BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva College football team, which has been hit hard by injuries on offense and defense this season, appeared ready to reenter the win column on Saturday night at home against Allegheny, holding a 14-point lead early in the fourth quarter. However, the Gators finished the game with 28 straight points to pull out a 34-20 victory over the Golden Tornadoes. Geneva is now 3-5 on the season, 2-4 in conference play.
Geneva received an early big play on special teams when junior Noah Hutcherson blocked an Allegheny punt to set up the offense deep in Gator territory, and three plays later freshman Darius Hollie ran it in from two yards away.
Allegheny answered on its next drive to even the score, but a three-yard touchdown run by freshman Jayvon Burrus late in the second quarter allowed the Golden Tornadoes to take a 13-6 lead into the halftime break, as both defenses held up well in the first half.
The special teams took advantage of another Allegheny mistake in the third quarter when junior AJ Baker recovered a muffed punt, once again giving the offense a short field to work with. Hollie capped off that 33-yard drive with a touchdown run from a yard away to give the Golden Tornadoes a 20-6 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Allegheny began its comeback with a 30-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter. Geneva fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and three plays later the Gators pulled even with an 18-yard run by Allegheny quarterback Carson Colucci.
The offense went three-and-out on its next possession, and Allegheny drove down the field to give the Gators their first lead of the game on a 35-yard touchdown pass by Colucci. The three scores all occurred within a five-minute span.
Allegheny sealed the comeback with an interception, followed by another short touchdown drive, to finish out the scoring and leave Beaver Falls with a 34-20 victory.
The Geneva offense, which has been significantly depleted due to several injuries along the offensive line and several more to its receiving group, never found a rhythm, finishing with 272 yards of offense. Burrus was a bright spot, seeing the first real action of his college career and responding with 67 yards rushing and two scores. Freshman receiver Jerry Davis continued his strong season as well, finishing with eight catches for 109 yards.
Junior Cody Patterson and freshman Aiden Manion led the defense with eight tackles each, while senior Coltin Hill finished with seven tackles and a blocked punt.
By the end of the game, Geneva was down seven starters on offense from the beginning of the year and four on the defensive side of the ball, not including several other key reserves that have gone down with injuries this season.
Geneva will wrap up the home portion of its schedule next Saturday when the Golden Tornadoes host Waynesburg for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff on Senior Day.
Through purposeful learning in a community reflecting the full spectrum of God's kingdom, a Geneva College experience inspires students to discover a faith-life calling in service to God and neighbor. Offering 195+ traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality and affordability. Geneva was founded and is governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) and is a founding member of both the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and the International Association for Christian Education (IACE).
