The Bearcats were unable to hold a fourth quarter lead, falling to Geneva College on the road by a score of 38-20.

Saint Vincent opened the game with a turnover, but strong play from the Bearcat defense kept Geneva off the board on their opening drive.  However, a tipped pass led to an interception on SVC's second drive, and Matt Dean later scored on a 2-yard run to give Geneva a 7-0 lead.

The game then turned into a defensive struggle, but SVC managed to tie the score with just over two minutes left in the  second quarter, when Jake Smith hit tight end Allen Neiderer with a 7-yard touchdown pass.  Smith had helped to keep the drive alive on three occasions, rushing for a trio of first downs.

In the third quarter, the Bearcats forced a pair of turnovers and kept Geneva off the board, then took advantage of a punt block to take the lead.  On a third and 15 play, Golden Tornado quarterback David Girardi attempted a punt from inside his own 10 yard line, but the Bearcat line partially blocked the attempt, and linebacker Tom Quirin grabbed the ball out of the air and ran it 10 yards into the end zone for a Bearcat score.  The extra point attempt never materialized, as the snap was dropped, and SVC led 13-7 with 5:36 remaining in the third quarter.

Just over 30 seconds later, Dean ran for his second TD of the game, a 48-yard run.  The extra point gave Geneva the lead, 14-13, and they added to it four minutes later with a 36-yard field goal from Nick DiPietro.

Saint Vincent fought back early in the fourth.  On a third down play, Smith ran 37 yards to the Geneva 15, then hit Neiderer with a 15-yard strike on the next play that gave the Bearcats a 20-17 advantage with 14:26 left in the fourth.

On the ensuing kickoff, AJ Delmonico broke free for a 74-yard touchdown, but the play was shrouded in controversy.  A penalty was called on Geneva for a personal foul -- which appeared to take place during the return.  However, after a lengthy meeting by the officials, the touchdown was allowed to stand and the penalty was ruled a dead-ball violation, and Geneva took a 24-20 lead. 

After SVC fumbled on the kickoff, Geneva took over on the Bearcat 42, driving to the end zone in seven plays to take a 31-20 lead.  They added a late score that made it 38-20.

Jake Smith rushed for 86 yards to lead Saint Vincent (0-8), and was 14-of-34 passing for 154 yards and two touchdowns.  Jeremy Drischler caught 3 passes for 47 yards, while Zach Mihalko had 3 receptions for 24 yards.  Allen Neiderer and Sheldon Loughner had two catches each.

David Ribero led the defense with 11 tackles, including one sack, while Armando Fortunato recorded 10 tackles and one sack.

For Geneva, Matt Dean gained 66 yards on just 7 carries to lead the team.  David Girardi was 20-25 through the air for 169 yards.  Sam Thurston was his top target, catching 9 passes for 92 yards.  

As a team, Saint Vincent had 265 yards of offense compared to 351 for Geneva (6-1).

The Bearcats travel to Greenville, PA for a matchup against Thiel College next Saturday at 1:30.