MEADVILLE, Pa. - The Allegheny football team will open up its 119th season on Saturday, as the Gators make the short trip down Interstate 79 to take on non-conference rival Thiel College.

The Tomcats are the Gators' most frequent foe on the gridiron, as Saturday's meeting will be the 80th between the two teams, dating back to 1893, the inaugural season of Allegheny football.  The Gators own a 40-33-6 advantage in the long series, but are looking for revenge after Thiel spoiled their home opener by a 28-14 decision on Sept. 6th of last season.

GAME ONE - ALLEGHENY AT THIEL
Saturday, September 5th - 7 p.m.
Alumni Stadium - 75 College Avenue - Greenville, Pa. - 16125
Radio:  COOL 101.7 WMVL (6:30 p.m. pregame show)
Streaming audio: http://www.mainstreamnetwork.com/listen/player.asp?station=wmvl-fm&
Streaming video: https://www.boxcast.com/show/#/football-thiel-vs-allegheny
Live stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/thiel/football/xlive.htm

GAME NOTES (click to view/download complete version)

FREQUENT FOES: Historically, Thiel is Allegheny's most frequent opponent on the gridiron, as this week's meeting marks the 80th between the two teams.  The Gators own a 40-33-6 in the series, which dates back to 1893, when the Tomcats edged the Gators 4-0 in the final game of the inaugural season in Allegheny football history. The two teams met every season between 1953 and 1989, coinciding with Allegheny's 23-year tenure in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (1960-83), but have faced each other just twice since 1996.  Thiel's 28-14 victory over Allegheny last season marked the Tomcats' first win in the series since a 15-14 decision in the 1985 season opener. 

GATOR CAPTAINS: A group of experienced seniors comprise Allegheny's team captains for the 2014 season, including running back Nick Deichler, offensive lineman Zach Harvey, defensive end Chris Patrick, and wide receiver/return specialist Tyler Smith.  All three-year letterwinners, Deichler, Smith, and Harvey have been full-time starters for the Gators in each of the past two seasons, while Patrick began 2014 as a starter on the defensive line before missing the bulk of the season due to injury.  

VETERAN LEADER:  2015 marks the 14th season on the sidelines for Allegheny head coach Mark Matlak, which is tied with Sam Timer for the longest tenure of the 32 head coaches in team history, while he is the second-longest serving head coach in the North Coast Athletic conference, behind only Wittenberg's Joe Fincham (19 seasons).  A 1978 Allegheny graduate, Matlak starred on the gridiron at running back under Timer between 1974-77, earning three All-Presidents' Athletic Conference selections and being named the 1977 PAC Offensive Player of the Year before beginning his coaching career as an assistant under Timer in 1978.  Matlak enters the 2015 campaign ranked second in program history with 62 victories, two ahead of Timer.  

WELCOME BACK: The Gators return a wealth of players on both sides of the football from the 2014 campaign.  On offense, the team's top two rushers (Nick Deichler - 540 yds/6 TDs; Jake Wilson - 270 yds), leading passer (Jon Nigro - 157-267/6 TDs/1,661 yards), and second leading receiver (Tyler Smith - 42 rec/451 yds/2 TD) are back, while the defense brings back three of its top four tacklers (Nick Murgo - 60 sol-47 ast-107 tot; Matt Wetzel - 19 sol-34 ast-53 tot; Wyatt Boyler - 26 sol-18 ast-44 tot).  In all, 41 letterwinners and 13 starters return for 2015.

MURGO MANS THE MIDDLE: Allegheny sophomore middle linebacker Nick Murgo is coming off of one of the most successful rookie seasons in team history.  As a freshman in 2014, Murgo led the Gators - and ranked second in the North Coast Athletic Conference - with 107 tackles (60 solo/47 ast), while he also led the team with 10.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.  After recording 10 or more tackles in nine different games, Murgo became the first player in program history to be named the NCAC Newcomer of the Year. 

FAMILIAR FACE:  A familiar name in the history of Gator football is that of Thiel head coach Kurt Reiser.  In his seventh season leading the Tomcats, Reiser is a 1993 Allegheny graduate, and the tight end enjoyed a prolific playing career for the Gators.  A four-year letterwinner and two-time All-North Coast Athletic Conference honoree, Reiser wrapped up his career by being named an honorable mention All-American by the Football Gazette.  He is also the author of the most famous play in Allegheny football history, as he snared the winning touchdown reception from quarterback Jeff Filkovski in overtime of the 1990 NCAA Division III National Championship to give the Gators the national title with a 21-14 victory over Lycoming.  

FOR OPENERS:  This week, the Gators will be looking for their first week one win since 2012, when they topped Wooster 17-14 on the road.  Dating back to 1990, the Gators are 10-14-1 in week one, including a 2-1 mark against Thiel.  The Gators topped the Tomcats 61-13 in the 1996 season-opener and 45-19 a year later, while Thiel defeated Allegheny 28-14 in week one of last season. 

UP NEXT: The Gators return to action on Saturday, September 12th, opening up the North Coast Athletic Conference portion of the schedule with a 7 p.m. contest against Wooster at Frank B. Fuhrer Field.  Admission will be free to all fans, as the Gators play their home opener under the lights for the second straight season.  The game will be the first of three straight home dates for Allegheny, as they host Wabash on Sept. 19, and Kenyon in a Sept. 26 Homecoming battle. It marks the first time since 2011 in which the Gators will play three straight home games, and just the fourth time in program history.