a 24-18-1 lead in the all-time series. Allegheny is 2-1 in the last three games vs. the Yeomen. Before that, the Gators enjoyed an 11-year dominance in the series from 1988-98. The teams took a seven-year hiatus and returned to each other's schedule in 2006. In 2007, Oberlin snapped Allegheny's 14-game winning streak with a 27-22 victory in the regular season finale. Last year, the Gators defeated the Yeomen 24-13 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) opener for both teams.
For The Record:
This is the first time Allegheny is 2-0 since 1996. Under Coach Matlak, the Gators are 3-4 in their first round game of the season.
Last Time We Met:
Despite being outgained in first downs, passing yards, total offense and time of possession, Allegheny knocked off visiting Oberlin in its first home game of the season in front of a homecoming crowd. The Gators managed just 214 yards of total offense, jumping out to a 13-0 lead over three quarters and held on for the 11-point victory. The Yeomen scored all 13 points in the fourth quarter, but the Salopek-to-Vite combination with eight minutes to play put Oberlin out of reach.
Last Time Out:
Eric Mastrogiacomo scored his first touchdown of the season and rushed for a career-high 88 yards, just 12 shy of reaching 100 to lead Allegheny past Westminster 27-14 in non-conference football action on Sept. 12. Playing under the lights for the first time this season and being broadcasted over FSN Pittsburgh, the Gators scored back-to-back touchdowns on their first two possessions to take a 14-0 lead that would not relinquish.
NCAC Player of the Week:
Kyle Wilson was named NCAC Defensive Player of the Week for the game of Sept. 12. Wilson scored the third and final Gator touchdown in the first half to secure a 27-14 victory over Westminster. He made three tackles, including a sack for a loss of nine yards, and had two pass breakups while returning an interception 57 yards for his first touchdown of the season.
Quarter-By-Quarter:
The Gators have outscored their opponents 40-14 in the first two games of the season. Allegheny holds a scoring advantage in each quarter except the fourth.
A Little Goes A Long Way:
Sophomore Andrew DeJong kicked a career-long 64-yard punt against Westminster on Sept. 12. He started at the Allegheny 35 and sent it to the Westminster five-yard line. Against the Titans, he averaged 40.2 yards per punt and got two inside the 20.
Perfect In PAT's:
Sophomore kicker Ryan Zipf has not missed a field goal or extra-point attempt this season. He leads the team in scoring with 16 points, going 4-for-4 in each category. Zipf has made field goals from the 20, 25 and 38. Last season, he ranked first on the squad with 32 points.
One For The Money, Two For The Show:
Junior strong safety Sid Ficaros had two of the four Allegheny interceptions against Westminster, both coming in the fourth quarter. There should have been five interceptions on the night, but C.J. Bell has his catch called back to a roughing the passer penalty. Bell finished with eight tackles, six solo and two assist.
In The Rankings:
The Gators made their way into the top 10 in two NCAA Division III statistical categories. Allegheny ranks fourth in kickoff return average (36.0) and seventh in scoring defense average (7.0). Individually, Ryan Zipf is tied for third in field goals average (two per game) and Andrew DeJong is sixth nationally in punting (6 punts for an average of 43.08 yards).
Weekly Game Awards:
After every game, the coaching staff will select certain members of the football team who are deserving of the following awards. Listed below are those chosen for week two, a 24-13 victory against Westminster. Note: Chris Gahagan was given the Big Hit Award for the second straight week.
Offense MVP: David Kleppick
Defense MVP: Kyle Wilson
Hustle Player: Chris Gahagan - Defense
Mark Kohnen - Offense
Allegheny Advantage: Drew Perry - Defense
Eric Mastrogiacomo - Offense
Special Teams: Ryan Zipf
Big Hit: Chris Gahagan
Family Ties At Allegheny:
There are two sets of brother on the football squad: Junior WR Terry Hartford and freshman CB Colin Hartford are siblings. Senior FS C.J. Bell and junior CB Zach Bell are also brothers. Senior OLB Joe Bennett and freshman OLB Frank Bennett share the same last name, but are not related. The same goes for as sophomore FS Tyler Brown and sophomore DL Michael Brown. Assistant coach Ken Achenbach is the father of Ken Achenbach Jr., an All-American offensive lineman and 2001 graduate of Allegheny.
Listen Live!
All Allegheny football games, home and away, are carried live on WMGW AM (1490) in Meadville and live on the Internet at www.teamline.cc. Calling the action will be Ray Riesdorph Jr. on play-by-play, along with Vic Kress as color analyst.
A Little History:
The Mark Matlak era enters season number eight as the Gators embark on the 113th campaign since Allegheny first hit the grid circuit in 1893. The Gators have posted winning records in 53 seasons and losing records in 49 seasons. There have been 11 seasons where Allegheny has finished .500. The Gators' last winning season was in 2006, when Allegheny went 6-4.
Allegheny has gone undefeated with one tie in two seasons (1917, 1990), while it has posted eight seasons with an unblemished record in the conference (1968, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2003).
Coach's Corner: Mark Matlak enters his eighth season as the head coach at Allegheny with a 38-35 overall record, ranking him fourth on the all-time career wins list.
Word On Oberlin:
The Yeomen are currently 0-2 on the season, after dropping a 35-9 decision to Washington & Jefferson in their season opener and then losing 41-6 to No. 10 Case Western.
Last Week For The Yeomen:
Sophomore running back Sean Curtis rushed for a career-high 125 yards on 24 carries, but Case Western Reserve quarterback Dan Whalen threw six touchdown passes in the first half to lead his Spartans to a 41-6 victory over the Yeomen. The Spartans, who entered the game ranked 10th in the nation, flustered Oberlin quarterback David Kalgren all game long. The rookie signal caller from Curwensville, Pennsylvania, who was making his first career start under center, finished 11-of-23 for just 67 yards to go along with two interceptions and one fumble lost. The Yeomen had their first eight possessions end in either a punt or a turnover, while Case scored on five of their first six drives – with no drive taking more than 2:35 off the clock.
