ERIE, Pa. - The Gannon football team will hit the field for the first time this season when preseason camp opens Thursday, August 12th at Gannon University Field.

Gannon returns 45 letterwinners and 18 players who started at least six games from last year's 6-5 squad. The Golden Knights finished fourth in the PSAC Western Division with a 3-4 conference mark. The squad concluded the campaign with four consecutive victories, including a 10-7 overtime victory at nationally-ranked Bloomsburg in the season finale. The stretch run provided the program with its first winning season since 2003.

Head coach Jim Kiernan will lead the Golden Knights through a 21-day preseason camp, before opening the regular season Thursday, September 2 against Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) member Lake Erie at Gannon University Field. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Gannon has also announced the 2010 Football Media Guide is now available online by clicking here. Updated profiles for all student-athletes and coaches, as well as any information concerning the Gannon football team, can also be found by going to http://www.gannonsports.com and navigating to the football home page.

For more information on media interview opportunities and practice schedules, please contact Gannon Director of Athletics Media Relations Dan Teliski at (814) 871-7418 or teliski002@gannon.edu.

A complete 2010 preseason outlook can be found below.

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Gannon Looks to Vault into PSAC's Upper Echelon after Winning Season in 2009

Programs can usually point directly to a specific game or season that was the springboard for bigger and better things. For the Gannon football program, the 2009 campaign could turn out to be that springboard.

Gannon proved to be a worthy opponent week in and week out during its second year in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), a league that sent four teams to the NCAA Division II Tournament last season and is among the nation's elite conferences. The Golden Knights finished 6-5 overall while placing fourth in the PSAC Western Division.

It enabled the program to record its first winning season since 2003 and continued a trend that has seen an increase in victories every year under fourth-year head coach Jim Kiernan. “We take pride in the fact that we have continued to grow on and off the field every year,” said Kiernan. “It has given the coaches and student-athletes a sense that we are taking the right steps and doing the right things. The success is becoming visible.

“Everyone would like to see more victories and more success, but patience is a great virtue when you are building something. It has been a great lesson for everyone in the program.”

Gannon concluded the season with a four-game win streak, culminating with a heart-stopping 10-7 overtime victory at 19th-ranked Bloomsburg. The Golden Knights knocked the Huskies out of the post-season by blocking a potential game-tying field goal at the end of regulation and forcing a game-ending fumble in overtime.

“Winning is a by-product of your preparation,” noted Kiernan. “Our plan is to prepare every day so we are deserving of success. When you do that, the by-product is winning. We need to continue to increase our intensity, attitude and energy. If we do those things, then the wins will continue to come. But we need to make the process better and more efficient. And let the games take care of themselves.”

Gannon returns 45 letterwinners and 18 players who started at least six games last season. Those numbers combined with last season's success has given the Golden Knights a little swagger as they head into the upcoming campaign.

“It's confidence,” said Kiernan. “We were finally able to see the hard work begin to pay off. A great example of seeing the results was the difference between our games against Edinboro and Bloomsburg. We played very well against a national playoff participant in Edinboro, but came up short.

“At the end of the season, we played a great Bloomsburg team on the road. The playoffs were on the line for them and it was Senior Day. They weren't going to give us the game. We had to take it from them and we eventually won in overtime. The student-athletes gained a lot of confidence in the last month of the season and realized we are going in the right direction. It has given everyone in the program an extra bounce in their step. It has brought a higher level of energy.

“In contrast, it also brings a whole different challenge that we never had to deal with before. There are now higher levels of expectations. That is something the young men in the program will have to be able to block out and understand that we need to stay focused on the same basic fundamentals that we have instilled since day one.”

Kiernan will head into preseason camp with one major message to his troops. “We need to handle the distractions that come with success. We need to worry about the things we can control and about Gannon. If we worry about Gannon football, I think we have enough talent to do some really good things.”

THE OFFENSE

Gannon's offensive set features 20 returning letterwinners and seven players who started at least six games last season, but several questions lie in front of the Golden Knights offensively.

The top priority will be replacing tailback Jon Richardson. The four-year starter concluded his career as Gannon's all-time leader in all-purpose yards (3,891) and points (222).

Another priority will come on the offensive line, where three starters will need to be replaced after graduation.

QUARTERBACKS

Preseason camp will have a different feeling to it in 2010. For the first time in three years, Gannon appears to be heading to camp without a platoon situation at quarterback.

Zach Boedicker enters camp as the No. 1 quarterback. Following two seasons of a platoon situation, Boedicker won the quarterback battle during last year's preseason camp and is expected to be the starter again in 2010.

“Zach is a warrior and a battler,” said Kiernan. “He's not concerned with individual statistics. All that matters to him is whether the team wins or loses. And that's what you want in a quarterback.”

Boedicker recorded a 58.2 completion percentage last season, throwing for 1,251 yards and seven touchdowns. A dual threat, he also rushed for 568 yards and four scores. The senior enters the season third all-time at Gannon in total offense (3,479), sixth in passing yards (2,235) and 10th in rushing yards (1,244).

Fellow senior Bob Bartley begins the season second on the preseason depth chart, but has plenty of experience if called upon. He has played in 24 career games, starting 16.

Bartley ranks fifth all-time at Gannon in career passing yards (2,250) and 11th in career total offense (2,210). He is one of five players in school history to throw for at least 200 yards in a game on two different occasions.

Redshirt freshman Gabe Hernandez rounds out the trio of returning quarterbacks.

RUNNING BACKS

Gannon fans will have to adjust their eyes when the ball is handed off this season. It has been Richardson handling the majority of the workload at tailback the last four seasons. A new face will need to rise to the top in 2010.

“A player like Jon Richardson can't be replaced because he was a special and unique individual,” noted Kiernan. “However, I think we have a lot of guys who have worked hard and are ready to step right in. There are players in the program capable of that role.”

Tyler Batts is the leading candidate at tailback. The senior rushed for 487 yards and four touchdowns last season despite only carrying the ball 77 times. He averaged 6.3 yards per attempt.

Senior Ben Griffith is the only returning running back besides Batts who carried the ball last season. He played in eight games, producing 43 yards on nine carries.

Other returners include redshirt sophomore Mac Reed and redshirt freshman Jansen Jones. Redshirt junior Danny Giegerich is expected to move from linebacker to fullback in 2010.

TIGHT END

The tight end position remains among the program's deepest. Redshirt senior Matt Davis and junior Evan Twombly both saw plenty of playing time, including sets with two tight ends. Twombly led the tight ends in receptions (14) and yards (161). Davis caught six passes for 103 yards. Both helped paved the way for the PSAC's third-leading rushing attack. Redshirt freshman James Chest rounds out the tight end depth chart.

WIDE RECEIVERS

It appears Gannon's depth at wide receiver will continue yet again. For the second consecutive season, eight wideouts return to the field. Six recorded a catch last season.

Levar Goff is the program's top returning wide receiver according to the statistics. The redshirt senior led the team in receptions (25) and yards (290) last season. Originally a running back upon his arrival at Gannon, Goff ranks eighth all-time at Gannon in receiving yards (717).

Redshirt senior Corey Bradley, senior Geoff Hicks and redshirt junior Jerry Smith also reached double digits in catches.

Bradley secured 21 passes for 222 yards. Last season was a breakout year for Bradley, who had 21 catches in the previous two seasons combined.

Hicks found the endzone more than any Gannon receiver, scoring three times. He had 15 catches for 225 yards in seven games. His biggest game of the season came under the brightest lights when he caught seven passes for 85 yards and two scores at rival Mercyhurst.

Smith made a nice-size leap among the receiving ranks last season. One year after making four catches, he hauled in 13 aerials for 157 yards. His 12.1 yards per catch average ranked third on the team among players with at least seven receptions.

Redshirt junior Jason Ladouceur and sophomore Khalid Walker recorded four receptions each.

In addition, freshmen Darrian Nelson and Mike Tomko will enter the competition after redshirting last season.

OFFENSIVE LINE

For the second straight year, Gannon will need to replace three starters on the offensive line. Graduated seniors Richi Anderson, Sean Eperjesi and Cody Huffman combined to make 28 starts in 2009.

However, the opposition will have its hands full with the two returning starters.

Sam Geldmaker anchors the line. The senior was named to the 2010 Consensus Draft Services (CDS) Division II Preseason All-America second team. The Bradenton, Fla., native landed a spot on back-to-back All-PSAC teams, earning first-team honors as a sophomore and second-team accolades as a junior. He was named to the Football Gazette All-Super One Region third team as a sophomore.

Tim Reynolds returns at right tackle. The sophomore is imposing at 6-foot-9 and 370 pounds. He played in every game as a true freshman last season, starting 10.

Other returning Knights on the line include redshirt junior #A.J. Belch#, redshirt sophomore Jeffrey Long, redshirt junior Mike Misoff, redshirt junior Michael Schnell and redshirt sophomore Josh Williams.

THE DEFENSE

Twenty-two letterwinners return on the defensive side of the ball, but the key will be experience. Ten of those players started at least six games last season.

The defense was spectacular at the end of the season, allowing only 10 points and an average of 169 yards per game in the final three contests against Lock Haven, Indiana (Pa.) and Bloomsburg.

DEFENSIVE LINE

In contrast to last season when Gannon replaced its entire defensive line, the Golden Knights have no openings in the trenches heading into the 2010 campaign.

Six Golden Knights played most of the snaps up front last season. Junior Cory Borden, junior Randy Colling, senior Dominic Jackson, senior Keith Yager, sophomore Ian Jeffers and sophomore Matt Jones return intact and ready to rush PSAC quarterbacks. However, Yager is expected to move back to his original position at linebacker this season.

Colling received the most accolades last season after recording 52 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss and 6.5 sacks. He was the team's third-leading tackler and leader in tackles for a loss and sacks. As a result, he was named to the Don Hansen's Football Gazette All-Super Region One second team and All-PSAC first-team.

Borden also posted impressive numbers with 28 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks. Jackson had 15 stops and 2.5 sacks.

Jeffers saw his playing time increase significantly during the second half of the season. He played in every game, starting two. Jones only started one game, but saw plenty of action. He had 31 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks.

Redshirt junior Wesley Smith and redshirt freshman Dan Venniro also return. Smith played in 18 games during his first two seasons, before needing a medical redshirt in 2009.

LINEBACKERS

The linebacker group is expected to be a talented one, but the question is whether it can stay healthy. Every linebacker returns from last year's roster, but six different Knights started games due to injuries.

Senior Kevin Minor and redshirt senior Johnny Jones recorded 42 tackles each in 2009, but the duo combined to miss six games due to injuries. Will Giles produced a solid freshman season with 37 stops and five tackles for a loss.

Yager returns to linebacker after playing one season on the line. He made 40 tackles last season, including 3.5 sacks. Parris Williams has missed 13 games during the last three campaigns due to injury. He made 19 tackles in limited time last season.

Redshirt junior Jon Tague and redshirt sophomore Jon Petrigac recorded 18 and 13 tackles, respectively. Sophomore Bryan Kelly completes the returning group.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

As with the rest of the defense, experience and depth is abundant in the secondary. Seven different returning defensive backs started a game last season.

Gannon's top two tacklers came from the secondary in Matthew Neal-Mink and Khayree Connors-McChristian. Neal-Mink was named to the All-PSAC West second team after leading the team in tackles (82). Connors-McChristian was second on the squad with 63 stops. Both had 39 solo tackles.

Redshirt senior Connor Kimball, junior Chris Cook and redshirt senior John Chisolm all started games last season at cornerback. Kimball produced 38 tackles, two interceptions and five pass break-ups. Cook ranks sixth all-time at Gannon in interceptions (7). He had 41 tackles and two picks. Chisolm started three contests, recording 33 tackles and two picks.

Junior Mike Schweisthal had 19 tackles in 2009. Senior Kendall Brown and redshirt freshman Errick Clark Jr. should also compete for playing time. Brown moved from wide receiver to defensive back during the off-season.

KICKING GAME

Jeremy Ditzler returns for his final season as Gannon's placekicker. The senior is tied for first place all-time at Gannon in field goals (27) and ranks seventh in career scoring (139).

Senior Albert Benedict and redshirt sophomore Matt Szczupakowski will also compete for time as Gannon's placekicker. Benedict handled the majority of kickoffs in 2009.

A variety of punters will compete for an opening created by the graduation of Evan Euler.