CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. -- Sophomore quarterback Jack Johnson (Hingham, Mass./Hingham/Milford Academy) completed 43 of his school-record 73 pass attempts, including a record matching 14 to classmate Vaun Ross (New Kensington, Pa./Valley), but Allegheny was unable to spoil the opening of Wabash's new football stadium in a 36-28 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) defeat.

Johnson's 43 completions were also a school record as he set a pair of new Gator benchmarks. The previous record holder for both completions and attempts came from the arm of Jimmy Savage, who completed 38-of-58 passes against Wabash on Oct. 7, 2006. On this day, Johnson went for 353 yards, the 10th highest total in a single game for a Blue & Gold signal caller. He also tossed a pair of touchdowns, including one to Ross, who was his favorite target on the day. With 14 receptions for 109 yards, Ross matched a 52-year old school record for catches, originally established by Jey Lewis against John Carroll on Oct. 11, 1969.

The Gators held a 7-6 lead at intermission, as Wabash scored first and missed the point-after, and then Johnson hit Shane Cafardi (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland) for a 10-yard score in the second quarter.

After Wabash took the lead back early in the third quarter, Kyrie Miller (Bolivar, Pa./Ligonier Valley) plunged in from one-yard out two minutes later to give the Gators back the advantage. Another Wabash score near the end of the quarter was followed with an Allegheny touchdown, the previously mentioned Johnson to Ross strike (16 yards), which tied the game at 20-20, but the PAT was blocked and returned 99 yards for two points by Wabash for the Little Giants to take a 22-20 lead. The next two touchdowns came from Wabash as they gained some breathing room, before the final tally came when Tre Worship (East Cleveland, Ohio/Shaw) rushed in from 17 yards to set the 36-28 margin after Cafardi hauled in the two-point conversion.

Allegheny totaled 456 yards of total offense thanks to 354 yards in the air.

Defensively, Justin Campbell (Buffalo, N.Y./Bennet) and Maxxwell Hammond (Gibsonia, Pa./Deer Lakes) both had team and career highs with 10 tackles. Travis Dear (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) finished with nine tackles and a fumble recovery, while Austin Ferguson (Creedmoor, N.C./South Granville) and Isaiah Romain (Newark, N.J./Great Oaks Charter School) had sacks.

Allegheny will return home to the friendly confines of Frank B. Furher Field when it hosts Ohio Wesleyan at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25. The event will also coincide with the annual Blue & Gold Weekend on campus.