MEADVILLE, Pa. - Thiel used a relentless ground game, and took advantage of three Allegheny turnovers, to top the Gators 28-14 in front of a capacity crowd at Frank B. Fuhrer Field.
The visiting Tomcats (1-0) amassed 400 yards of total offense, including 241 rushing yards, and tallied all four of their scores on the ground to ruin the Gators' home opener under the lights.
Thiel received the opening kick, and moved briskly down the field, amassing a trio of first downs to advance toward the red zone. After a first down on the Allegheny 22, the Gators' Ryan Sherry threw running back Taylor Fink for a loss of three, and Thiel was only able to manage four more yards, setting up fourth and seven on the 19-yardline. The ensuing field goal attempt was short, and the Gators took over.
Allegheny was unable to make much headway on its opening drive, and the Tomcats looked to counter, taking over at midfield following a punt. A 30-yard pass from quarterback Ryan Radke to tailback Josh Porter set up first down on the Allegheny 20, but a botched handoff then led to a fumble and a 10-yard loss. Three plays later, facing a fourth-and-13, Thiel converted, with Radke again finding Porter for the air to set up first-and-goal just inside the 10. A pair of running plays advanced to ball to the one, but on third down, Radke fumbled on a plunge over the line, and the Gators' Wyatt Boyler recovered the ball in the end zone for the touchback.
The Gator offense then went to the air to advance deep into Thiel territory. Quarterback Jon Nigrocompleted a trio of passes, highlighted by a juggling, 24-yard grab by Nick Matic over the middle, to set up first down at the Thiel 22. A four-yard run by Nick Deichler and an eight-yard pass to Nick Hollingerset up first-and-goal at the eight, but the Gators could gain no more headway. The fourth down field goal attempt was blocked, and Thiel took over at its own 25 to close out the first quarter.
The two teams traded punts over the next two possessions, before the Tomcats got on the board first thanks to its ground game. The visitors used a bit of luck to close out their 10-play, 81-yard scoring drive, as Radke mishandled a high shotgun snap, but recovered to scamper 29 yards into the end zone for the 7-0 lead.
Allegheny looked poisted to answer right back on the ensuing drive. Jake Wilson's first collegiate carry resulted in a 32-yard gain to advance into Thiel territory, before a Tomcat personal foul gave the Gators first down at the 27-yardline. Two plays later, however, quarterback Tyler McLaughlin went for the end zone and was picked off by Travell Sherrod, who raced 85 yards to the Allegheny 15. An illegal block penalty brought the ball back to the 29, but the Tomcats would add to the lead four plays later, on a plunge up the middle by Fink to make the score 14-0.
After the Gators were unable to gain much ground on the next possession, punter Chris Bourne pinned the Tomcats deep inside their own territory, booming a 48-yarder that was downed at the 11 with just over two minutes left until the intermission. This time, the Tomcats went to the air, with Radke completing six passes for 44 yards, while being aided by a pair of Allegheny penalties, to set up first down from the Gator 14. The quarterback would then close out the drive with his second rushing touchdown of the game, giving the Tomcats a 21-0 lead heading into the half.
Allegheny looked to gain the momentum coming out of the break, opening the half with its most productive drive of the evening. On first down, Nigro found Tyler Smith for 31 yards to set up first down at the Thiel 29. After a five-yard pass to Andrew Niklaus and a six-yard run by Nick Deichler, Nigro back to the air, looking for Smith in the end zone. Pass interference was called on the Tomcats, and Deichler promptly made the guests pay for the transgression, plunging in from three yards out for the Gators' first score of the new year with 11:10 remaining in the third quarter.
The Gator defense then forced a Thiel punt, and the hosts moved methodically down the field to keep the momentum. Wilson ran six times for 26 yards, while Nigro completed a pair of passes, including a 15-yarder to Lucas Morton, to set up first-and-goal at the Thiel seven. Another pass interference penalty moved the ball up to the three yardline, before Nigro ran for a score to cut the deficit to 21-14 with 2:14 left in the third quarter.
Thiel went back to the ground to end the quarter driving, with Fink running four times for 38 yards to set up first down at the Allegheny 22, before Radke tallied his third rushing touchdown of the night to up the Tomcat lead to 28-14 with 13:30 left in regulation.
The Gators' next possession ended prematurely with an interception, giving the Tomcats the ball at the Allegheny 43, but the visitors gave it right back, when Matt Wetzel recovered a Potter fumble at the Allegheny 20. Allegheny was unable to make the Tomcats pay for the miscue, but Bourne boomed a 55-yard punt to send Thiel back to its own 33. The Gator defense held, and the ensuing Thiel punt almost ended in disaster for the Tomcats. The snap sailed over the head of punter Cody McLelland and three yards deep into the end zone. He managed to retreat and get the kick off, but the Gators took over at the Thiel 28.
An 11-yard pass from McLaughlin to Morton followed by a three-yard run from Juwan Campbell set the Gators up inside the Thiel 15, but the drive would again end in a turnover, as a Gator fumble was recovered by Thiel at the 19 yardline, ending the prime scoring chance. Thiel countered with a three-and-out, and the Gators took over at their own 24 with 4:40 left following the Thiel punt. Nigro then completed four passes for 52 yards, while the Tomcats committed another pass interference penalty to set the Gators up inside the Thiel five yardline. Allegheny looked as if it pulled to within a touchdown, after Nigro lofted a fourth down pass to a diving Smith in the back corner of the end zone, but he was ruled out of bounds, sealing the Thiel victory.
For the game, Thiel out-gained the Gators 400-315, led by Radke, who ran 11 times for 89 yards and three touchdowns, while completing 16 of 28 passes for 159 yards.
Nigro completed 16 passes for 189 yards, with Smith hauling in four receptions for a career-best 75 yards. Niklaus led both sides with six catches, amassing 40 yards, while Morton made five grabs for 50 yards. Wilson led the Gator ground game in his collegiate debut, running 10 times for 56 yards, while Deichler gaine d38 yards on 10 carries, with the third quarter touchdown.
Defensively, the Gators were led by freshman Nick Murgo, who was credited with 11 tackles (eight solo), as well as 2.0 tackles for loss. Classmate Freddy Ruiz made seven tackles, while senior Ronnie Bornetallied six tackles and an interception. Thiel was led by Wes Schmidt, who made eight stops, including a quarterback sack, while also adding a fumble recovery.
The Gators will now enter their bye week, before returning to action on Sept. 20, when they open North Coast Athletic Conference play with a 1 p.m. game at Hiram College.
Thiel Grounds Gators in Home Opener
/seasons/2014/boxscores/20140906_x8vi.xml
2014
Thiel
28
Allegheny
14
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thiel (1-0) | 0 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
| Allegheny (0-1) | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
Sep 06, 2014