READING, Pa. – A late score put the football game out of reach for Gallaudet University as the Bison ran out of time here Friday evening against Albright College at Gene L. Shirk Stadium. The Lions held off the Bison, 17-6, in the 2024 season opener.
 
Gallaudet (0-1) trailed 10-0 at the half but received a spark early in the third quarter when junior Andrae' Green (Washington, D.C.) returned a kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown. Green led NCAA Division III last season with a grand return average of 33.5 yards per return. The Bison missed the point after attempt but the buff and blue were back in business only down four points, 10-6, with 10:11 left in the third.
 
The Bison defense held on the next possession as the Lions (1-0) went for it on fourth down at the Gallaudet 27. Albright quarterback Alex Gardsy (9 for 18, 82 yards) dropped back and heaved a pass into the end zone for Logan Rothberg (three receptions, 32 yards) but Tyler Wascher (Noblesville, Ind.) broke up the past as the Lions turned the ball over on downs.
 
GU's triple-option offense went to work as senior superback Dre'Vaughn Mackall (Prince Frederick, Md.) picked up some key yards on the ground while first-year quarterback Trevin Adams (Riverside, Calif.) equally distributed the ball to his receivers. The Bison were able to march down to the Albright 15-yard line but could not convert on fourth-and-5. The 10-play drive covered 58 yards and came off the heels of an 11-play, 72-yard drive to end the second half as the Bison got to the Albright 8 but time expired as the teams went into halftime.

Gallaudet's defense denied Albright near midfield on a second straight turnover on downs as the Lions went for it on fourth-and-3. Gardsy's pass was incomplete as sophomore Austin Baker (Frederick, Md.) broke up the throw.

The Bison were in prime position as they began the drive on the Albright 48. Gallaudet ran the ball six consecutive times and picked up 22 yards and two first downs in the process. The Bison were heading in the right direction until back-to-back false start penalties pushed them back 10 yards. A 6-yard rush and two incomplete passes turned the ball back over to the Lions as the Bison came up empty-handed.

On the ensuing drive, Albright fed John Boston (16 carries, 88 yards) five times as he picked up 55 yards on five carries. Boston ended the 7-play, 66-yard drive with a 9-yard run at the 3:51 mark. The Lions made the extra-point kick and held an 11-point lead over the Bison.

GU couldn't get anything going on the final drive and turned the ball over on downs for a fifth time to the Lions. Albright lined up in victory formation for the first time since Sept. 18, 2021, when it defeated Alvernia, 31-21, on the road. The last time the Lions won at home came in Nov. 16, 2019, with a 28-23 victory over Lebanon Valley to conclude the season.

Adams finished 14-of-21 for 140 yards and three rushes for 10 yards. Mackall led the Bison with 71 yards on the ground on 13 carries. Senior quarterback Brandon Washington (Citronelle, Ala.) started under center but two fumbles pushed him out to wide receiver where he made 10 catches for a game-high 104 yards.

On defense, senior linebacker Jacob Hartman (Petersburg, W.Va.) and junior defensive back Zefan Nathanson (Manor, Texas) led the Bison with five tackles each.  

BISON TRACKS

• GU outgained Albright, 260 yards to 228
• Gallaudet was held to only 115 rushing yards
• The Bison held the ball for over 31 minutes
• Albright is now 3-0 all-time against Gallaudet
• Prior to this evening's game the last time these two schools met on the gridiron was in 1927
• The first meeting between the two schools came in 1925
• The last time Albright faced an Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) team came in the first round of the 2015 NCAA playoffs as the Lions hosted and shut out Norwich, 49-0

UP NEXT
GU will host its home opener next Saturday, Sept. 14, at noon against the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Hotchkiss Field.