GREENVILLE, Pa. (Oct. 31, 2009) – The Thiel College football team had its all-around best game of the season on Saturday, as it trounced Saint Vincent, 38-14, at Alumni Stadium.

The Tomcats established new season highs in passing yards (373), total yards (442), points scored, first downs (24), and turnovers caused (seven) – including four fourth-quarter interceptions – as they improved to 3-5 on the year. The Bearcats, on the other hand, limp into their bye week at 0-9.

Senior quarterback Willie Bova (Port Allegany, Pa./Port Allegany) (Port Allegany, Pa./Port Allegany) threw for every one of Thiel's yards through the air, coming within one yard of breaking his own program record for passing yardage in a game. In all, Bova completed 27-of-42 passes, threw for four touchdowns, and ran for a fifth.

Bova's favorite target on the day was senior WR Brendan Taylor (Girard, Pa./Girard) (Girard, Pa./Girard), who hauled in eight balls for 160 yards, including a 58-yard bomb in the second quarter.

After weeks of flirting with the end zone, freshman WR Tyler Dejong (Columbiana, Ohio/Columbiana) finally hit pay dirt for Thiel in the second quarter, and then did it again in the fourth to score his first- and second-career touchdowns.

Down, 31-14, with 13:42 to go in the fourth quarter, Saint Vincent QB Jake Smith had Thiel's defense on its heels using an effective hurry-up attack. After starting at the SVC 22, the Bearcats marched to Thiel 25 before CB Malcolm Kennedy (Fredericksburg, VA/Colonial Forge) (Fredericksburg, Md./Colonial Forge) jumped in front of a sure completion to end Saint Vincent's promising drive on the 12 yard line.

Thiel went three-and-out on its ensuing possession, but a booming 83-yard punt by freshman Tony Rozzi (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) gave the Bearcats the ball at their own 19.

The Tomcats made the most of the swing in field position.

On the very next play, OLB Clint Walker (Madison, Ohio/Madison) (Madison, Ohio/Madison) picked off Smith at the 35, and tacked on an eight-yard return to put Thiel in business at the Saint Vincent 25 yard line.

Dejong's second score less than four minutes later essentially ended any hope for a Saint Vincent comeback.

The defense seconded that notion by ending the Bearcats' next two drives with interceptions

Kennedy made his second pick of the day in what was a carbon copy of his first, and Terry Gensel (McKees Rocks, Pa./Montour) (McKees Rocks, Pa./Montour) intercepted a Caleb Gelsomino pass with about 90 seconds to go.

Sophomore John Madeline (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard) (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard) booted a 33-yard field goal to open the scoring in the first quarter. Bookended by Dejong's score and Bova's three-yard dash to the end zone, RB Ross Gargano (Sharon, Pa./Kennedy Catholic) (Saron, Pa./Kennedy Catholic) and TE Dan Mackall (Georgetown, Pa./Southside Beaver) (Georgetown, Pa./South Side Beaver) hauled in TD passes of 12 and 11 yards, respectively, to get in on Thiel's 28-point second quarter.

Senior MLB Sam Swartzfager (Shippenville, Pa./Keystone) (Shippenville, Pa./Keystone) led Thiel with six tackles, one tackle for a one-yard loss, and a fumble recovery which included a return of 13 yards.

Tim Taylor (Girard, Pa./Erie Cathedral Prep) (Girard, Pa./Erie Cathedral Prep) and Ryan Dawes (Transfer, Pa./Reynolds) (Transfer, Pa./Reynolds) added a pair of fumble recoveries, with Tayor and Bobby Shew (Mogadore, Ohio/Mogadore) (Mogadore, Ohio/Mogadore) getting credit for causing said fumbles.

The Thiel defense held Saint Vincent to 380 yards of offense. The Tomcat offense didn't commit a turnover in the match, to improve its turnover differential to an impressive +9 on the season.

Thiel returns to action next week when it visits Waynesburg for a 1:30 p.m. contest.