LATROBE, Pa. (Sept. 26) – The Saint Vincent College football team saw a late comeback attempt fall just short, dropping a 27-23 decision to Allegheny College in the Presidents' Athletic Conference opener on Saturday afternoon at Chuck Noll Field.
The Bearcats (1-1, 0-1 PAC) jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first half before the Gators (4-0, 2-0 PAC) scored 20 unanswered points spanning the second and third quarters. Saint Vincent twice pulled back within striking distance in the second half, including cutting the deficit to four with just over four minutes remaining, before Allegheny held on for the win.
Saint Vincent quarterback Jake Phillips completed 25-of-52 passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns. Chris Downs was Phillips' top target, hauling in nine receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown, while Ian Tuffs caught four passes for 53 yards. Jakub Pickett finished with three catches for 26 yards and a touchdown, while Matthew Davis added a touchdown reception.
The Bearcats finished with 324 yards of total offense, including 257 through the air and 67 on the ground. Saint Vincent recorded 20 first downs and converted six of its 16 third-down attempts and two of five tries on fourth down.
Defensively, Nathan Parker led Saint Vincent with 12 tackles, including eight solo stops, while also recording a sack. Robbie Labuda finished with eight tackles, while Devon Dean-Coles added seven. Keegan O'Brien recorded four tackles and an interception, which he returned 18 yards. Tyler Harpst also recorded a sack for the Bearcats.
Saint Vincent opened the scoring midway through the first quarter. After the Bearcat defense gave the offense possession in Allegheny territory, Phillips connected with Pickett for a four-yard touchdown pass to cap off a five-play, 24-yard drive. Cole Heckathorn converted the extra point to give SVC a 7-0 lead with 7:21 remaining in the opening quarter.
The Bearcats extended their advantage early in the second quarter. Saint Vincent put together a nine-play, 58-yard drive that took more than five minutes off the clock, with Heckathorn connecting on a 33-yard field goal to increase the lead to 10-0 with 10:28 remaining in the half.
Allegheny responded on its ensuing possession, marching 75 yards on 10 plays before Carson Colucci connected with Terran Mitchell for a 12-yard touchdown pass. The extra point was missed, keeping Saint Vincent ahead 10-6 with 4:34 remaining in the second quarter.
The Gators then took their first lead in the closing seconds of the half. Colucci connected with Micah Smith for a 26-yard touchdown with five seconds remaining, sending Allegheny into halftime with a 13-10 advantage.
Allegheny added to its lead with a lengthy drive to open the second half. The Gators went 83 yards on 11 plays, with Colucci finding Steven Zerbe for a 17-yard touchdown to extend the Allegheny lead to 20-10 with 7:19 remaining in the third quarter.
Saint Vincent answered with a long scoring drive of its own. The Bearcats marched 75 yards, with Phillips connecting with Tuffs for 17 yards on a third down to move into Allegheny territory. Davis later carried the ball to the four-yard line before Phillips found him for a four-yard touchdown with 33 seconds remaining in the third quarter, trimming the deficit to 20-17.
Allegheny responded again, driving 84 yards on nine plays before Malik Jefferson broke free for a 31-yard touchdown run, pushing the Gators' advantage to 27-17 with 11:19 remaining in regulation.
The Bearcats continued to battle. After a Saint Vincent drive stalled at the Allegheny 28, the Bearcat defense forced a punt to give the offense another opportunity. Phillips then connected with Downs for 25 yards to move into Allegheny territory before converting a fourth-and-10 with an 11-yard completion to Owen Neistein.
Phillips eventually found Downs for a seven-yard touchdown with 4:02 remaining, cutting Allegheny's lead to 27-23. The ensuing extra point was blocked.
Saint Vincent's defense quickly forced a three-and-out, with Parker sacking Colucci for an eight-yard loss on third down to give the Bearcats one final opportunity with 1:51 remaining.
Starting at midfield, Phillips connected with Tuffs for 17 yards and Downs for six more to move the Bearcats into Allegheny territory. Saint Vincent eventually drove inside the Gators' 10-yard line in the final seconds, but Allegheny's Cortlon Campbell intercepted Phillips at the one-yard line on fourth-and-goal as time expired, sealing the 27-23 Gators victory.
Saint Vincent returns to action on Saturday, October 3 with a road PAC matchup at Waynesburg. Kick-off is scheduled for 1 p.m.
