MEADVILLE, Pa. -- The Allegheny College football team fell short of a comeback against Saint Vincent College on Saturday at Frank B. Fuhrer Field and ultimately fell, 52-35. 

The Bearcats (3-4, 3-2 PAC) quickly got on the board with a touchdown in the first three minutes. Although the Gators could not score on their first two drives, Jack Johnson (Hingham, Mass./Hingham/Milford Academy) fired a 41-yard touchdown to Declan O'Brien for a one-play, eight-second drive. Garrett Paxton (Freedom, Pa./Freedom Area) drilled in a successful extra point to knot the game, 7-7.

The next Allegheny (2-6, 1-5 PAC) drive also resulted in a touchdown. Johnson initiated a flea-flicker with Tre Worship (East Cleveland, Ohio/Shaw) and launched the ball downfield to connect with Levi Swartz (Greenville, Pa./Greenville) for a 56-yard completion. After the Gators took advantage of an offside penalty from the Bearcats, John Ian Duron (Coral Springs, Fla./J.P. Taravella) had a five-yard rush to make it first and goal. Duron rushed again, this time for seven yards into the end zone to provide Allegheny with a 13-7 lead.

Saint Vincent retaliated with a 24-point run that extended into the third quarter. The Gators collected its first touchdown in the second half after starting on their own 23-yard line. Allegheny did not need a single pass after receiving 49 rushing yards across six attempts from Worship, before Johnson took it himself into the end zone for six points. The Gators picked up the two-point conversion as Worship rushed his way past the defense. The Bearcats concluded the period with two touchdowns of their own to pull ahead, 45-21.

Allegheny opened up the fourth quarter with Worship's second rushing touchdown, but the Gators could not complete the two-point conversion. Saint Vincent logged its seventh touchdown before Duron and Worship used their legs to give Allegheny a touchdown in the final scoring drive of the contest. Duron was handed the ball for six of the first seven plays of the drive and compiled 29 yards. Worship put an exclamation point to his great day on the gridiron with a 14-yard rushing touchdown to cut the deficit to 52-35.

Inside the Box Score

• Saint Vincent and Allegheny combined for 805 yards of offense.
• The Gators rushed for 196 yards and passed another 126.
• The Bearcats had 313 passing yards and five touchdown passes.
• Allegheny converted 85.7% (6-of-7) of its fourth downs.
• Johnson was 14-of-33 (42.4%) for 170 yards with one touchdown and one interception. 
• Worship led all Gator rushers with 135 yards, while Duron followed suit with 54 yards.
• O'Brien and Swartz paced all AC receivers with 67 and 66 yards, respectively.
• Hudson Alread (Victor, N.Y./Victor) had eight tackles, while Maxwell Hammond (Gibsonia, Pa./Deer Lakes) and Chris Rubino (Monaca, Pa./The Kiski School) were right behind with six tackles apiece.
• David Babb (Pembroke Pines, Fla./Chaminade Madonna) had an interception in the end zone to prevent a Saint Vincent touchdown.

News and Notes

• Saturday's contest was the first between the two programs since 1929.
• Allegheny's 35 points are the most it has scored in a game this season.
• Swartz had his second 50-plus-yard reception of the year.
• Duron has now rushed for over 300 yards in the 2022 campaign.
• Worship had his third 100-yard rushing game of the season.

Up Next
Allegheny finishes its three-game homestand at Frank B. Fuhrer Field on Saturday, October 29, when the Gators take on Case Western Reserve University for a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) matchup at 1:00 p.m.