MEADVILLE, Pa. – Visiting Hiram put together an impressive performance on both sides of the ball to damper Senior Day at Frank B. Fuhrer Field with a 43-13 win over the Gators.

The Terriers jumped out to a 19-0 lead early in the second quarter and never looked back, improving to 2-6 overall, and 2-5 in the North Coast Athletic Conference, and keeping the Gators winless (0-8, 0-7 NCAC).

Allegheny senior running back Nick Deichler ran for a season-high 82 yards and both Gator touchdowns, but was the lone bright spot for the Gator offense, which was limited to just 167 yards on the evening. 

Hiram wasted little time in gaining a lead, as a four-yard touchdown run by Danny Robinson put the Terriers in front 6-0 just 2:25 into the first quarter.

The Gators' ensuing drive ended in a punt, with Chris Bourne's boot pinning the Terriers inside their own 11 yardline. The Hiram duo of quarterback Nic Paolo and receiver Britton Lewis went to work quickly, hooking up for a pair of passes covering 76 yards, including a 42-yard touchdown pass with 8:15 left in the first quarter to make the score 13-0.

A lengthy Gator drive then stalled, ending in a turnover on downs, and the Terriers again quickly set up shop with a first-and-goal inside the Gator six yardline.  The Allegheny defense held, bringing on the Hiram field goal unit, and the 22-yard try was blocked by the Gators' Frank Serbati.

The Gators were unable to turn the big special teams play into points, as they were again forced to punt, and another long Paolo pass, this one a 50-yard strike to Akili Tate, put the Terriers up 19-0 with 12:54 left in the second quarter.

The teams would trade scoreless possessions over the next several minutes, before the Gators turned in their biggest defensive play of the evening.  With seven minutes left in the quarter and Hiram driving inside midfield, Allegheny's Craye Nehler stepped in front of a Paolo pass and returned the interception 46 yards to the Hiram 20. 

After Jon Nigro opened the ensuing drive with a nine-yard completion to John McFarland, Deichler was stripped after a handoff just inside the 10.  However, the ball took a fortuitous bounce, caroming forward to the one-yardline where it was pounced on by the Gator line.  Two plays later, Deichler would bowl in for the Gators' first points of the day, making the score 19-6 with five minutes remaining in the half.

Hiram closed out the first half scoring in the waning seconds, as Paolo found Lewis for an eight-yard touchdown pass with 25 seconds left to give the Terriers a 26-6 halftime lead.

The visitors would score two touchdowns in the first eight minutes of the third quarter to up the lead to 40-6, before the Gators' special teams came up with their second big play of the evening.  Pinned deep inside their own territory, Bourne sent a high punt to midfield, where it was dropped by the Hiram return man and quickly pounced on by the Gators' Lucas Morton at the Allegheny 42. 

The hosts would turn the Hiram miscue into seven points, embarking on an eight-play, 58-yard drive that ended with Deichler's second touchdown run of the day, this time from 10 yards out.  The senior ran five times for 36 yards on the drive, which also saw a 14-yard scramble from quarterback Logan Lee, and a 14-yard completion from Lee to Tyler Smith.

It was the final offense of the evening for the Gators, who saw a pair of fourth quarter possessions end in turnovers, one on an interception, and another on a fumbled punt return, while the Terriers scored their final points on a 33-yard field goal from Sam Conway on their penultimate possession of the evening.

Hiram put forth a stout effort on defense, particularly against the Gator passing game, as the Terriers limited Allegheny to just eight completions and 51 yards on 26 attempts, with two interceptions.  Paolo ended with 298 yards and two touchdowns on 15 completions, with Lewis his favorite target, making four receptions for 99 yards.  Robinson led the Hiram ground game with 120 yards on 19 carries.

Travis Thomas paced the Allegheny defense with eight tackles, while Clay Stoyer and Chris Patrick tallied five apiece.  Nick Murgo recorded two tackles for loss, including the Gators' lone quarterback sack, which resulted in a loss of six yards.

Prior to the contest, the Gators' 11 seniors were recognized in an on-field ceremony for their careers in the Blue and Gold.  Additionally, head coach Mark Matlak was also honored in a moving pregame ceremony for his 14-year career, as it marked his final game on the sidelines of Frank B. Fuhrer Field, after announcing his retirement earlier in the week, effective at the end of the season.  A 1978 Allegheny graduate and 1989 inductee into the school's Hall of Fame, Matlak is the longest-tenured head coach in program history, and ranks second all-time in victories.

The Gators will now head to the road to wrap up the 2015 season, beginning with a 1 p.m. contest at Ohio Wesleyan on Saturday, Nov. 7.