LATROBE, Pa. (Oct. 10)- The Saint Vincent College football team put together a dominant performance on both sides of the ball, cruising to a 62-20 victory against Thiel College in front of a a large Homecoming crowd on Saturday afternoon at Chuck Noll Field.
It was an impressive offensive showing for the Bearcats (2-2, 1-2 PAC), as Saint Vincent totaled 484 yards of offense, including 320 yards on the ground, while scoring the first 48 points of the contest to take complete control of the game.
Saint Vincent running back Matthew Davis led the offensive outburst, rushing for 167 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries. Davis averaged 8.0 yards per carry, highlighted by a 41-yard run, while finding the end zone three times in the opening half.
Quarterback Jake Phillips completed 7-of-16 passes for 128 yards and three touchdowns, all three of which went to Chris Downs. Downs finished with a team-high 122 receiving yards and three touchdowns on six receptions, hauling in touchdown passes of 32, 27, and 22 yards.
On the ground, Drahcir Jones added 62 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, while Ethan Sgrignoli and Darrell Green each rushed for 38 yards. The Bearcats averaged 6.8 yards per carry and picked up 21 of their 30 first downs on the ground. The 21 rushing first downs are a single-game program record. The previous record was 18, happening twice in the program's history, with the last coming in 2019 against Grove City.
Defensively, Saint Vincent limited the Tomcats (0-6, 0-4 PAC) to just 229 yards of total offense, including only 51 rushing yards. The Bearcats also forced two turnovers and recorded two sacks, while holding Thiel scoreless throughout the opening half.
The Bearcats wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. On their opening possession, Saint Vincent marched 47 yards in eight plays, with Davis capping off the drive with a five-yard touchdown run. Cole Heckathorn converted the extra point to give SVC a 7-0 lead with 10:23 remaining in the first quarter.
Saint Vincent added to its lead later in the quarter, needing just two plays to travel 45 yards. Davis found the end zone for the second time, scoring on a four-yard touchdown run to increase the Bearcats' advantage to 14-0 with 6:24 remaining in the opening frame.
It was much of the same story in the second quarter, as Saint Vincent continued to control the game offensively. The Bearcats put together a 14-play, 67-yard drive that took 8:02 off the clock, with Davis finishing it off with a two-yard touchdown run for his third score of the afternoon.
Saint Vincent's defense continued to create opportunities for the offense, as the Bearcats took over deep in Thiel territory before Jones punched in a one-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 28-0 with 4:28 remaining in the half.
The Bearcats weren't done scoring in the second quarter. Phillips connected with Downs for a 32-yard touchdown pass, giving Saint Vincent a 34-0 lead with 2:52 remaining.
Saint Vincent added one final touchdown before halftime, as Phillips found Downs again, this time for a 27-yard score to cap off a seven-play, 71-yard drive. Jarrett Garn converted the extra point, sending the Bearcats into the locker room with a commanding 41-0 advantage.
The Saint Vincent defense picked up right where it left off to begin the second half. Robbie Labuda intercepted a Thiel pass and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown, extending the Bearcats' lead to 48-0 with 11:42 remaining in the third quarter.
Thiel finally got on the scoreboard with 5:31 remaining in the third, as Timothy Chennis scored on an 11-yard touchdown run to cut the Saint Vincent lead to 48-6.
The Bearcats responded on their ensuing possession, marching 63 yards in four plays. Phillips connected with Downs for their third touchdown of the afternoon, this time from 22 yards out, pushing the Saint Vincent advantage to 55-6 with 3:15 remaining in the quarter.
The Tomcats added another touchdown early in the fourth quarter, as Braxton Dente found Isaiah Gladney for a 25-yard touchdown pass, cutting the deficit to 55-13.
Saint Vincent answered with another lengthy scoring drive, traveling 70 yards in 13 plays and taking 7:12 off the clock. Quarterback Trey Hopper capped off the drive with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Frankie Smith, giving the Bearcats a 62-13 lead with 4:44 remaining in the contest.
Thiel added the final touchdown of the afternoon with 1:38 remaining, as Dente connected with Drevon Newton for a 26-yard score, accounting for the 62-20 final.
The Bearcats controlled the game from start to finish, finishing with a 484-229 advantage in total offense and a 30-14 edge in first downs. Saint Vincent converted 9-of-12 third-down opportunities and held possession for 34:09, compared to 25:51 for Thiel.
The victory marked Saint Vincent's first Presidents' Athletic Conference win of the season, as the Bearcats improved to 2-2 overall and 1-2 in conference play.
Saint Vincent returns to action on Saturday, October 17 with a road PAC matchup at Saint Francis. Kickoff is scheduled for for 1 p.m. in Loretto.
