Meadville, PA – It was a record-setting day for the Oberlin College football team as they defeated the Allegheny College Gators 37-9 on Saturday afternoon at Frank B. Fuhrer Field.
Sophomore wide receiver Justin Cruz caught a career-high 14 balls, racking up a single-game school-record total of 242 yards and a career-best three touchdowns. Cruz's performance bested that of Rickey Valenzuela who had 239 yards against Wabash in 2001. The 14 catches by the Pleasanton, California, native also tie Chris Schubert for second all-time on the single-game list.
Senior kicker Erickson Andrews also connected on a 26-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, giving him 18-career makes to tie Steve Willever (2001-04) as the school's all-time field goal leader.
It was a great day all around for the Yeomen as they totaled 521 yards of offense on 74 total plays. Junior quarterback Lucas Poggiali turned in one of the best performances of his career, completing 20-of-24 passes for 283 yards to go along with the three TD tosses to Cruz. The Sandusky, Ohio, native also had nine carries for 52 yards on the ground.
Getting their first significant time of the season the rookie running mates of Khalil Rivers and Joseph Myrick impressed with their play in the backfield. Rivers toted the rock 23 times -- finishing with 115 yards -- which included a 20-yard TD scamper in the fourth quarter. Myrick also had a strong day with 74 yards on 17 rushes. He too scored his first collegiate touchdown.
After neither team did much with the ball in the first half, it was the Gators who got on the board first as Nick Deichler capped a 9-play, 69-yard drive with a 4-yard TD run early in the first quarter.
However, the Yeomen would answer right back as Poggiali marched his squad 71 yards on eight plays, with the last going to Cruz for a 29-yard touchdown. Andrews would tack on the extra point to make it a 7-6 Yeomen lead.
On its next drive, Oberlin would need even less time to find pay dirt as Poggiali and Cruz hooked up once more from 44 yards out to cap a 72-yard scoring sequence that took just 1:40.
The Gators would add a field goal to make it a 14-9 Oberlin lead at the half, but the Yeomen wasted no time in getting right back to work to start the third quarter.
It was a familiar sight for those in attendance as again it was Cruz who ended a Yeomen scoring drive – this time catching a nine-yard strike to end an 8-play, 60-yard jaunt.
Following a Gabe Edwards interception of Gators' quarterback Jon Nigro, Oberlin ended the third quarter with its longest drive of the day, covering 78 yards on 12 plays while taking 6:16 off the clock. It was Myrick who ran in from 6-yards out to make it 28-9 Yeomen lead.
With the game well in hand in the fourth quarterback, Andrews added his record-tying kick, while Rivers cashed in his first-career TD. Sophomore Larry Leggett and freshman Preston Wilkey also came away with their first-career interceptions.
Defensively, the Yeomen held the Gators to 219 yards of offense and just 13 first downs. Bennett Jackson led the way with 10 tackles.
Oberlin (2-4, 2-3 NCAC) has a tough test ahead as it travels out to No. 10 Wabash next Saturday for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
Oberlin Rolls Past Allegheny
/seasons/2014/boxscores/20141018_l3z1.xml
2014
Oberlin
37
Allegheny
9
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oberlin (2-4) | 0 | 14 | 14 | 9 | 37 |
| Allegheny (1-5) | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
Oct 18, 2014