Milligan's Field Goal the Difference in Key 37-34 Win

Bobby Reiff

MEADVILLE, Pa. – Andy Milligan (Orrville, Ohio / Orrville) split the uprights from 32 yards out with :02 remaining, giving The College of Wooster a hard-fought 37-34 victory at Allegheny College in a key North Coast Athletic Conference contest that featured five lead changes and two ties.

After Allegheny (0-4, 0-1 NCAC) tied it for the second time in the fourth quarter on a James Jones nine-yard rush at the 2:46 mark, Wooster (4-0, 1-0 NCAC) took over with second-string quarterback Bobby Reiff (Bay Village, Ohio / Bay) at the controls. Justin Schafer (Bethesda, Ohio / Union Local)  had been injured on the Fighting Scots’ previous offensive series.

Reiff, whose only significant experience in a Wooster uniform came during last year’s loss in the second round of the NCAA Div. III Football Championship, calmly directed the offense down the field. Taking over at the 28, Reiff completed 5-of-8 passes for 62 yards, with three going to Shaun Swearingen for 29 yards, to set up Milligan’s winning boot. It was Milligan’s first attempt of the game, but his seventh field goal made already this season.

The game went back-and-forth throughout.

First, the Gators took the opening kickoff and methodically drove down the field, but had to settle for a 27-yard Josh Whiteside field goal. After the 14-play Allegheny drive, which took 6:11 off the clock, the Scots gained the lead on their initial play from scrimmage, as a Schafer pass over the middle to tight end Greg Peltz (Amherst, Ohio / Amherst Steeled) resulted in a 73-yard touchdown.

Mario Tarquinio scored the first of his two first-half rushing touchdowns on the Gators’ ensuing drive to make it 10-7 at the end of one quarter only to see Wooster find the end zone on its first two possessions of the second period. The second came on another long play, as Schafer, forced out of the pocket and running to his left, threw against his body to a streaking Aaron Gertz (Bay Village, Ohio / Bay), who then sprinted down the sideline for a 77-yard touchdown. That gave the Scots a 20-10 lead, but Tarquino struck again before the half, pulling Allegheny within 20-17.

Wooster could have had a bigger halftime lead, but turned it over twice in Gator territory.

The Scots began the third quarter with another turnover, this time on their own end of the field. Allegheny took advantage, as Jimmy Savage completed a three-play, 16-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown rush and gave the Gators back the lead (24-20). The two defenses appeared to settle in for a second-half battle until Schafer found Gertz on a deep crossing pattern over the middle and the junior wide receiver then avoided a pair of Allegheny defenders on his way to a 41-yard touchdown reception.

Following a tying 42-yard field goal by Whiteside 5:33 into the fourth, Wooster took over on the 33. Schafer brought the Scots to the Wooster 48 before being injured on a running play. Reiff entered and immediately ripped off an 11-yard himself. He completed a couple of short passes, but then turned to running back Dustin Sheppard (Newark, Ohio / Johnstown-Monroe) for three-straight rushes that covered 27 yards, with the last being a six-yard touchdown to put the Scots ahead 34-27 with 3:35 left.

The Gators turned right around and marched 66 yards in just three plays and :35, but may have left too much time on the clock for Reiff and Milligan.

Despite missing the end of the game, Schafer finished one yard shy of his career passing mark, completing 16-of-25 for 314 yards and three touchdowns. He also added 44 net rushing yards, while Reiff was 7-of-10 for 70 yards. Peltz and Gertz were the top targets with five catches for a career-high 114 receiving yards and four for a career-high 147 yards, respectively.

Sheppard led the running attack with 74 yards on 14 carries.

For Allegheny, Savage and Jones combined to go 12-for-27 through the air for 159 passing yards and added 83 stripes on the ground, while Tarquinio had a 100-yard game for the second-straight year against Wooster with 123 on 29 rushing attempts.

The Scots, winners of 14-straight in regular season games, host Kenyon College next Saturday.