Allegheny Falls Just Short of Upsetting W&J For Second Straight Season

Sep 13, 2003

Boxscore

Bubba Smith (Doylestown, Ohio/Chippewa) and the Allegheny College offense piled up 425 total yards of offense, but fell five points short in a 28-23 loss to Washington & Jefferson in Division III football at Cameron Stadium in Washington, Pa. Smith completed 32-of-46 passes, both career highs, for 282 yards and two touchdowns.

Jon Turner (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) caught 11 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown. The senior wideout needs just four more receptions to tie Ronnie Anderson '98 for the all-time lead with 125 career receptions. Jamie Sye (Titusville, Pa./Titusville) ran 12 times for 84 yards and a touchdown.

The Gator defense held W&J to just 266 yards of offense and only 80 rushing yards after allowing Bladwin-Wallace to rush for 407 yards in their opener.

Allegheny jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the first half moving the ball through the air as Smith was near-perfect in the first half, going 11-13 for 136 yards and two touchdowns. The Gators got on the board with 2:11 left in the first quarter when Turner caught his 17th career touchdown, a 26-yard score from Smith. The touchdown moved Turner into second-place with all-time in touchdown receptions. Allegheny stretched it to 13-0 as Smith hit Brian Woods (Pittsburgh, Pa./Avonworth) from 21-yards out. The point-after kick was blocked.

Washington & Jefferson got on the board late as Mike Virgin caught a two-yard pass from Chris Edwards with 33 seconds remaining in the half.

The Presidents took a 14-13 led on the first drive of the second half when Aaron Krepps hauled in a 26-yard score from Edwards.

Sye punched in a score for the Gators after Allegheny recovered a muffed punt at the W&J two-yard line to regain the lead 20-14.

The lead was short-lived, however, as Krepps returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards, giving the Presidents a one-point lead again, 21-20. W&J added to the lead in the fourth with a eight-yard rush by Matt Bettinazzi.

Aaron Polack (Medina, Ohio/Medina)hit a 37-yard field goal to close the scoring with 4:43 left in the fourth quarter.

The Gators had the ball on the Presidents’ 37-yard line and 10 seconds left on the clock, but Smith’s heave for Will McMahon was picked off by Ryan Graft in the endzone.

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