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Gators Run Over Terriers in 59-0 Rout
October 23, 2004
MEADVILLE, Pa. – Allegheny College sophomore running back Mario Tarquinio (Charleroi, Pa.) tied a school record by running for five touchdowns in a 59-0 Gator win over the Hiram College (OH) Terriers.
Allegheny College captured their third win of the season and second win in the NCAC conference on Saturday afternoon, while improving their overall record to 3-4 and 2-2 in the conference play.
This game was never in doubt as Allegheny scored on their first four drives of the game and led at the end of the first quarter, 28-0. The Gator defense held Hiram’s offense in check and forced a punt, which was downed at the Allegheny 42-yard line. On Allegheny’s first offensive play of the game, Tarquinio ran 58 yards untouched into the end zone to give the Gators a 7-0 lead.
Allegheny started their next offensive drive in Hiram territory and needed three plays to move thirty yards, again ending with a Tarquinio run from 3-yards out. A 23-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Jimmy Savage (North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) to wide receiver Matt Pertile (Conway, Pa./Freedom) moved the ball down to the Hiram three-yard line, where Tarquinio punched it in.
Tarquinio and Savage led the Gators on their next scoring drive sharing the running duties and moving the ball 50 yards in 6 plays. The march was capped off by another Tarquinio touchdown run from 3-yards out, making the score 21-0. After a three and out by the Terriers, the Gators were given tremendous field position and only needed to move the ball 15 yards on four rushing plays, as Tarquinio punched the ball in again, this time from two yards to run the score to 28-0.
The Gators capitalized on the great field position they were given by senior cornerback Steve Williams (Westover, W. Va./University), as he returned five punts for 103 yards, all in the first half. Williams was close to breaking a few of the returns for touchdowns as he continually showed outstanding ability to see the field and let the Gator offense start drives in Hiram territory.
Allegheny would score twice more in the first half to make the score 38-0 at the break. A field goal by freshman kicker Jason Black (Warren, Ohio/Champion) from 38 yards away put the Gators up 31-0 and Savage got into the end zone on the Gators next possession, running in for a 13-yard touchdown.
Hiram’s average starting field position in the first half was at the Gators 21-yard line, while Allegheny consistently began drives in Hiram territory as evidenced by starting field position at the Hiram 44-yard line.
If Hiram had any hope of making a comeback in the second half, it was put to rest after the Gator offense took the football on their first possession and drove 79 yards on 13 plays and was capped off by Tarquinio’s fifth and final touchdown run of the day from seven yards away. Savage was perfect on the drive, going 4-4 and racking up 52 yards passing while putting the Gators up by a score of 45-0.
A bad snap on an attempted punt flew over Hiram punter Gary Sheplavy’s head for a loss of 22 yards and gave Allegheny the ball on the Terriers seven-yard line. Two plays later, Savage ran the ball in from seven yards out and gave the Gators a 52-0 lead.
Hiram’s next drive showed some promise until quarterback Ryan McGee was intercepted by freshman linebacker Zach Wallace (Apple Creek, Ohio/Waynedale) and he returned it to the Hiram 20-yard line. The Gators then capped off their scoring as junior fullback Josh White (Alliance, Ohio/Marlington) took the ball in from one yard out to make the score 59-0 in favor of the Gators.
On the defensive side of the ball, Allegheny picked off Hiram quarterbacks three times and had five tackles for losses. Wallace and junior linebacker Elliott George (Bradford, Pa./Bradford Area) each contributed four tackles a piece to lead the team. The Gator run defense limited Hiram to –23 rushing yards on 11 carries, which is the lowest rushing total since they held Denison University (OH) to –50 yards in 2001. Terriers safety Jim Conley contributed with 11 tackles on the day.
Four Allegheny backs ran for 50 yards or more, led my Tarquinio, who had 24 carries for 186 yards. Savage ran for 56 on nine carries, junior running back Kyle Geiser (Orrville, Ohio/Orrville) had 12 carries for 50 yards and sophomore running back Patsy Malie (Youngstown, Ohio/Cardinal Mooney) contributed with 51 yards on eight touches. The Gator ground game produced 354 yards on 60 carries and their eight rushing touchdowns ties a school record which was last reached in 1994 against Case Western Reserve (OH).
The win for Allegheny today was its largest victory since a 70-7 win over Hiram in 2000.
Next weekend, the Gators will travel to Wabash College (IN) to try to even their overall record and also try to put them over .500 in conference play.