James Simms
Matt Mead Photography LLC
Gannon attempts to recapture the Niagara Cup Saturday afternoon in front of a nationally-televised audience.

Football Dan Teliski, Assistant Director of Athletics for Media Relations

Gannon Football Team Battles Mercyhurst for Niagara Cup Saturday in Front of National Audience (Video/Game Notes)



GAME DAY CENTRAL
Gannon University (1-3, 0-1 PSAC West) at Mercyhurst University (2-2, 1-0 PSAC West)
  • When: Saturday, September 30, 2017
  • Where: Erie, Pa.
  • Stadium: Tullio Field (2,300)
  • Kickoff: 1 p.m.
  • Local Television: The CW (Pregame Show from 12:30-1 p.m.)
  • Regional Television: WPNY 22 (Pittsburgh Area) and WHP 21 (Harrisburg Area)
  • National Television: ESPN College Extra
  • Live Radio: Jet Radio (1400)
  • Live Audio via 90.5 WERG Stream: Click Here
  • Live ESPN3 Broadcast: Click Here
  • Live Stats: Click Here

GAME INFORMATION
  • General Admission Tickets: $5 Adults / $3 Non-Mercyhurst Students
  • Parking: Click Here
  • Directions: To Tullio Field I GPS Address: 4501 East 38th Street, Erie, Pa. 16546

GAME COVERAGE
NATIONALLY-TELEVISED AUDIENCE
  • The Battle for the Niagara Cup will be produced by the SPORTSfever Television Network.
  • The contest will air live locally on The CW.
  • A pregame show hosted by Gary Drapcho and John Lydic is scheduled to air on both the CW and WSEE-TV 35 from 12:30-1 p.m.
  • The game will be available worldwide on ESPN3 which is accessible online to more than 88 million households at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
  • Fans can also watch the action on live television through ESPN College Extra which is available to AT&T U-verse, DirecTV, Bright House Networks, Cox, Time Warner Cable, Verizon FiOS and select NCTC subscribers.
  • Outside of the Erie region, fans can view the rivalry game through WPNT 22 in the Pittsburgh area and WHP 21 in the Harrisburg area.
  • SportsTime Ohio will replay the broadcast Tuesday, October 3 at 8 a.m.

ALL-TIME SERIES BREAKDOWN
  • All-Time Series: Mercyhurst leads 13-6-1
  • First Meeting: September 21, 1991 - Mercyhurst 40, at Gannon 7
  • Last Meeting: October 1, 2016 - Mercyhurst 38, at Gannon 35 (ot)
  • Series Notes: Gannon has dropped four of the last five games in its rivalry series against Mercyhurst. The Lakers hold a 13-6-1 edge in the all-time series. The Golden Knights have been victorious during their last two trips to Tullio Field, posting a 16-13 victory in 2015 and 30-27 win in 2011. Six of the last seven meetings between the crosstown rivals have been decided by single digits.

OTHER LINKS
SATURDAY'S STORYLINES
  • Gannon attempts to recapture the Niagara Cup after the Lakers posted a 38-35 overtime victory last season at McConnell Family Stadium. The Golden Knights posted a 16-13 win during their last trip to Tullio Field in 2015.
  • Marc Jones (Painesville, Ohio/Riverside) leads NCAA Division II in rushing yards per game (219.5), rushing yards (878), rushing touchdowns (10), total touchdowns (11), points per game (16.5) and all-purpose yards per game (252.75). The junior tailback had a PSAC single-game record 354 rushing yards last week against No. 18 Slippery Rock as well as a school-record 449 all-purpose yards.
  • The last three Gannon-Mercyhurst contests have been decided by one score.
  • Jones and the Gannon offensive line have been the talk of the country following last week's record-shattering day. Their performance was listed third among the NCAA Top Plays of the Week which can be viewed by clicking here. Jones was also featured nationally on ncca.com. That story can be viewed by clicking here.
  • Several Golden Knights earned weekly honors after last Saturday's battle with Slippery Rock. Jones was named PSAC Western Division and Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Offensive Player of the Week. Junior Jarod Morrison (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton) earned ECAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. Redshirt freshman Jimmy Keefe (Middleburg Heights, Ohio/St. Edward) was selected ECAC Rookie of the Week.
  • Jones broke the school record for rushing yards (354) and all-purpose yards (449) last week against Slippery Rock. He tied program records for rushing touchdowns (4) and total touchdowns (5).
  • Gannon's 399 rushing yards as a team represented the fourth-highest single-game total in program history.
  • The Golden Knights' 585 yards of total offense were the 10th-highest single-game total in school history.
  • Jones produced his fourth consecutive 100-yard rushing performance and fifth in 15 games as a Golden Knight. He is the second Gannon player in program history to open a season with four consecutive 100-yard games. Brock Jones performed the feat in 2014.
  • Last Saturday's 1,182 combined yards of total offense by the two teams were the most in a game involving the Golden Knights since September 19, 2015. Gannon (712 yards) and Kutztown (505 yards) combined to produce 1,217 yards of total offense that day as the Golden Knights rolled 66-31.
  • Junior Anthony Howard (Temple Hills, Md./Bishop O'Connell) has reached double digits in tackles during all four contests this season while redshirt junior James Simms (Laurel, Md./Reservoir) reached double digits for the second time in four contests last Saturday.
  • Mercyhurst was picked to finish eighth in the PSAC Western Division according to the league's preseason coaches poll.
  • Gannon was predicted to finish fifth in that same poll.
  • Karch Holland ranks second all-time at Gannon with 214 career points. The senior can move past Jon Richardson (2006-09) and break Gannon's all-time scoring record with nine more points. He converted 52 consecutive extra points from October 24, 2015-September 2, 2017.
  • Zach Phillips (Wheeling, W.Va./Wheeling Park) sits seventh all-time at Gannon with 2,405 career passing yards. The redshirt junior can move past Matt Butler (2004-06) and into sixth place with 399 yards. His 1,724 passing yards in 2016 represented the eighth-highest single-season total in program history.
  • Holland is tied for second place all-time at Gannon in career field goals (27) through 36 career games. He needs one field goal to move past Brendan McNicholas (2003-06) and into sole possession of second place. Holland's 84.6 field goal percentage (11-13) as a freshman in 2014 represents the best single-season mark in school history. He also holds the school record for PATs with 133.
  • Jones is over halfway to Gannon's single-season rushing record with 878 yards through only four games. Brock Jones holds the current record with 1,628 yards in 2014. M. Jones is in the same situation in all-purpose yards (1,011) and points (66). B. Jones also holds those single-season record with 1,826 yards and 108 points.
  • Morrison set a new program single-game record last week by averaging 58.3 yards per punt. The junior booted punts of 61 yards and 65 yards. Both punts rank among the top 10 in school history.
  • Jones has generated 217 rushing yards more than the next best NCAA Division II player. His ground total is better than any player in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Division (Karekin Brooks - Penn), NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (Bryce Love - Stanford) and NCAA Division II.
  • Morrison enters Saturday's contest with a 40.9 punting average on 55 career punts. It currently ranks first all-time in program history ahead of Adam Schaffer's 39.4 average on 122 career punts from 2011-13.
  • Gannon has recorded three winning seasons during the last four years with a 6-5 mark in 2015, 9-2 record in 2013 and 6-5 mark in 2013. The program's streak of three straight winning seasons represented its longest 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.

UP NEXT
  • Gannon continues its stretch of local rivalry games Saturday, October 7 against Edinboro at McConnell Family Stadium.
  • Game time is slated for 12 noon.
  • It will be Homecoming Weekend for the Golden Knights.
  • Gannon had won three consecutive games against Edinboro until the Fighting Scots posted a 41-17 victory last season at Sox Harrison Stadium.
  • Following the Edinboro contest, Gannon heads back on the road to Greensburg, Pa., for an encounter with Seton Hill on Saturday, October 14.
  • Game time is slated for 4 p.m.
  • It will be the Golden Knights' latest kickoff time of the season.
  • Gannon is 4-0 all-time against Seton Hill with an average scoring margin of 21.5 points.
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Karch Holland

#46 Karch Holland

K
5' 9"
Senior
Biology
Anthony Howard

#25 Anthony Howard

LB
6' 0"
Junior
Dorian Jones

#5 Dorian Jones

DB
6' 2"
Redshirt Sophomore
Biology
Marcus Jones

#4 Marcus Jones

RB
5' 11"
Junior
Middle Childhood Education
Jimmy Keefe

#16 Jimmy Keefe

QB
6' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
Middle Level Education and Special Education
Jarod Morrison

#39 Jarod Morrison

P
6' 3"
Junior
Education
Geremy Paige

#9 Geremy Paige

LB
5' 11"
Redshirt Junior
Sport Management and Marketing/Entrepreneurship
Zach Phillips

#6 Zach Phillips

QB
6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
Healthcare Management
James Simms

#1 James Simms

LB
6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
Communication Arts

Players Mentioned

Karch Holland

#46 Karch Holland

5' 9"
Senior
Biology
K
Anthony Howard

#25 Anthony Howard

6' 0"
Junior
LB
Dorian Jones

#5 Dorian Jones

6' 2"
Redshirt Sophomore
Biology
DB
Marcus Jones

#4 Marcus Jones

5' 11"
Junior
Middle Childhood Education
RB
Jimmy Keefe

#16 Jimmy Keefe

6' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
Middle Level Education and Special Education
QB
Jarod Morrison

#39 Jarod Morrison

6' 3"
Junior
Education
P
Geremy Paige

#9 Geremy Paige

5' 11"
Redshirt Junior
Sport Management and Marketing/Entrepreneurship
LB
Zach Phillips

#6 Zach Phillips

6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
Healthcare Management
QB
James Simms

#1 James Simms

6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
Communication Arts
LB