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Gators Come Back for 16-10 OT Win at Wabash
October 30, 2004
CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. – A one-yard touchdown run by sophomore running back Mario Tarquinio (Charleroi, Pa.) gave the Allegheny College football team a 16-10 overtime victory at Wabash College Saturday afternoon. The victory evens the Gators’ record at 4-4 overall and improves them to 3-2 in the NCAC, while the Little Giants fall to 5-3 and 3-3.
Wabash got off to a quick start when they returned the opening kickoff 55 yards to the Allegheny 35. The Little Giants reached the Gator six-yard line but a false start penalty halted the drive and Wabash settled for a 22-yard field goal from Mark Server to take a 3-0 lead with 10:29 to play in the first quarter.
The Gators then dominated the rest of the half in time of possession but could not dent the scoreboard. Following the Wabash score, Allegheny reached the Little Giant 39 before failing on a fourth down and one. In the second quarter, Allegheny chewed up 9:35 on the clock with a 14-play, 41-yard drive that stalled out at the Wabash 46. Overall in the first half, the Gators controlled the ball for over 17 minutes.
After forcing Wabash to punt on its first possession of the second half, Allegheny finally put points on the board following a long drive. Beginning at their own 13, the Gators drive 75 yards in 16 plays to set up a 30-yard field goal from freshman kicker Bryan Davis (Hummelstown, Pa./ Lower Dauphin) to knot the score at 3-3. Allegheny sophomore quarterback Jimmy Savage (North Canton, Pa./ Hoover) had two big plays to keep the drive going. Early in the march, he ran for five yards on a third down and four and later, completed a 15-yard pass to junior tight end Marko Fonzi (Pittsburgh, Pa./ Brentwood) on a third and five at the Little Giant 43.
Wabash looked like it would take the lead back on its next possession. Using 13 plays to go 44 yards, the hosts brought the field goal team on for a 38-yard kick, but the snap was high and an attempted pass downfield was incomplete, allowing the Gators to dodge the bullet and keep the score tied at 3-3 heading into the fourth quarter.
Midway through the fourth period, Allegheny seemed to be in good position after a short Wabash punt gave the Gators the ball at their own 47. However, on the next play, Tarquinio fumbled in the AC backfield and Wabash’s Tamarco White picked it up and ran 42 yards for the touchdown and a 10-3 Little Giant lead with 6:16 to play in the game.
Allegheny looked to be in trouble but used a strong wind at their back to their advantage to get back in the game. After going three-and-out on its next possession, Gator punter Jason Black (Warren, Ohio/ Champion) boomed a 52-yarder to the Wabash 15. Allegheny’s defense then stood tall, as junior safety Brad Stotsky (Evans City, Pa./ Seneca Valley) made two tackles on the drive to force a Wabash punt, which only went 27 yards, giving Allegheny possession at the Little Giants’ 43.
That’s when Allegheny’s sophomore signal caller went to work. Savage went 4-5 through the air on the ensuing possession for 41 yards, including a pair of completions to sophomore wideout Dallas Robinson (Wooster, Ohio/ Northwestern) for 23 yards. The drive culminated with 1:24 to play with a 15-yard scoring pass from Savage to Fonzi and with Davis’s extra point, the Gators had tied the game at 10 and forced it into overtime.
On their first possession of the extra session, Wabash gained only six yards and brought on Server for a 36-yard field goal. However, his kick sailed wide left, giving Allegheny the chance for the win.
And Tarquinio made sure the Gators took advantage of the opportunity. On the first play, he burst down the sideline for a 22-yard gain before stepping out at the Little Giant three. Two plays later, Tarquinio plowed into the end zone from a yard away for the winning score, his 11th TD of the season, which gave the Gators their second overtime victory this year.
The Gator defense also had another strong game, as they held their second straight opponent under 200 yards of offense (193). Stotsky led the corps with 11 solo stops and also broke up one pass. Junior cornerback Keith Keenan (Bloomingdale, Ohio/ Indian Creek) made six solo tackles, while senior defensive tackle Nick Sciarro (New Castle, Pa.) also made six tackles, including two and a half for loss.
Although the Allegheny offense didn’t put up great numbers, it did hold major advantages in first downs (19-9) and time of possession (34:41-25:19). The Gators were also efficient on third downs, converting seven of 14 opportunities.
Individually, Tarquinio gained 93 tough yards and the game-winning score on 31 carries. He now has 853 yards on the season and needs 147 more in the final two games to become the first AC back to eclipse 1,000 yards in a season since Shane Ream in 2000. In addition, Savage had a nice game, gaining 72 yards on 18 carries and completing 12 of 16 passes for 103 yards and one score. Robinson hauled in a game-high four passes for 32 yards to lead the Gator receivers.
Allegheny returns home for its final game of the season at Robertson Field next Saturday. The Gators will host Earlham (Ind.) College at 1 p.m. in search of their fourth consecutive victory overall. Allegheny will also try to continue its dominance over the Quakers, as AC has never lost to Earlham in 17 meetings.