ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon football team begins a season-concluding two-game homestand Saturday, November 3 against 14th-ranked Indiana (Pa.) at Gannon University Field. The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division contest is scheduled for 12 noon.
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.
Gannon improved to 2-7 overall and 1-5 in the PSAC Western Division with a 13-7 victory at Lock Haven last weekend. The verdict snapped a seven-game losing streak while extending the Bald Eagles' losing streak to 51 games dating back to the 2007 campaign. It represents the longest losing streak at any level of the NCAA.
Jansen Jones rushed for a career-high 183 yards against Lock Haven, shattering his previous career-high of 128 yards set against Slippery Rock on November 5, 2011. His performance equaled the 10th-highest single-game total in school history and produced the most rushing yards by a Golden Knight since Zach Boedicker had 184 yards against Mercyhurst on September 22, 2007.
Gannon continues to feature one of the nation's top pass defenses. The Golden Knights rank seventh among all NCAA Division II schools in pass defense, allowing 159.67 passing yards per game.
Liam Nadler needs 303 passing yards to break Gannon's single-season record of 2,639 set in 2004.
Indiana (Pa.) comes to Gannon University Field with postseason implications surrounding its final two regular-season games. The Crimson Hawks are ranked 14th in the latest American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Top 25 Poll with an 8-1 overall record and a 5-1 mark in PSAC Western Division play. They conclude the regular season next Saturday, November 10 at home against a team to be determined.
If IUP wins the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division, it would host PSAC Eastern Division champion Shippensburg in the conference title game. IUP is currently sitting in a three-way tie for first place in the Western Division with California (Pa.) and Mercyhurst. If IUP fails to win the Western Division, it would host the originally scheduled opponent of the division champion.
On a national scale, Indiana (Pa.) is right on the edge of an NCAA Division II Tournament bid. The Crimson Hawks are ranked sixth in the NCAA Division II Super Region One rankings. The top six teams in each region are granted postseason berths for the NCAA Tournament.
IUP will rely heavily on the ground game and defense. The Crimson Hawks lead NCAA Division II in scoring defense (8.67) and total defense (227.56).
The all-time series between Gannon and Indiana (Pa.) is dead even at two games apiece. After IUP won the first meeting in 2008, the Golden Knights followed with victories in 2009 and 2010. None of the four games have been close. Gannon has won its two games by an average of 27 points while Indiana (Pa.) has produced a 26.5 scoring margin during its two victories.
