Game Notes: Bethany at Grove City (Week 10)

Andrew Woodley, Sports Information Director

WEEK 10: Bethany College Bison (0-8, 0-6 Presidents' Athletic Conference) at Grove City College Wolverines (3-5, 3-3 Presidents' Athletic Conference)

• When: Saturday, November 4, 2017
• Where: Grove City, Pennsylvania
• Stadium: Robert E. Thorn Field (3,500)
• Kickoff: 1:30 p.m.
• Series vs. Grove City: Grove City leads 42-27-2
• Series Streak: Bethany won 4
• Last Meeting vs. Grove City: Bethany 33, Grove City 14 (2016) | Box Score
• Last Bethany Win: 2016; Bethany 33, Grove City 14
• Video: https://livestream.com/accounts/13431056/events/7671136
• Live Stats: http://www2.gcc.edu/sports/Football/xlive.htm

GAME NOTES (.pdf):

LAST MEETING: Led by a 10-catch, 192-yard, two-touchdown performance by former Bison Tyler Ambush, Bethany claimed a 33-14 win over Grove City last season at Bison Stadium. Bethany led 13-7 at the half and rolled off 20-straight points in the third quarter to break the game open. Senior quarterback Chase Kinemond (Shadyside, Ohio/Shadyside) finished the day 19-for-25 with 308 yards and five touchdown passes (zero interceptions).

GARVEY VERSUS GROVE CITY: Head Coach Bill Garvey's Bethany teams are 4-0 versus Grove City and have out-scored the Wolverines 159-80 during that stretch. The Bison offense has averaged 39.8 points and 477 yards of total offense per game in those meetings, the most against any one team under Garvey.

A FIASCO ON OUR HANDS: Bethany linebacker Joseph Fiasco (Wilmerding, Pa./Penn-Trafford) became the first Bison this season to earn weekly awards when he garnered both PAC and ECAC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance versus Thomas More. The Penn-Trafford alum finished with a career-high 17 tackles (seven solo), posted two sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss and forced a fumble in the game. Fiasco ranks second on the team and third in the PAC with 9.3 tackles per game, while his 8.5 tackles for loss ranks seventh in the conference.

RECOVERY SPECIALIST: Bethany senior linebacker Will Gatling (Baltimore, Md./Northwestern), the PAC leader with 10.8 tackles per game, forced a fumble and recovered two fumbles last week versus Thomas More. Gatling has four fumble recoveries this season and is tied with four other players in Division III for the national lead in that category. He also ranks 29th nationally in total tackles and 27th in solo tackles with 6.1 per game.

SACK LUNCH: Bethany senior defensive end Khallid Pierce (Youngstown, Ohio/Ursuline) had two sacks versus Thomas More to give him 26.5 for his career and sole possession of second all-time at Bethany. Pierce ranks second in the PAC and 37th in the nation with 7.0 sacks this season and also ranks fourth in the league with 11.5 tackles for loss. Grove City has allowed a PAC-worst 23 sacks this season.

TURNOVER MARGIN: Despite its record, the Bison rank fifth in the PAC with a plus-two turnover margin. Bethany is tied for the league-lead with 11 fumble recoveries, which ranks ninth in all of NCAA Division III this season. 

DEFENSIVE STAND: Thomas More entered last week's game averaging a PAC-best 489.5 yards of offense per game, but the Bethany defense managed to hold them to 360 yards on the day. The Bison forced four turnovers (two fumbles, two interceptions), ended the game with five sacks and allowed a season-low 21 points in the loss.

GREEN GAME: Bethany wraps up the season at Saint Vincent next week. The Bison scored 19-unanswered points in the fourth quarter to rally for a 32-31 win and shock the Bearcats in last season's finale. The victory was the second-straight come-from-behind win over the Bearcats, as Bethany scored 21-consecutive points in a 35-27 win in Latrobe to close the 2015 season.