MEADVILLE, Pa. -- Allegheny College's undefeated streak came to an unceremonious end on a chilly Saturday afternoon in a 56-3 loss to Washington and Jefferson College on Frank B. Fuhrer '48 Field.
The perennial Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) contenders from W&J (5-1, 4-0 PAC) spoiled Allegheny's (5-1, 3-1 PAC) best start to a season in 30 years.
The Gators, who received votes in the most recent American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) poll, were held to a season-low three points on just one first-quarter field goal. It was a close contest at the end of the first quarter. However, after leading by four points, 7-3, after the first 15 minutes, the visiting Presidents rattled off 49 unanswered points over the next 45 minutes.
W&J took control of the contest in the legs of starting running back Andrew Sharp and quarterback Braylon Wagner. Despite facing an Allegheny defense that ranked among the best in Division III against the run, both Sharp and Wagner surpassed 100 yards rushing with a combined three touchdowns on the ground. On the other side of the ball, turnovers, including two pick-sixes in the third quarter, hindered the Gator offense.
Inside the Box Score
- Allegheny finished with 219 yards of total offense with 132 passing yards and 87 more on the ground.
- W&J posted 454 yards of offense, led by a rushing attack that went for 266 yards on 48 carries.
- The Gators had four turnovers – all interceptions – while the Presidents lost one first-quarter fumble on their first drive of the game.
- Sharp ran for a game-high 109 yards and two touchdowns, followed by Wagner with 108 yards.
- Junior Malik Jefferson (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) recorded a team-high 61 rushing yards to go along with three catches for 17 yards.
- Senior Nick Burkey (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg) had six catches for a game-high-tying 80 yards.
- Safety Chase Weihrauch (Springdale, Pa./Springdale) collected eight tackles and the hit that forced Sharp to fumble in the first quarter.
- Linebacker Javi Edwards (Youngstown, Ohio/Ursuline) also had eight tackles, followed by Huriel Calice (Peabody, Mass./Phillips Academy Andover) with seven.
- Nick Mauro had seven tackles and an 85-yard interception return for a touchdown to lead the W&J defense.
News and Notes
- Allegheny falls to 5-1 overall and 3-1 in PAC play following Saturday's loss.
- The undefeated streak ended after five consecutive wins, which was the team's best start to a season since 1996.
- Saturday's contest featured two teams receiving votes in the latest AFCA Division III poll.
- Burkey's 80 receiving yards are the second-most he's had in a game in his Allegheny career.
- As part of Hall of Fame Weekend, Allegheny recognized the eight members of the Class of 2026 at halftime.
Up Next
The Gators will look to rebound against Bethany College on Saturday, October 24, at 1 p.m.
