THIS WEEK:  After a three-game homestand, Allegheny will travel to Oberlin, Ohio to take the longtime rival Yeomen.  The Gators will be looking for their first win of the season, having most recently been defeated 32-17 by Kenyon last Saturday on Homecoming at Frank B. just 19-17 with four minutes left in the second quarter, the Gators saw Kenyon score the game's final two touchdowns.  Allegheny senior Tyler Smith continued his torrid start to the season, making seven catches for 110 yards and a score, while running for a team-high 62 yards and a touchdown.  Defensively, Nick Murgo tallied the 12th double-figure tackle game of his career, posting a team-best 15 stops. A major factor in the outcome was the time of possession, as the Gators held the ball for just 20:55, while Kenyon ran 81 total plays for 467 yards to the Gators' 45 for 268. 

Oberlin is also coming off of an NCAC loss, dropping a 55-42 shootout at Ohio Wesleyan.  Ohio Wesleyan jumped out to a 27-0 lead at the end of the first quarter and a 48-12 lead at the end of the third, before the Yeomen stormed back to eventually cut the deficit to 48-34 with a minute left in regulation. After the Bishops scored a 39-yard kick return touchdown, Oberlin scored with 10 seconds left, but it was as close at they would get.  Oberlin out-gained Ohio Wesleyan 431-315 for the game, highlighted by Lucas Poggiali completing 27 of 44 passes for four touchdowns, two of which went to Robby Reinhamer, who made six catches for 130 yards.

GAME FIVE - ALLEGHENY AT OBERLIN
Saturday October 3, 2015  -  3 p.m.
Knowlton Stadium - Oberlin, Ohio
RADIO: COOL 101.7 FM WMVL - with Chuck Stopp (play-by-play) and Steven G. Folmar (color)
STREAMING AUDIO: http://www.mainstreamnetwork.com/listen/player.asp?station=wmvl-fm&
STREAMING VIDEO AND LIVE STATS: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/OBERLIN/

GAME NOTES (click for full, enhanced version)

I'LL TAKE TYLER FOR 200:  In Allegheny's week four loss to Kenyon, senior wide receiver Tyler Smith gained over 200 all-purpose yards for the second time this season, finishing with a total of 239.  Smith made seven catches for 110 yards and a touchdown, ran for 62 yards and a score, returned two kickoffs for 53 yards, and one punt for 14 yards.  This came three weeks after Smith opened the year with 261 all-purpose yards against Thiel (170 rec/26 rsh/65 ret).  Smith enters the Oberlin contest ranking third in the NCAC in both all-purpose yards per game (144.0) and yards per catch (20.1), fifth in receiving yards per game (85.2), and sixth in receptions (17). 

THE RETURNS DEPARTMENT:  After the first four weeks of the season, Allegheny boasts three of the top seven kick returners in the North Coast Athletic Conference.  Freshman Tyler Balla and senior Tyler Smith enter the week tied for second, averaging 23.6 per return, while Balla's 47-yard return last week vs. Kenyon is the second-longest in the conference this season.   Freshman Jonah Tanner enters play this week ranked sixth in the NCAC with a 16.3 yard average on kick returns.  

FEW FLAGS  Allegheny enters play today as the least penalized team in the North Coast Athletic Conference.  The Gators have been flagged a total of 15 times for 172 yards over the first four games, good for an average of 3.8 penalties/42 yards per contest.  Conversely, Allegheny's opponents are averaging 9.3 penalties for 80.5 yards a game.   

MURGO THE MAN:  Allegheny sophomore middle linebacker Nick Murgo enters week five leading the North Coast Athletic Conference, and ranking 12th in NCAA Division III, with 50 total tackles on the year, good for an average of 12.5 per game.  In last week's contest with Kenyon, Murgo tallied a game-high 15 tackles, marking the 11th time in 14 career games in which he recorded 10 or more.  It was his second game with at least 15 tackles this season, after recording 19 in week three vs. Wooster.  

NOSE FOR THE BALL:  Allegheny sophomore outside linebacker Matt Wetzel is currently tied for the NCAA Division III lead in fumble recoveries with three.  Two of the recovered fumbles came on punt coverage, with one in the season opener and another resulting in the lone Wabash turnover in week three.  In last week's meeting against Kenyon, Wetzel recovered a fumble forced by classmate Nick Murgo on a third quarter reception.  Dating back to the 2001 season, only three Allegheny players have tallied four fumble recoveries in a season, including Doug Williams (2011), Andy Schliehauf (2008), and Joe Cowart (2001).   

FAREWELL, FUHRER FIELD:  After the Gators' rare three-game homestand came to a close with last week's Homecoming contest with Hiram, the team will not return to the friendly confines of Frank B. Fuhrer Field until an October 24th meeting against Denison, a 29-day span.  This marks the longest period away from home since 2010, when the Gators played their final three games on the road, between Oct. 23 and Nov. 14. The Gators' three-game homestand was their longest since 2011, when the team played its final four games at home.  

GLOBAL GATORS:  Seventeen different states are represented on the Gators' 115-player roster.  The team includes players from Pennsylvania (40), Ohio (20), New York (18), Maryland (8), Florida (7), New Jersey (6), West Virginia (4), Maine (2), Virginia (2), Massachusetts (1), Rhode Island (1),  Connecticut (1), California (1), Michigan (1), Tennessee  (1), Georgia  (1), and North Carolina  (1)

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN(S): The Gators' 2015 team captains are an experienced group which includes senior running back Nick Deichler, senior left tackle Zach Harvey, senior defensive end Chris Patrick, and senior wide receiver Tyler Smith.  All three-year letterwinners, Deichler, Smith, and Harvey have been full-time starters in each of the past two seasons, while Patrick opened the 2014 campaign as the starter at defensive end until missing the duration of the season due to injury. 

UP NEXT:  Following today, the Gators will enter their bye week.  The team returns to action on October 17th, traveling to Greencastle, Indiana to face DePauw University.  Allegheny will then play its first home game in nearly a month, hosting Denison on October 24th at Frank B. Fuhrer Field.  


ALLEGHENY vs. OBERLIN
THE SERIES:  This afternoon marks the 48th gridiron meeting between the Gators and Yeomen, with Allegheny holding a commanding 26-21-1 advantage in the series.  The two teams first met in the 1907 season, with Oberlin blanking Allegheny 25-0. The Yeomen won the first 10 meetings against the Gators, until the Gators earned their first win over Oberlin in 1949, 21-10.  The teams would trade victories over the next two decades, before the Gators won 14 straight, and 17 of 18, between 1986-2002.  Oberlin has owned the series in recent years, winning each of the last two seasons, and three of the past four.  Oberlin is Allegheny's third most frequent football opponent, behind only Thiel (80 meetings) and Carnegie Mellon (54).  

LAST MEETING (Oct 18, 2014):  Behind a record-setting performance from sophomore wideout Justin Cruz, Oberlin spoiled Allegheny's Homecoming with a 37-9 victory at Frank B. Fuhrer Field.  Cruz made 14 catches for 242 yards and three touchdowns, leading a Yeomen offense that amassed 521 yards.  Kahlil Rivers added 111 yards rushing and a touchdown for the Yeomen, who led 14-9 at halftime before ending the game with 23 unanswered second half points.  Oberlin's defense forced three Allegheny turnovers, and limited the Gators to just 219 yards of total offense. Nick Deichler ran 11 times for 54 yards and a touchdown for the Gators, while Derrick Emigh, Tyler Smith, and Andrew Niklaus all had three receptions.  Nick Murgo led the Gators with 11 tackles, with Ryan Sherry adding seven stops, including a sack.