MEADVILLE, Pa. -- Turnovers proved costly for the Allegheny College football team in the Gators' 41-20 loss against Saint Vincent College in the 2024 home opener on Saturday afternoon at Frank B. Fuhrer Field.

In the first quarter, the Gators (1-1) put together a strong 16-play, 75-yard drive that lasted more than eight-and-a-half minutes and tied the game at 7-all. Allegheny converted two third downs and one fourth-and-short, marching down the field with a mix of short passes and runs. Michael Schanck (Homestead, Pa./Serra Catholic) concluded the series with a three-yard touchdown run, his first of the season, to even the score.

Despite the solid drive to end the first quarter, Allegheny failed to match that offensive production in the second, and a trio of turnovers allowed Saint Vincent (1-1) to pull away in the period. The Bearcats outscored Allegheny 27-0 in the second quarter, thanks in part to two interceptions that led to short scoring drives. At the intermission, the visitors held a 34-7 advantage.

The Gators rebounded in the second half and outscored the Bearcats across the final two quarters. That included an impressive 12-yard return by Coltin Colucci (Brewster, Ohio/Fairless) on an errant long snap by the Saint Vincent punt unit in the third quarter, and a five-yard touchdown pass from Christian Coudriet (Saint Marys, Pa./Saint Marys) to Ian Durci (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell) early in the fourth.

Inside the Box Score

• Allegheny logged 262 yards of total offense, which included 217 yards through the air.
• Saint Vincent finished with 395 yards, led by a rushing attack that collected 208 yards on the ground.
• Three of Allegheny's four turnovers came in the second quarter, which allowed the Bearcats to pull ahead before halftime.
• Courdiet was 13-of-20 (65.0%) for 89 yards and one touchdown.
• Coudriet stepped in at quarterback in place of starter Trevor Brncic (Export, Pa./Franklin Regional), who completed 16-of-33 (48.5%) attempts for 128 yards with three interceptions.
• Tight end Austin Williams (Warsaw, N.Y./Warsaw Central) made a game-high 11 catches for 62 yards.
• Receiver Chris Gisewhite (Corpus Christi, Texas/Flour Bluff) added five receptions for 61 yards.
• Schanck, who scored Allegheny's first touchdown, carried the ball three times for 12 yards.
• Colucci was a one-man wrecking crew on defense for Allegheny; in addition to his fumble return for a touchdown, the junior linebacker added a game-high 20 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, and 2.5 sacks.
• On the defensive line, Jerome Williams II (Strongsville, Ohio/Strongsville) had six tackles with 3.5 tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks.
• Safety Vital Joseph II (Humble, Texas/Summer Creek) and linebacker Fletcher Hammond (Gibsonia, Pa./Deer Lakes) added nine and eight tackles, respectively.

News and Notes

• Allegheny's record sits at an even 1-1 following Saturday's loss.
• Saint Vincent improved to 3-1 all-time against Allegheny in a series that dates back to 1926.
• Coudriet, a transfer from PennWest Clarion, threw his first career touchdown pass against the Bearcats.
• Williams' 11 catches are a single-game career-high for the senior tight end.
• Colucci's 20 tackles are the most by a Gator in a game since Kyle McGee '20 racked up 21 in a 31-20 victory over Oberlin College on November 16, 2019.

Up Next
Allegheny is home next Saturday, September 21, for its Blue and Gold Weekend matchup against Westminster College at 7:00 p.m.