Ream returns to lineup with record-breaking performance in Gator win

Box Score

Frostburg, Md. - October 20, 2001 - The Allegheny College football team won its third consecutive game, defeating Frostburg State University 40-13 here today. In the win, senior tailback Shane Ream equaled or bettered four Gator records, becoming Allegheny's all-time leader in scoring, rushing touchdowns and all-purpose yardage and tying the single-game scoring record.

Ream rushed 33 times for 142 yards and five touchdowns, and he added one reception for 11 yards. The five rushing TDs gave Ream 55 for his career, breaking Stanley Drayton's mark of 54. The 30 points on the afternoon moved Ream past Drayton in career scoring, giving Ream 354 points to Drayton's 336. The single-game points also tied a record Ream shared with Kyle Smesko, Jon Iozzi, Drayton and Jay Lewis. Ream finished the day with 153 all-purpose yards - he now has 4,072 for his career - also breaking Drayton's mark of 4,010 yards.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Gators got on the scoreboard first when Ream went over the top from 1-yard out to give Allegheny a 7-0 lead. The drive, which began when Derek Vikara forced a fumble that Joe Cowart recovered, was keyed by a crucial fourth-down conversion. On 4th-and-4 from the Frostburg 6-yard line, Ream carried a toss sweep right for a gain of five.

Allegheny moved out to a 14-0 lead when Ream registered his second rushing TD of the afternoon with a 2-yard plunge. The Gator scoring drive's key play was a shake-and-bake filled 24-yard rush by Brian Woods to the Bobcat 2-yard line.

The Gators took 21-0 advantage with a quick-strike 71-yard drive that took just five plays and 1:05 off the clock. Bubba Smith lofted a pass down the middle that Woods grabbed and was immediately hit, but the tackler bounced off, allowing Woods to sprint to paydirt.

Frostburg cut the lead to 21-7 early in the third quarter, but the Gators answered as Ream went in for his second 1-yard TD of the afternoon to push the lead to 27-7. The Allegheny 11-play, 74-yard drive was highlighted by a Ream rush for 21 yards, his longest gain of the afternoon, and a 17-yard strike from Smith to Tim Carl that set the Gators up 1st-and-goal at the 1-yard line.

The Bobcats answered again late in the third quarter to make it 27-13, but Ream followed that score with a 4-yard touchdown that came on 4th-and-2. The drive started as the Gator's Ryan James recovered the fifth Frostburg fumble of the afternoon.

Ream's final score of the day, the touchdown that broke the all-time rushing TDs mark, came on a 17-yard scamper up the middle, setting the final score at 40-13. Carl, seeing action for the first time since the second game of the season, had two receptions for 25 yards on the drive.

The potent Gator offense, posting over 500 yard of total offense for the fourth time this season, was keyed by the passing attack. Smith finished the day 22-of-30 for 257 yards and a score. Jon Turner caught eight passes for 77 yards, while Jared McNeilly had six receptions for 52 yards. He also carried the ball five times for 40 yards. Woods had nine carries for 69 yards to go along with three receptions for 72 yards.

Allegheny's defense, the No. 7-ranked rush defense unit in the nation, limited Frostburg to 191 total yards on the day, with just nine yards coming on the ground. J.P. McFeeley led the Gators with eight tackles, seven solo, while Ralph Tune added eight tackles including three for a loss. Tune and David Pisanick each tallied sacks on the afternoon.

With the win, the Gators improved to 4-3 overall, while the Bobcats fell to 2-4. Allegheny returns to North Coast Athletic Conference action next week, when it hosts Wabash College at Robertson Field on Saturday, October 27. Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m.