THIS WEEK:  The Gators will play the 1,000th game in the history of the Allegheny football program this week, hosting North Coast Athletic Conference rival Hiram in a 5 p.m. bout at Frank B. Fuhrer Field. The 2015 home finale marks the last home game in the careers of 11 Gator seniors, as well as in the career of head coach Mark Matlak, who will retire at the end of the season after a 14-year tenure at Allegheny.  The Gators hope to bounce back from a 33-7 loss to Denison last week.  Freshman quarterback Logan Lee completed 19 passes for a career-high 216 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown to Tyler Smith in the fourth quarter.  Nick Murgo led the Allegheny defense with 12 tackles, while Chris Patrick added seven, including career-highs of 3.5 TFLs and 2.0 sacks.

After claiming their first win of the season in week six, 32-31 over Ohio Wesleyan, Hiram slipped to 1-6 a week ago with a 27-10 loss to Wittenberg.  Hiram jumped out to a 10-0 lead midway through the first quarter, before the Tigers roared back to score the final 27 points of the ballgame, including 10 unanswered in the second quarter.  Hiram junior quaterback Nic Paolo completed 21 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown, while Nate Eaton made six catches for 54 yards and Danny Robinson gained 53 yards on 19 carries. Robinson has been a workhorse for the Terriers, entering the week ranked second in the NCAC with 135 carries, and fourth with 484 yards, while kicker Sam Conway ranks second in the NCAC with seven field goals.   Hiram will be looking to avenge last year's 24-21 defeat to Allegheny, a game that saw the Gators come back from deficits of 7-0, 14-7, and 21-17.  

GAME EIGHT - HIRAM AT ALLEGHENY
Saturday, October 31 - 5 p.m.
Frank B. Fuhrer Field - Meadville, Pa.
RADIO: 101.7 COOL FM with play-by-play announcer Chuck Stopp and color analyst Steven G. Folmar
STREAMING VIDEO and LIVE STATS: http://gatorstv.com
STREAMING AUDIO: http://www.mainstreamnetwork.com/listen/player.asp?station=wmvl-fm?

GATOR GAME NOTES (Click to view/download expanded Game Notes)

END OF AN ERA:  On Tuesday, Oct. 27, Allegheny head coach Mark Matlak announced his retirement effective at the end of the season, and this week's game vs. Hiram is his final one on the sidelines of Frank B. Fuhrer Field.  In his 14th season at Allegheny, Matlak will retire as the longest-tenured head coach in the program's 123-year history, as he will have presided over 141 games.  He also ranks second in team history in career wins, with 62.  The 2003 North Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, Matlak coached 70 All-NCAC selections, three All-Americans, and three CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, as well as the first player in program history to earn NCAC Newcomer of the Year honors, current sophomore Nick Murgo.  Matlak is a 1989 inductee in the Allegheny Hall of Fame after enjoying a prolific four-year career at running back (1974-77) for the Gators under head coach Sam Timer.  He ran for 2,382 yards and 27 touchdowns, earned three All-Presidents' Athletic Conference honors, and was named the 1977 PAC Offensive MVP.  

FARWELL, FRIENDS:  In addition to Coach Matlak, this week also marks the final home contest for 11 Gator seniors, who will be honored in a pregame ceremony.  The senior group includes punter Chris Bourne, running back Nick Deichler, wide receivers Tyler Smith and Lucas Morton, offensive linemen John Hamblen, Zach Harvey, Tyler Kowalski, Mike Meiran, and Tyler Seibert, defensive end Chris Patrick, and cornerback Josh Zenkert.  

PATRICK'S CAREER DAY: In last week's matchup against Denison, Allegheny senior defensive end Chris Patrick set career-highs with seven tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and 2.0 quarterback sacks.  The 3.5 TFLs were the most in a single game for a Gator since Giovanni Taw also recorded 3.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage on Sept. 21, 2013 against Hiram.  Patrick also became the first Gator to record at least 2.0 sacks since Rudy DeStefano was credited with 2.5 against Ohio Wesleyan on Nov. 3, 2012. 

SMITH ARMY KNIFE: Through the first seven games of the season, Gator senior wide receiver Tyler Smith has recorded 30 receptions for 572 yards and six touchdowns.  The 572 yards are the most in a single-season for a Gator since Jake Vite gained 754 receiving yards in 2009, while Smith's six receiving touchdowns are the most for a Gator since Matt Griffith snared seven in the 2011 campaign. In addition to his prolific receiving numbers, Smith has amassed 118 kick return yards on the season, and currently ranks third in program history with 921 career kick return yards, just four behind Allegheny Hall of Fame inductee Ed Pinkham, who totaled 925 kick return yards between 1971-74 to place second.  

PROLIFIC PASSER: In six games this season, junior quarterback Jon Nigro has passed for 490 yards, and eclipsed the 3,000-yard mark for his career.  In 26 career games, Nigro has thrown for 3,089 yards, ranking seventh all-time in program history, while his 311 career completions rank ninth all-time in the Allegheny record books.

A GRANDE PAIR:  In last week's contest vs. Denison, senior receiver Tyler Smith hauled in five catches for 77 yards to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for his career.  This came one week after senior running back Nick Deichler topped 1,000 career rushing yards.  This marks the first time that the Gators have had players with 1,000 receiving and 1,000 rushing yards on the roster since 2011, with the duo of receiver Matt Griffith  (1,065 yds) and running back Brian Tamburlin (1,451). 

FUHRER FIELD FINALE: The 1,000th game in program history is also Allegheny's final home game of the season.  The Gators will look for their first victory in their home finale since the 2010, campaign, when they topped Ohio Wesleyan 41-21. The Gators last faced Hiram in their final home game of the year in 1972, winning 32-0.  

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN:  Among the seniors recognized in this week's pregame ceremonies are the four co-captains - defensive end Chris Patrick, offensive lineman Zach Harvey, running back Nick Deichler, and wide receiver Tyler Smith.  Each captain has seen significant time this season on the field for the Gators, while Harvey will be making his 35th consecutive appearance - and 28th straight start - at left tackle.

THE SERIES:  Today marks the 45th all-time meeting between the Gators and Terriers on the gridiron. Historically, Allegheny has dominated the series, owning a 31-11-2 advantage, and has won 12 of the past 13 meetings dating back to 2001, including a 24-21 comeback victory in week two of last season. The Terriers were victorious the last time the two teams played at Frank B. Fuhrer Field, topping the Gators 20-0 in a rain-soaked week three meeting in 2013.

LAST MEETING (Sept. 20, 2014): The Gators amassed 445 yards of total offense, and overcame three deficits, to come from behind and defeat Hiram 24-21. After Hiram scored to make the score 21-17 in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, the Gators responded with a five play, 75-yard drive, highlighted by a 63-yard catch and run from Jon Nigro to Andrew Niklaus and capped off with a one-yard touchdown plunge from Nick Deichler. The Allegheny defense then held on fourth down on back-to-back Hiram possessions to seal the win, and snap an 11-game losing streak.

Allegheny's prolific offense was highlighted by Niklaus' nine-catch, 163-yard performance, while the Gator defense held the Hiram offense to over 100 yards less their season average and forced three turnovers, including a pair of interceptions by the Gators' Ronnie Borne. Nigro, Deichler, and Tyler Smith all ran for touchdowns for the Gators, while Nigro threw for a career-high 278 yards. For Hiram, Danny Robinson ran for a game-high 95 yards and a touchdown, Jaylen Dinard made six catches for 89 yards, and Zach Bennett totaled 12 tackles

UP NEXT: Allegheny will close out the 2015 campaign with back-to-back road contests, beginning with next Saturday's 1 p.m. contest at Ohio Wesleyan.  The squad will return to west-central Ohio on Nov. 14 to face Wittenberg in the season finale.