MEADVILLE, Pa. -- The Allegheny College football team rekindled its rivalry with former North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) foe Denison University in a 35-24 loss to the Big Red in the 2025 home opener on Saturday afternoon.

Despite coming up on the losing end of Saturday's matchup at Frank B. Fuhrer Field, the Gators (0-1) played their most competitive contest against Denison (1-0), a perennial NCAC contender, in more than a decade. For the 2,232 Allegheny faithful in attendance on a cool and cloudy afternoon, there was plenty to be excited about and to look forward to as the season progresses. 

Allegheny's first two plays from scrimmage were long pass attempts from sophomore quarterback Carson Colucci (Brewster, Ohio/Fairless), who made his first collegiate start against the Big Red. Although the first attempt to Chris Gisewhite (Corpus Christi, Texas/Flour Bluff) was underthrown, the second was on the money to Devin Larry (Loganville, Ga./Loganville Christian), who raced 70 yards and electrified the crowd with the game's first touchdown. For an offense that otherwise sputtered for much of the game, it was a flash of big-play potential for Colucci and his new weapons on the perimeter.

The early lead lasted until the second quarter, and Denison took a 13-6 advantage in the locker room at halftime. But coming out of the intermission, the Gator defense took over the spotlight.

Denison's second possession of the quarter abruptly ended with a 41-yard pick-six by second-year corner Elisah Banks (Las Vegas, Nev./Desert Pines). On their next drive, the Big Red marched down the field and into Allegheny territory, but third-year safety Landon Wayne (Albion, Pa./Northwestern) stepped in front of a post route and avoided multiple tackles en route to an 82-yard interception return for a touchdown. With a third-quarter shutout and 12 defensive points, the Gators jumped back out to an 18-13 lead heading into the fourth.

The Big Red shook off the two pick-sixes and completed the comeback with 22 points in the fourth quarter. Not only did Denison convert their own interception for a touchdown, but a steady ground game led by running back Blayton Reid also allowed the Big Red to turn the tide in their favor. Trailing 35-18, Gisewhite found Larry in the end zone on a trick-play pass, but the visitors wore out the remaining 2:18 with one first down and a few kneels on their final possession.

Inside the Box Score

• Allegheny produced 191 yards of total offense, with 70 yards coming on the first touchdown pass of the game.
• Despite the turnovers, Denison racked up 421 total yards and possessed the ball for nearly 45 minutes.
• Colucci completed seven passes for 143 yards and one touchdown while also running for 20 yards.
• Larry finished with four receptions for 88 yards and two touchdowns.
• Denison's bruising back, Reid, amassed 187 rushing yards on a whopping 39 carries.
• Wayne and Banks both returned interceptions for touchdowns.
• Wayne also had 11 tackles, one of four Gators in double-digits.
• First-year safety Cory Holleran (Kill Buck, N.Y./Salamanca) led all tacklers with a game-high 12 stops.
• Outside linebacker David Marquez (Chandler, Ariz./Basha) had seven tackles and two sacks.
• Denison's Fin O'Brien returned an Allegheny interception 21 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

News and Notes

• Allegheny and Denison met for the first time since playing as NCAC rivals in 2021.
• Saturday's game was the closest against Denison since falling to the Big Red, 24-21, in 2013.
• Braden Layer faced his alma mater for the first time since taking over as Allegheny's head coach.
• Allegheny posted multiple interception returns for a touchdown in a single game for the first time in at least 25 years.
• Wayne logged his second career pick-six, with his first coming against Waynesburg University on October 26, 2024.

Up Next
Allegheny travels to Juniata College for a nonconference game on Saturday, September 13, at 1 p.m.