Box Score
MEADVILLE, Pa. – T.J. Salopek rushed for two touchdowns and threw for 312 yards to help Allegheny erase a 14-point deficit for a 24-21 comeback victory over Wooster in North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) football action in the home finale for the Gators on Saturday.
With 7:21 left in the fourth quarter, Doug Williams forced a Fighting Scots fumble and Drew Perry fell on top of it at midfield, setting up the game-winning drive for Allegheny (7-1, 4-1 NCAC). After going five plays for 47 yards, Salopek kept the ball and made his way into the end zone for a two-yard touchdown scamper to give Allegheny the lead for good.
After missing a 44-yard field goal that hit the post and bounced out in the third quarter, Russ Palm had a chance to tie the game for Wooster with 1:04 left to play but his 38-yard attempt went wide right to let the Gators ride down the remaining time for the victory.
Salopek went 27-for-43 in the air, hitting Jake Vite nine times for a career-high 168 yards including a three-yard pass for his third touchdown of the season. Austin Holter accounted for 273 of the Fighting Scots 378 total offensive yards.
Wooster scored all of its points in the second quarter, putting up 21 unanswered points to take a large lead into the locker rooms.
Allegheny did not score any points in the first quarter, but was the first to take the lead to start the second quarter. Salopek completed two passes to Vite while rushing for 20 yards including a seven yards for a 7-0 edge. The Fighting Scots answered quickly to make it 7-all, shaving only 2:15 off the clock and scoring on a 51-yard pass from Austin Holter to Cameron Daniels.
Holter went big in the air again for the second touchdown, this time going 63 yards to Jordan McIntyre. Wooster made it 21 straight points with a third touchdown with 40 seconds left in the half on a 46-yard punt return by Taylor Trout, who entered the game averaging 8.0 yards per contest.
Allegheny shut down the Fighting Scots in the second half and made big plays to spark the come back. At the 7:26 mark of the third quarter, Vite made a one-handed catch for 45 yards to make it 1-and-10 on the Wooster 25, eventually setting up Ryan Zipf’s 39-yard field goal to cut it to 21-10.
Palm’s missed field goal paved the way for the Gators’ next scoring drive. Salopek hit Vite for 48 yards for first-and-goal, before dumping the ball in into the left corner of the end zone to make it 21-17.
The Allegheny defense only allowed the Fighting Scots a chance at five plays, before forcing the fumble and giving the ball back to the Gators at their own 48-yard line. Salopek completed four straight passes, hitting Sean Griffin for 17 yards to get to the 14-yard line. Salopek finished the drive with a two-yard run for the game-winning touchdown.
Once again, the defense stepped up and forced a 4th and six situation. The Fighting Scots converted the first down and got down to the Allegheny 21, but Palm had a chance to send the game into overtime and missed his second field goal of the day.
Andy Schleihauf made 10 stops and C.J. Bell added seven. Andrew DeJong averaged 40 yards on seven punts, kicking a 51 yarder and knocking two inside the 20.
The Gators, who have sole possession of third place in the NCAC, will travel to top-ranked Wittenberg next Saturday. Game time is 1 p.m.