GAMBIER, Ohio – Despite an early touchdown and a third quarter lead, the Gators were unable to stop a determined Kenyon ground game that procured four touchdowns, falling to the Lords, 35-24, on Saturday at McBride Field.

Kenyon amassed 265 of 366 total yards on the ground, scoring the game's final 14 points while shutting out the Gators in the fourth quarter.  Allegheny gained 380 yards of total offense, but a 3-for-12 afternoon on third downs opened the door for a Lords comeback in the fourth.

Sophomore Jon Nigro finished the game 14-for-28, recording 225 yards through the air, including a 32-yard touchdown pass to junior Tyler Smith in the second quarter to add to a first quarter rushing touchdown.  Junior Nick Deichler ran for 143 yards on 15 carries, finishing the game averaging 9.5 yards per carry, adding a touchdown with 7:20 left in the third quarter that gave the Gators a 24-21 advantage, their final lead of the game.

On defense, freshman Nick Murgo led the Gators with 15 tackles, including six solo stops, adding a seven-yard sack.  Senior Ryan Sherry recorded 10 total tackles and a sack, while sophomore Clay Stoyer made four solo stops to finish the game with 10 total tackles.  Smith's touchdown highlighted an afternoon that saw the junior rack up a team-high 84 yards on four receptions.  Senior Andrew Niklaus made three receptions on the afternoon, finishing with 59 yards, as fellow fourth year Derrick Emigh tacked on four receptions for 46 yards. 

Allegheny's first drive set the tone for the offensive afternoon, as a 70-yard run up the middle by Deichler brought the Gators' opening drive to the one-yard line barely two minutes into the opening stanza.  Nigro gave the Gators the early lead on the next play, making the one-yard plunge into the end zone with 12:59 left in the first.  Kenyon responded with a 10-play, 71-yard drive that spanned 4:34 and ended with a touchdown to tie the game with 8:19 left in the first.

The Lords took the lead in the second quarter with a seven-play, 56-yard drive to take a 14-7 lead with 11:43 remaining in the half.   The squads traded punts on the next two possessions unil the Gators started a drive with 8:32 left in the second at the Kenyon 49 after a 17-yard punt from the Lords.  Moving up to the Kenyon 32-yard line after a 12-yard pass from Nigro to Emigh, the sophomore found Smith for a 32-yard touchdown pass, tying the game during a brisk-53 second drive.

Kenyon responded with another touchdown to take the lead right back, as sophomore Ben Ziolkowski finished the scoring for the Gators by knocking a 42-yard field goal through the uprights with 56 seconds left in the half. Murgo ended the first half in definitive fashion, sacking Kenyon quarterback Jake Bates to end the second quarter.

Allegheny held the Kenyon offense to start the third quarter, forcing four consecutive incompletions on their own 28-yard line to get the ball with 10:11 remaining in the quarter.  Deichler carried the ball for nine and eight yards, respectively, to put the Gators near midfield before a 44-yard reception by Niklaus brought the Gators to the Kenyon 11-yard line.  Diechler found the end zone three plays later as Allegheny took the lead, 24-21.

The Lords responded with a 15-play, 56-yard drive that saw eight rushes, including a one-yard plunge by runningback Brandon January that swung the momentum right back to Kenyon, 28-24, with 28 seconds remaining in the third.  Kenyon blocked the ensuing Allegheny punt, but the Gators responded by forcing Kenyon's second turnover on downs, capped by Sherry's three-yard sack on fourth and 10.

After a three-and-out by the Gators, Kenyon took the ball at their own 38-yard line with 10:06 left on the clock.  The Lords responded with a methodical, 14-play, 62-yard drive that spanned 7:51 of the fourth quarter, capped by a one-yard touchdown run by Blake Calcei to give Kenyon the 11-point, 35-24 lead with 2:15 remaining.

The Gators were unable to rally, despite Nigro completions to Niklaus and junior Lucas Morton for 11 and 16 yards, respectively, as four consecutive incompletions turned the ball back to Kenyon, who ran out the clock for the win.

Allegheny will next travel to Granville, Ohio to battle the Denison Big Red on Nov. 8 at 1 p.m.