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Gators Look to Impress in Home Opener
September 13, 2006
Football Game Notes (PDF)
MEADVILLE, Pa. – The Allegheny College Gators head into the third week of the season looking to go 2-1 for the first time since 1998. They will need to get past an improving Hiram squad to accomplish the feat on their new home field, as Saturday is also the dedication for the newly renovated Frank B. Fuhrer Field.
The Gators hold a convincing 26-11-2 margin in the all-time series, and have won the last six meetings in convincing fashion, a combined 317-27, since the Terriers joined the North Coast Athletic Conference in 2000. Allegheny cannot afford to look past the Hiram squad, as any team on the Gators’ schedule could come out and bite them during the year.
“We are a 1-1 football team,” said Mark Matlak, Allegheny’s head football coach. “Our motivation is to win the game and go to 2-1. We haven’t been 2-1 in a long time, at least since I’ve been the head coach. That should be the focus. The other thing is when you look at Hiram, they are vastly improved. I know they have two losses under their belt, but right now we have a lot of work to do, and dedicating the stadium should be incentive enough.”
Last season the Gators scored the first four touchdowns of the day, running away with a 38-6 victory. James Jones (Ellington, N.Y./Falconer Central) threw for a trio of touchdowns, while Mario Tarquinio (Charleroi, Pa./Charleroi) rushed for 101 yards and a score en route to being named the NCAC Player of the Week.
Last week the Gators ran into a buzzsaw, a hungry Washington & Jefferson team that was soundly beaten in their home opener a week prior. Jimmy Savage (North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) threw for a career-high 263 yards on 23-of-36 passing. “Jim Savage was excellent for the second week in a row,” said Matlak. “Offensively we were very efficient throwing the football and we were very efficient moving the ball between the 20’s.”
Hiram comes into the game after falling 42-7 to Bethany College last weekend, as the Bison scored the first 21 points of the game before a Jon Agnew three-yard touchdown rush cut the deficit to 21-7. The host Bison returned the ensuing kickoff 93 yards, pushing the lead back to 21 points, and cruised the rest of the way in the lopsided loss.
Agnew rushed for 48 yards in the game, giving him 91 on the year, while the rest of the squad totaled 34 yards in the loss. Trevor Henderson was 9-of-18 passing in the game for 111 yards, pushing his season total to 180 yards passing on 18-of-38 attempts. Henderson’s rushing touchdown in the season opener against Carnegie Mellon was the squad’s only points in that game.
The game, will be the dedication ceremony for the field renovations, which included a new FieldTurf Field, lights, an Olympic-style track, a new concession stand and a state-of-the-art scoreboard.
Kickoff for the game is at 1:00 p.m.