MEADVILLE, Pa. -- Junior wide receiver Declan O'Brien (Irwin, Pa./Norwin) hauled in seven catches for a season-high 152 yards, but it wasn't enough for the Allegheny College football team in a 44-17 loss against Grove City College Saturday night at Frank B. Fuhrer Field.

For the second week in a row, Declan recorded 100-plus yards, giving him a combined 253 yards and three touchdowns over the past two weeks against the Wolverines (6-1, 4-1 PAC) and Geneva College. The highlight of Saturday's loss to Grove City was an 80-yard completion from Jack Johnson (Hingham, Mass./Hingham/Milford Academy) to O'Brien at the end of the first half. On a third-and-10, Johnson faked a short throw and caught the corner biting, which gave him enough room to loft the ball to an open O'Brien.

The pitch-and-catch reduced Grove City's lead to 24-10, but the Wolverines executed their two-minute offense and scored on a Logan Pfeuffer to Scott Fraser touchdown with 14 seconds before the intermission.

Both teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter. After the AC defense forced a three-and-out to start the third, Johnson marched the Gators (2-5, 1-4 PAC) 62 yards and ran the final seven for a score. However, the Wolverines once again answered, thanks in part of a facemask penalty on Liam Alker-Connelly (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) facemask penalty that nullified a sack by the senior defensive end. On the ensuing play. GCC's Joey Guida ran 19 yards for a score that extended the lead to 38-17.

Although the offense flashed its potential at various points throughout the game, a trio of fourth-quarter turnovers prevented any hopes of a comeback against Grove City's stout defensive corps.

Inside the Box Score

• Grove City and Allegheny combined for 826 yards of total offense.
• The Gators passed for 227 yards and ran for another 103.
• The Wolverines amassed 297 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.
• Allegheny converted 50.0% of its third downs (6-of-14), slightly better than GCC's 45.4% (5-of-11).
• Johnson was 17-of-30 (56.7%) for 218 yards with two total touchdowns, but threw a pair of interceptions.
• Tre Worship (East Cleveland, Ohio/Shaw) led all Allegheny runners with 38 yards, while John Ian Duron (Coral Springs, Fla./J.P. Taravella) logged 33 yards with a 5.5 yards-per-carry average.
• O'Brien paced all receivers with a 152 yards.
• Vital Joseph II (Humble, Texas/Summer Creek) and David Babb (Pembroke Pines, Fla./Chaminade Madonna) led all Allegheny defenders with 10 and nine tackles, respectively.

News and Notes

• Saturday's contest was the first between Allegheny and Grove City since 1987.
• O'Brien has made seven catches and gone over 100 yards in each of the last two games.
• Johnson surpassed 1,000 yards through the air for the second consecutive season as Allegheny's starting quarterback.
• Senior linebacker Hudson Alread (Victor, N.Y./Victor) logged his first career sack in his 27th game.
• The 32-yard field goal on Allegheny's opening drive was the longest of the season for Garrett Paxton (Freedom, Pa./Freedom Area).

Up Next
Allegheny's three-game homestand at Frank B. Fuhrer Field continues on Saturday, October 22, when the Gators face Saint Vincent College in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) matchup.