ERIE, Pa. - The Gannon football team begins the second half of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) schedule Saturday, October 13 against rival Mercyhurst at Gannon University Field. The PSAC Western Division contest is scheduled for 12:05 p.m.
Tickets cost $5 for adults and $3 for non-Gannon students and senior citizens.
All Gannon students, staff and faculty are admitted free of charge by showing their school ID at the gate.
Fan unable to attend Saturday's rivalry will have the opportunity to see the game live through a variety of outlets. The game can be seen live locally on FOX 66 and regionally on ROOT SPORTS Pittsburgh. Fans can also watch the game free of charge at
http://www.americaonesports.com/static/gannon.html. Live gameday statistics can be found at
http://www.gannon.edu/athletics/men/football/lstats/xlive.htm and live gameday audio will be available at
http://www.wergfm.com.
Gannon (1-5, 0-3) has held the upper hand in the rivalry series during recent years. Gannon rallied from a 20-10 second-half deficit en route to a 30-27 victory last season at Mercyhurst. A 73-yard touchdown pass with 2:01 left in regulation provided the Golden Knights with a 14-10 win during the last meeting at Gannon University Field in 2010.
Head coach
Brad Rzyczycki's club will play four of its last five games at home after hitting the road four times during the last five weeks. Gannon leads the PSAC in punt return average, picking up 12.75 yards per return. The Golden Knights rank third among conference schools and 16th among all NCAA Division II schools in passing defense, allowing 169.83 passing yards per game.
Khayree Connors-McChristian has jumped 10 spots on Gannon's all-time tackling chart this season. The redshirt senior enters Saturday's game 11th all-time at Gannon with 223 career tackles. He can move into the school's all-time top 10 with nine more stops.
Mercyhurst (5-1, 3-0) is looking for its first victory against Gannon since a 27-17 home decision in 2009. The Lakers' last win at Gannon University Field came via a 35-32 count during the 2008 campaign. Mercyhurst had won four consecutive games in the all-time series until dropping the last two.
Head coach Marty Schaetzle's club leads the PSAC in net punting (37.67) and passing defense (123.00). Saturday's contest will feature a contrast of game plans. The conference's top passing defense will try to defend a Gannon attack that averages 274 passing yards per game.
Mercyhurst brings an old-school mentality to the field. The Lakers ranked third among PSAC schools and 21st nationally with 230.33 rushing yards per game. Brandon Brown-Dukes headlines that attack with 133.60 yards per game, ranking third in the conference and 13th nationally. The redshirt freshman leads the PSAC and ranks sixth among all NCAA Division II players in scoring with 10.80 points per game.
