LATROBE, Pa. (Sept. 21) – Defending Presidents' Athletic Conference champion Grove City spoiled Saint Vincent's 2024 home-opener, earning a 56-7 victory at Chuck Noll Field.
 
The Wolverines (2-0, 2-0 PAC), ranked No. 9 in the most recent D3Football.com national poll, broke open a one-score game by scoring three unanswered touchdowns in the second quarter and never looked back, limiting the Bearcats (1-2, 1-2 PAC) to just 94 yards of total offense and five first downs for the game.
 
Saint Vincent broke through with 4:53 remaining in the fourth quarter when freshman running back Isaiah Sosak rumbled into the end zone from seven yards out for his first collegiate touchdown. It capped off the Bearcats' most successful drive of the game, a 7-play, 75-yard trip that included a 30-yard pass completion from sophomore quarterback Stevie Oursler to sophomore receiver Chris Downs, and a 24-yard run by freshman Julian Walker.
 
Walker ran for a team-best 41 yards on just four carries, while Sosak had a pair of runs totaling 13 yards. Oursler, the third quarterback to see action for the Bearcats on the day, completed both of his pass attempts, covering 35 yards. Junior Luke Levendosky completed three of six passes for 19 yards, while graduate student Israel Reed went 3-for-6 for 15 yards.
 
Downs' 30-yard fourth quarter reception was SVC's longest play of the afternoon, while sophomore Keegan O'Brien led the hosts with three receptions for 20 yards.
 
Sophomore safety Robbie Labuda, the reigning PAC Defensive Player of the Week, recorded a game-high 11 tackles for the Bearcats, while also picking off his team-leading third interception of the season, which halted Grove City's first possession of the afternoon. Senior Wiley Purry notched 10 tackles and also recorded a second quarter interception, picking off a pass in the end zone to cut short another potential Wolverine scoring drive.
 
Freshman linebacker Nathan Parker and rookie cornerback Lamar Daniels each tallied six tackles for the Bearcats, while freshman corner David Simouang had five tackles and broke up a pass. Sophomore Devon Dean-Coles broke up a pair of Grove City passes.
 
Grove City, which posted its 14th consecutive PAC regular season victory, led 7-0 after the first quarter and 21-0 at the intermission. The visitors would then score two touchdowns in each of the final two frames. Grove City outgained Saint Vincent 606-94, amassing 330 passing yards and 276 yards on the ground. The Wolverine defense recorded four sacks and six tackles for loss, holding the Bearcats to just 25 rushing yards.
 
Logan Pfeuffer completed 12 passes for 271 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in the victory, with Scott Fraser making 10 receptions for 242 yards and two touchdowns. Grove City's Nico Flati ran for 96 yards, while teammate Ian Demeri ran for 77 yards and two touchdowns. Caleb Brubaker led Grove City with eight tackles, while also forcing and recovering a fumble, while Ben Bladel tallied five tackles, with 2.0 TFLs and a sack along with a forced fumble and pass break-up.
 
The game was delayed for 1 hour, 16 minutes, due to a severe thunderstorm and torrential rain that struck the Saint Vincent campus during halftime.
 
Saint Vincent will look to bounce back next Saturday, Sept. 28, when it plays the middle game of a rare, three-game homestand against Waynesburg University at Chuck Noll Field. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.