Scots' Late-Game Magic at Allegheny Falls Short This Time

Austin Holter

After winning in the final moments each of the last two seasons in its match-up with Allegheny College, The College of Wooster came tantalizingly close to doing it again, or at least extending Saturday‘s game into overtime, however, the Gators’ Andy Toner intercepted a 23-yard pass in the end zone on the last play to give his squad a 27-20 victory in North Coast Athletic Conference action at Meadville, Pa.

Two years ago, Wooster kicked a 32-yard field goal with :02 left to prevail 37-34 at Allegheny, and just last season, the Fighting Scots broke a 21-21 tie with a 43-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass as time expired.

On Saturday, Wooster (2-5, 2-2 NCAC) was trailing by a touchdown and pinned deep in its own territory, as the Scots’ final possession started on their own 4-yard line with 3:08 remaining. Quarterback Austin Holter (Johnstown, Ohio / Johnstown-Monroe) steadily directed Wooster down the field, completing 8-of-12 passes for 61 yards and running for another 10 yards on two attempts, which added up to six first downs.

The drive eventually stalled. From the Gators’ 30-yard line, two pass attempts were broken up and then Holter scrambled for seven yards, resulting in a 4th-and-3 play with :06 remaining. This season’s version of the Hail Mary was picked off by Toner.

Allegheny (5-2, 3-1 NCAC) led the majority of the game. The Gators scored on the very first possession, with Rodney Still scampering in from 23 yards out to cap an eight-play, 79-yard march. The point after attempt was missed, though, to keep it 6-0.

Wooster would go ahead 7-6 later in the opening quarter on a two-play drive. The Scots gained possession on the Allegheny 41. After a 10-yard pass play to Dustin Sheppard (Johnstown, Ohio / Johnstown-Monroe), Holter executed a play-action fake, connecting with Jordan Ferns (Canfield, Ohio / Canfield) around the five, and Ferns took it in for the touchdown.

Early in the second quarter, it was the Gators who took advantage of a short field. From the Wooster 49, it took them four plays to retake the lead, with the touchdown coming on a 36-yard pass from T.J. Salopek to Jim Lieb, which turned out to be the longest offensive play of the day.

While the game will be remembered for its final moments, the turning point may have come at the end of the first half. The Scots made three first downs, including converting a 4th-and-1 from the Allegheny 19. Following that play, though, Wooster lost yardage on three successive plays, making it 4th-and-25 from the 30.

The Scots turned the ball over on downs and then the Gators quickly scored, recording plays of 11, 11, 9, 17, and 26 yards, the last one being a touchdown reception for Pete Obourn from Salopek, as they took a 20-7 lead with just :12 remaining in the second quarter.

In the third, Wooster quickly got back into the game, as an interception by Matt DeGrand (Stow, Ohio / St. Vincent-St. Mary) at the Allegheny 23-yard line gave the Scots a short field to work with. A couple of Sheppard runs moved Wooster inside the 10, but it had to settle for a 23-yard field goal from Andy Milligan (Orrville, Ohio / Orrville).

The Scots would continue to pull closer, this time with punt returner Keith Adams (Mogadore, Ohio / Field) setting up the offense at the Gators’ 34 via a season-high 45-yard run back. Sheppard would then account for 27 rushing yards of the ensuing touchdown drive, including a 12-yarder to cap it, which brought Wooster within a field goal (20-17).

Allegheny responded with a touchdown on its ensuing possession, with Still rushing in another, this time from 11 yards out to finish the six-play, 60-yard march.

Down by 10 again, the Scots would answer with a season-high 39-yard field goal from Milligan, and they got one more possession after that, falling just short.

Holter had a career-high 21 completions (21-of-36) for 182 yards, while Sheppard registered his third-straight 100-yard rushing game, going for 110 on 27 carries. He also had five catches for 31 yards.

Salopek was highly efficient, completing 18-of-24 for 262 passing yards. Lieb and Obourn were his favorite targets, combining for nine receptions for 174 yards and the two scores. Still led the Gators’ rushing attack with 64 stripes on 15 attempts.

Next Saturday, Wooster welcomes nationally-ranked and undefeated Wabash College (7-0, 5-0 NCAC) to John P. Papp Stadium for a 1 p.m. kickoff.