Gannon Golden Knights
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The Gannon football team attempts to win its fifth consecutive season opener Saturday against SCSU,

Football Dan Teliski, Assistant Director of Athletics for Media Relations

Gannon Football Team Hosts Southern Connecticut State Saturday Afternoon in Season Opener (Video/Game Notes)



GAME DAY CENTRAL
Southern Connecticut State University (0-0, 0-0 NE-10) at Gannon University (0-0, 0-0 PSAC West)
  • When: Saturday, September 3, 2016
  • Where: Erie, Pa.
  • Stadium: McConnell Family Stadium (2,500)
  • Kickoff: 12 noon
  • Live Radio: Jet Radio (1400)
  • Live Audio via 90.5 WERG Stream: Click Here
  • Live Video (FREE): Click Here
  • Live Stats: Click Here

GAME INFORMATION
  • General Admission Tickets: $5 adults / $3 Non-Gannon students / $3 Senior Citizens
  • All Gannon students, staff and faculty are admitted free of charge by showing their school ID.
  • Parking: Free on-street parking
  • Directions: To McConnell Family Stadium I GPS Address: 430 Sassafras Street, Erie, Pa. 16507

GAME COVERAGE
ALL-TIME SERIES BREAKDOWN
  • All-Time Series: Gannon leads 2-1
  • First Meeting: September 11, 1999 - at Southern Connecticut State 27, Gannon 0
  • Last Meeting: September 5, 2015 - Gannon 26, at Southern Connecticut State 22
  • Series Notes: Gannon has won two straight games to assume a 2-1 lead in the all-time series. The Golden Knights posted a 23-7 victory at McConnell Family Stadium during the 2014 season opener, before earning a 26-22 victory on the road during last year's lid-lifter. The two programs agreed to another home-and-home series that will continue next year at SCSU.

OTHER LINKS
SATURDAY STORYLINES
  • Gannon kicks off the 2016 campaign Saturday afternoon against Southern Connecticut State for the third consecutive season. The Golden Knights posted a 23-7 victory at home in 2014 and 26-22 win on the road in 2015.
  • The Golden Knights have won their last four season openers.
  • Head coach Brad Rzyczycki's club was predicted to finish fifth in the PSAC Western Division according to the league's preseason coaches poll. Southern Connecticut State was tabbed eighth in the Northeast-10 Conference preseason coaches poll.
  • Gannon has yet to announce a starting quarterback as redshirt sophomore Zach Phillips (Wheeling, W.Va./Wheeling Park) and Saginaw Valley State redshirt junior transfer Tyler Palka (Temperance, Mich./Saline) are listed on the depth chart as the top competitors.
  • Quad Law (Donora, Pa./Ringgold) continues to rise up Gannon's all-time receiving charts. Law ranks sixth all-time in career receptions (108), needing two to pass Wes Whiteside (2002-06) and move into Gannon's all-time top five. He ranks eighth all-time in receiving yards (1,278). Law can move past John Zernick (1992-95) and into seventh place with 55 yards
  • Mike Zanders II (Charlotte, N.C./Hopewell) sits seventh all-time at Gannon with 262 career tackles, needing 12 to move past Owen Rhodes (2000-03) and into sixth place. Zanders can jump into Gannon's all-time top five with 19 more stops.
  • Christian Carpenter (Aberdeen, Md./Aberdeen) is getting national coverage without playing a down as a Golden Knight. The redshirt senior defensive back was named to the D2Football.com All-America second team released in August. He transferred to Gannon prior to the 2015-16 academic year and redshirted last year. Carpenter was an all-conference first-team selection as a sophomore free safety at NCAA Division I Towson State before transferring after his junior campaign.
  • Gannon has recorded three consecutive winning seasons with a 6-5 mark last year, 6-5 record in 2013 and 9-2 mark in 2014. It represents the program's longest streak since producing a program-record four consecutive winning seasons from 1992-95. Gannon has recorded 13 winning campaigns in school history, including a stretch of five in six seasons from 1990-95.
  • Southern Connecticut State's Devante Jenkins certainly made his presence felt during his first year as an Owl. His 15 touchdown receptions last year ranked No. 4 in Division II.

UP NEXT
  • Gannon hits the road for the first time next Saturday, September 10 with a trip to Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division foe Shippensburg.
  • Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m.
  • Shippensburg was predicted to finish second in the PSAC East according to the league's preseason coaches poll.
  • The two programs have split two all-time meetings, but haven't met since the 2011 season.
  • Following the Shippensburg contest, Gannon returns home to face traditional PSAC East power Bloomsburg on Saturday, September 17.
  • Game time at McConnell Family Stadium is 12 noon.
  • The Huskies were picked third in the PSAC East during the conference preseason poll voting.
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Players Mentioned

Jesstin Hamm

#7 Jesstin Hamm

WR
6' 3"
Redshirt Senior
Communication Arts
Joshua Wiechelt

#3 Joshua Wiechelt

LB
6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
Accounting
Christian Carpenter

#1 Christian Carpenter

DB
6' 2"
Redshirt Senior
Interdisciplinary Studies
Quad Law

#8 Quad Law

WR
5' 7"
Redshirt Senior
Sport and Exercise Science
Zach Phillips

#6 Zach Phillips

QB
6' 2"
Redshirt Sophomore
Healthcare Management
Mike Zanders II

#31 Mike Zanders II

DB
5' 9"
Senior
Risk Management
Tyler Palka

#2 Tyler Palka

QB
6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
Secondary Education

Players Mentioned

Jesstin Hamm

#7 Jesstin Hamm

6' 3"
Redshirt Senior
Communication Arts
WR
Joshua Wiechelt

#3 Joshua Wiechelt

6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
Accounting
LB
Christian Carpenter

#1 Christian Carpenter

6' 2"
Redshirt Senior
Interdisciplinary Studies
DB
Quad Law

#8 Quad Law

5' 7"
Redshirt Senior
Sport and Exercise Science
WR
Zach Phillips

#6 Zach Phillips

6' 2"
Redshirt Sophomore
Healthcare Management
QB
Mike Zanders II

#31 Mike Zanders II

5' 9"
Senior
Risk Management
DB
Tyler Palka

#2 Tyler Palka

6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
Secondary Education
QB