LATROBE, Pa. -- For the second week in a row, the Allegheny College football team saw a fourth-quarter comeback opportunity slip from its grasp in a one-possession loss to a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) opponent.

On the road Saturday at Chuck Noll Field, the Gators (1-2, 1-2 PAC) dropped a hard-fought 23-19 decision to Saint Vincent College (1-2, 1-2 PAC). Allegheny trailed by 10 points in the third and fourth quarters, but a late spark offensively put a scare into the host Bearcats.

In a game where Allegheny mustered less than 200 yards of total offense, the defense did an excellent job suppressing a Saint Vincent offense that put up 52 points and nearly 450 yards on the Gators last season at Frank B. Fuhrer Field. It started on the Bearcats' first drive, which began with favorable field position for Saint Vincent at the Allegheny 37-yard line. A 40-yard field goal attempt by Justin Emeigh was blocked by David Babb (Pembroke Pines, Fla./Chaminade Madonna) and returned 68 yards for the game's first score. 

Unfortunately, the Bearcats blocked the ensuing extra point and returned it for two points, but the Gators grabbed the first lead of the contest at 6-2.

Allegheny's lead lasted a quarter, as Saint Vincent took a 9-6 advantage into the locker room at the half. Trailing 16-6 midway through the fourth quarter, the Gator offense finally began clicking, which made for an exciting finish.

Following a forced fumble recovered by the defense, Jack Johnson (Hingham, Mass./Hingham/Milford Academy) led the Gators on a nine-play, 34-yard scoring drive that concluded with a five-yard touchdown to his favorite target, Declan O'Brien (Irwin, Pa./Norwin). Garrett Paxton (Freedom, Pa./Freedom Area) added the extra point to trim the deficit to 16-13 with just under eight minutes left.

The Bearcats countered with two big plays of 27 and 30 yards and scored on a drive that took 3:43 off the clock. But the Gators once again answered as Johnson completed three passes to tight end Austin Williams (Warsaw, N.Y. /Warsaw Central) before connecting with O'Brien for 33 yards. Tre Worship (East Cleveland, Ohio/Shaw) finished the series with a four-yard rushing touchdown, and Allegheny found itself down 23-19 with 2:19 to play.

Looking for a momentum shift on special teams, Paxton hit a near-perfect onside kick attempt on the following kickoff. The left-footed kicker got a high bounce that ricocheted off the front line of the Saint Vincent return team. Malcolm Denomme (Edgewood, N.M./Moriarty) had the first chance to snag the ball, and Williams made a diving effort to cover it on the Saint Vincent 45-yard line, but it ended up in the hands of a Bearcat.

The Gators used their timeouts to force a punt, but that kick from Kyle Murray rolled all the way to the three-yard line. Needing 97 yards for a game-winner, the Allegheny managed only one first down in the closing minute.

Inside the Box Score

• Allegheny gained 194 yards of offense on 58 plays, with 134 yards coming through the air.
• On the other hand, a balanced Saint Vincent team produced 164 passing and another 160 rushing.
• The AC defense forced two fumbles, blocked a field goal, held Saint Vincent to a 5-of-13 (38.5%) third-down conversion rate, and allowed only two red zone scores on seven tries.
• Johnson finished 16-of-32 (50.0%) for 134 yards and one touchdown.
• Worship paced Allegheny's ball carriers with 47 yards and one touchdown.
• O'Brien had six receptions for 73 yards, followed by Williams with a team-high seven catches for 44 yards.
• Denomme led the Allegheny defense with 13 total tackles, including four for a loss of 12 yards.
• Samuel Caito (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) and Travis Dear (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) each had nine tackles, and Dear forced one fumble.
• Babb, who amassed seven tackles, recovered one fumble, blocked the SVC field goal, and returned it for a touchdown.

News and Notes

• Saturday's meeting between Allegheny and Saint Vincent is only the third since the series began in 1929.
• Babb's blocked field goal is the first by a Gator since Shane Cafardi '23 did so against Wabash College on September 18, 2021.
• O'Brien, one of the nation's top receivers in 2023, has a touchdown reception in three consecutive games to start the year.
• Denomme's 13 tackles are a new single-game career-high for the junior linebacker.

Up Next
Allegheny celebrates Hall of Fame Weekend by hosting Bethany College on Saturday, September 23, at 1:00 p.m. at Frank B. Fuhrer Field at the Robertson Athletic Complex.