BETHANY, W.Va. -- The Allegheny College football team returned to the win column Saturday afternoon with a 46-29 win over Bethany College on the road in Bethany, West Virginia.
A week after falling flat against first-place Washington and Jefferson College, the Gators (6-1, 4-1 PAC) put up a season-high 46 points in what nearly became an offensive shootout with the Bison (2-5, 1-4 PAC). Together, the two teams amassed over 800 yards of total offense and kept the chains moving with 50 first downs.
Carson Colucci (Brewster, Ohio/Fairless) directed Allegheny's offensive outburst with both his right arm and his legs. Colucci scored a career-high five touchdowns with three in the air and two more on the ground. Not only did he throw for 240 yards, but the third-year quarterback was also the team's leading rusher with 99 rushing yards.
With the Gators trailing 14-13 late in the second quarter, Colucci chucked a 58-yard bomb to
Terran Mitchell (St. Louis, Mo./Affton) for a one-play scoring drive that quickly regained the lead. Then on the final scrimmage play before halftime, he made a similar throw to
Curtis Knobeloch (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) on a go route up the right seam. Knobeloch made a great play to haul in the pass, bounce off the initial contact from the safety, and tumble into the end zone.
The big-play touchdown passes, which put Allegheny ahead 32-21 at the half, were crucial sparks that the Gators needed to ignite the win. Before the pass to Knobeloch, the Bison used a speedy 75-yard drive to cut the gap to four points, 25-21, with only 16 seconds left in the half. Bethany quarterback Brett Phillips also had his team within a field goal of the Gators at 32-29 with a tush-push and two-point conversion in the third.
Colucci responded with a 12-play, 78-yard drive that ended with a one-yard pass to tight end
Jake Cummings (Leechburg, Pa./Leechburg). His fourth touchdown of the afternoon gave the Gators some breathing room and a two-possession advantage, 39-29.
Inside the Box Score
- Allegheny and Bethany combined for 816 total yards and 50 first downs on Saturday.
- The Gators threw for 240 yards and ran for 173, for a game-high 413 total yards.
- The Bison gained 258 yards through the air and 145 on the ground for a total of 403 yards.
- Colucci completed 16-of-29 pass attempts for 240 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
- Colucci also ran for 99 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries.
- Phillips led the Bison offense with 249 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions; he also ran for a touchdown and caught another on a fake reserve in the second quarter.
- Mitchell led all Allegheny receivers with 62 yards on two receptions, including a 58-yard touchdown catch.
- Knobeloch had just one reception, a 44-yard touchdown.
- Starting running back Malik Jefferson (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) ran for 80 yards and two scores and caught two passes for 43 yards.
- Bethany's Jordon Ketron led all receivers with nine catches for 112 yards.
- Safety Chase Weihrauch (Springdale, Pa./Springdale) and linebacker Javi Edwards (Youngstown, Ohio/Ursuline) each had one interception.
- Cortlon Campbell (Rocky River, Ohio/Lutheran West) led the Allegheny defense with 11 total tackles.
- Defensive end Robbie Janis (Fombell, Pa./Riverside) had five tackles, including 1.5 sacks.
News and Notes
- Allegheny improved to 6-1 overall and 4-1 against PAC opponents.
- With six wins, the Gators are guaranteed to finish above .500 for the first time since going 6-4 in 2018.
- The Gators earned their fifth consecutive win against Bethany since rejoining the PAC in 2022.
- Allegheny posted season highs in points (46), total yards (413), and first downs (27).
- The Gators scored 46 points, the most since beating Kenyon College 49-0 on October 19, 2019.
- Colucci logged a career-high five touchdowns while tying his season high with three passing touchdowns.
- Knobeloch, a senior, scored his first career touchdown on a 44-yard reception; he now has a career-high 127 receiving yards.
- The Allegheny defense recorded multiple interceptions for the third time this year.
- Edwards secured his first career interception, while Weihrauch collected his second of the season.
Up Next
The Gators will head to Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, for a 7 p.m. contest at Geneva College on Saturday, October 31.
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