Box Score

MEADVILLE, Pa. - Visiting Wooster used a strong running game and stifling defense to charge back from a 10-0 second quarter deficit and defeat the Gators 33-16 at Frank B. Fuhrer Field.

The Fighting Scots (3-2, 2-2 NCAC) rushed for 299 yards on the afternoon, scoring all four of their touchdowns on the ground, and took control of the game by scoring 23 unanswered points between the second and third quarters to put the game out of reach and extend the Gators' losing skid to six. 

After receiving the opening kickoff, things started well for Allegheny.  Tyler Smith ran three times for 21 yards, while Jon Nigro completed two passes to Andrew Niklaus for 18 yards, as well as a six yard pass to Tom Bober, setting up the Gators inside the Wooster 15-yard line.  The drive would stall, but Allegheny freshman Ben Ziolkowski nailed his first career field goal, from 27 yards out, to give Allegheny a 3-0 lead six minutes into the opening quarter.

The teams would trade a pair of scoreless possessions over the next several minutes, before Wooster used a no-huddle offense to embark on a lengthy drive in the closing moments of the first quarter.  However, after the Scots advanced the ball inside the Gator 20, the Allegheny defense came up big, stopping quarterback Richard Barnes a yard short on a third down run to bring the field goal unit onto the field.  The 32-yard attempt was wide left, and the quarter would end with Allegheny holding onto the 3-0 lead.

The Gators added onto the lead on the ensuing possession, using a healthy mix of both the run and pass.  On the opening play of the drive, Nigro found Niklaus for an 11-yard game, before Tyler Smith covered 26 yards on three carries to set up first down at the Wooster 42.  Nigro followed by hitting Morton over the middle for 15 yards, and on third down, the freshman quarterback scrambled around the backfield before completing a 21-yard pass to a diving Derrick Emigh, who was making his season debut, setting up first and goal from five yards out.  Smith promptly closed the drive out with a run up the middle, and after Ryan Mong's successful extra point, the Gators led 10-0 with 11:42 left in the second stanza.

Wooster then went back to the ground game, covering 51 yards in 12 plays, but an ineligible man downfield penalty followed by a quarterback sack by the duo of Burkley and Torre Carr would set up fourth-and-20 from the Allegheny 25 yardline.  This time, the Wooster field goal from 42 yards out was good, cutting the Gator lead to 10-3.

The Gators' Isaac Gittens returned the ensuing kickoff to near midfield, but a holding penalty would negate the long gain and force Allegheny to begin on its own eight yardline.  The offense was unable to make any headway, and on the fourth down punt attempt, a mishandled snap led to a safety, making the score 10-5.

After the free kick, the Scots wasted little time in gaining their first lead of the day, using just over two minutes to cover 49 yards on six plays, capped off with a Chase Ullman touchdown plunge up the middle to go in front 12-10 and close out the scoring for the first half.

The third quarter belonged to Wooster, as the Scots held the ball for nearly 10 minutes and scored on a pair of touchdown runs from Barnes to open up a 26-10 lead heading into the game's final frame.

The Scots looked to add onto their lead on their opening possession of the fourth quarter, continuing to use the running game to advance inside Allegheny 30.   The Allegheny defense again held, and Wooster's field goal attempt from 46 yards went wide left.

Taking over at its own 27, Allegheny countered with a long march of its own, with Nigro completing a trio of passes for 32 yards, including a 21-yard strike to John McFarland to set up first down just oustide of the Wooster 10.  Two plays later, Nigro and Emigh hooked up for a nine-yard touchdown pass.  The ensuing two-point try was failed, and the Gator deficit stood at 10, 26-16, with 8:30 left to play. 

The ensuing kickoff pinned Wooster down inside its own five yardline, but the Gator defense couldn't take advantage of the field position, as the Fighting Scots used a methodical 18-play, 96-yard drive that spanned nearly seven minutes to put the game away on Barnes' third rushing touchdown of the afternoon with 1:58 left to play.

Nigro ended the day completing 19 of 30 passes for a season-high 203 yards, with Niklaus hauling in six grabs for 58 yards and McFarland four catches for 48 yards.  Tyler Smith ran for a team-high 66 yards on 15 carries with one touchdown, while teammate Kyle Smith gained 38 yards on seven tries.

Defensively, the Gators saw three players record at least nine tackles, with Jake Szoszorek posting 15, Raysean Glenn 14, and Burkley nine, including two tackles for loss. 

Barnes led the way for the Fighting Scots, completing 19 of 33 passes for 196 yards while also rushing for a game-high 147 yards on 20 carries with three touchdowns.  Keir Pace made a team-best nine catches for 53 yards, while defensively, Mitchell Czerniak totaled 13 tackles and Stephen McKinney two sacks.

Allegheny will return to action next Saturday, October 19th, when it seeks its first win of the season at NCAC foe Oberlin College.  Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.