ERIE, Pa. - The Gannon football team's fourth-quarter rally fell just short Saturday afternoon as the Golden Knights dropped a hard-fought 27-17 decision at rival Mercyhurst before a sun-drenched 1,170 fans at Tullio Field.

Gannon trailed 21-0 late in the third quarter when Bob Bartley (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) rallied the troops. The junior quarterback came off the bench and threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns in the second half.

Tyler Batts (Homestead, Pa./Penn-Trafford) put Gannon in position to score its first points with an 82-yard kickoff return to the Mercyhurst 12-yard line. The Golden Knights reached the two-yard line, but the short drive stalled as the result of a personal foul penalty. Jeremy Ditzler (Erie, Pa./Iroquois) then hit a 25-yard field goal for Gannon's first points of the afternoon with 3:19 left in the third quarter.

Mercyhurst missed a field goal on its next possession, allowing Gannon to march 85 yards on only four plays. Bartley was 4-of-5 during the drive, including a 45-yard completion to a diving Jonathon Jones (Rochester, N.Y./Aquinas). Two plays later, Bartley hit Geoff Hicks (Buffalo, N.Y./Cleveland Hill) for a 19-yard touchdown. A missed extra point left the deficit at 21-9.

The Gannon defense stopped the next Mercyhurst possession, before Gannon elected to go for it on fourth-and-12 from its 34-yard line with just under eight minutes left on the clock. Bartley was sacked for a nine-yard loss. Mercyhurst's Gerald Anderson took the next four carries and scored on the final one with a nine-yard touchdown jaunt. Hicks blocked the Lakers' extra point and the score stood at 27-9.

The Golden Knights didn't quit and drove for another touchdown on their next possession. The squad took over at midfield following a squib kick. Bartley completed three consecutive passes, culminating with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Hicks. The junior quarterback then hit Jones for a two-point conversion, bringing the Golden Knights within 27-17 with 4:45 left to play.

Following an unsuccessful onside kick, Gannon forced Mercyhurst to go four-and-out. Keith Yager (Hermitage, Pa./Hickory) made the key stop on fourth-and-one at the Gannon 25-yard line.

Bartley again took Gannon downfield with a no-huddle offense. The Golden Knights drove 70 yards in nine plays and were on the verge of making the contest extremely interesting. However, an interception on first-and-goal from the five-yard line with 1:49 in the fourth quarter ended the hope.

The game was also close on the statistics page. Mercyhurst held slight advantages in total yards (309-298) and first downs (19-17). Gannon owned a 223-87 edge in passing yards while Mercyhurst out-rushed the Golden Knights 222-75.

Bartley finished 13-of-27 for 217 yards and two touchdowns in the second half. Zach Boedicker (Northfield, Ohio/Nordonia) was 2-of-11 for six yards in the first half. He was Gannon's leading rusher with 53 yards on eight carries.

Hicks posted career-highs in receptions (7), receiving yards (85), and receiving touchdowns (2). Corey Bradley (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) added 57 yards on four catches.

John Chisolm (Trenton, N.J./Burlington Township), Matthew Neal-Mink (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown) and Connor Kimball (Erie, Pa./McDowell) led the Gannon defensive unit with six tackles each. Jon Tague (Freeport, Pa./Kiski Area) and Anthony Weaver (Erie, Pa./McDowell) added five stops apiece.

Gannon dropped to 2-5 overall and 0-4 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division with its fourth consecutive loss. Mercyhurst improved to 4-3 overall and 3-1 in conference play. The Golden Knights return to action Saturday, October 17 against Slippery Rock at Gannon University Field. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m.

For a complete box score from Saturday's Gannon-Mercyhurst football game, please click here.