LATROBE, Pa. (Oct. 16) – Visiting Grove City College scored 20 unanswered fourth quarter points to come back for a 41-29 win over the Bearcats at a rainy Chuck Noll Field.
 
The Bearcats (3-3, 2-3 PAC) led 17-7 midway through the second quarter and 24-14 in the early stages of the third, before Grove City (6-1, 5-1 PAC) scored three fourth quarter touchdowns to complete the comeback.
 
The two teams traded punts to open the first quarter, before the Bearcats embarked on a lengthy drive to score the day's first points. Taking over on their own 40-yardline, SVC's Brady Walker completed a trio of passes to Molayo Irefin that covered 30 yards and moved the ball into Grove City territory. Walker then found Keith Kalp on back-to-back passes to cover 16 yards and advance into the red zone, before capping off the 10-play drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Kaelib McElroy to give SVC a 7-0 lead with 5:28 left in the opening quarter.
 
The Wolverines wasted little time in tying the game, with quarterback Josh Ehst opening the ensuing drive with a 50-yard completion to Cody Gustafson to move the ball inside the SVC 25-yardline. Four plays later, the pair hooked up again, with Gustafson making a one-handed grab on a pass in the corner of the end zone to tie the game with 1:15 left in the quarter.
 
On the second play of the Bearcats' next possession and final play of the first quarter, Walker fired a 54-yard strike to Irefin to advance inside the Grove City 17. The drive would stall, but Adam Koscielicki calmly connected on a 31-yard field goal to give the lead back to the Bearcats, 10-7, with 14:02 left in the half.
 
After a pair of scoreless drives, the Bearcat defense came through with a big play to increase their lead. On third down, Saint Vincent freshman linebacker Joanes Polynice leaped in front of an Ehst pass at the Grove City 34 and zig zagged into the end zone for the pick six, his second in three games. With Koscielicki's successful extra point, the Bearcat lead grew to 17-7 with 9:29 remaining in the quarter.
 
The Wolverines shrugged off the turnover and went to the ground to embark on a lengthy 10-play drive that was capped off with an 8-yard touchdown run by Clayton Parrish to trim the gap to 17-14 with 5:29 left in the half. Fifty-seven of the 71 yards covered by the Wolverines on the drive came on the ground.
 
The teams would trade scoreless possessions over the remainder of the half, and SVC maintained the three-point lead going into the locker room.
 
The Bearcats added to their lead on the opening drive of the second half. After Julian Howard opened the third quarter by netting 16 yards on three runs, Walker completed an 18-yard strike to Irefin to bring the ball to midfield. After a 10-yard pass to tight end Kyle Silk, Howard rumbled for 10 yards to set up first-and-goal at the 10-yard line. Walker then called his own number, scrambling around the left end and into the end zone for his first rushing touchdown of the season to open up a 24-14 lead with 9:23 to go in the third quarter.
 
As was the case a quarter earlier, the Wolverines struck back quickly, with Gustafson hauling in a 65-yard touchdown pass from Ehst on the second play of the ensuing drive to once again make it a 3-point game at 24-21.
 
A Grove City personal foul on the subsequent kickoff set up the SVC offense on the Wolverine 36-yard line, and Walker opened the drive with an 11-yard pass to Irefin and a 10-yard pass to Kalp to advance inside the red zone. The Wolverine defense would then cede just one yard over the next three plays, but Koscielicki salvaged the drive with another successful 31-yard field goal to give the Bearcats a 27-21 lead with 4:25 remaining in the quarter.
 
The Wolverines again answered right back, with Parrish opening their next possession with four runs for 42 yards, before Gustafson made three catches for 19 yards to advance inside the SVC 20 to close the quarter. On the third play of the fourth stanza, Parrish closed out the drive with a two-yard touchdown plunge to give the Wolverines their first lead of the afternoon, 28-27.
 
The Bearcats would begin their next trip on a high note, with Walker completing four passes for 35 yards, highlighted by a 23-yarder to Phil Harding, to move into Grove City territory. SVC was unable to cash in, however, with the Wolverine defense forcing a turnover on downs.
 
Grove City's maintained the momentum, with Parrish capping off an 8-play drive with his third touchdown run of the afternoon, a 13-yarder that upped the Wolverines' lead to 35-27 with 3:30 left in regulation.
 
The Bearcats' next possession would again result in a turnover on downs on its on 27-yard line, and the Wolverines again cashed in, with Parrish sealing the comeback victory with his third touchdown of the quarter, and fourth of the day, on a 12-yard run to make it 41-27 with 1:15 left to play.
 
Saint Vincent's Jaden Pratt blocked the Wolverine extra point attempt and returned it 98 yards for two points, but they were the final points of the day scored by the hosts, as Grove City forced another turnover on downs to end the game.
 
Walker completed 22 of 39 passes for 235 yards, with Irefin achieving new career-highs with 10 catches for 133 yards. Kalp added five receptions for 27 yards. The Bearcat rushing game struggled throughout the afternoon, being limited to just 40 yards, 29 of which were gained by Howard on eight carries.
Defensively, Kyle Coombe tallied a team-high 11 tackles, while Andrew Deaton added seven and Polynice six, to go with his 34-yard pick six. Cam Norris registered four tackles, including both of SVC's sacks on the day.
 
Parrish had a big day to lead the Wolverine offense, gaining 143 yards on 25 carries and scoring four touchdowns. Ehst completed 10 of 23 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns, both to Gustafson, who ended the afternoon with eight grabs for 157 yards.
 
Parker Kilgore led Grove City's defense with 11 tackles and broke up two passes, while R.J. Debo made seven stops, including a sack.
 
The Bearcats will now look to snap their two-game losing skid when they return to action on Saturday, Oct. 23, with a 1 p.m. game at PAC foe Waynesburg.