Zevin Holley
56
Winner Slippery Rock ROCK 10-0 , 7-0
7
Gannon GAN 2-8 , 1-6
Winner
Slippery Rock ROCK
10-0 , 7-0
56
Final
7
Gannon GAN
2-8 , 1-6
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
ROCK Slippery Rock 14 21 21 0 56
GAN Gannon 7 0 0 0 7

Game Recap: Football | | David Rung, Director of Athletics Media Relations

Holley Posts Career Day On Senior Day As Golden Knights Drop PSAC West Finale To No. 9 Slippery Rock

THE RUNDOWN
  • Final Score: No. 9 Slippery Rock 56, Gannon 7
  • Records: Gannon (2-8, 1-6 PSAC West) | Slippery Rock (10-0, 7-0 PSAC West)
  • Location: McConnell Family Stadium — Erie, Pa.

GAMEDAY MEDIA CENTER
KEY SEQUENCE
  • Putting together a strong start, Gannon was hanging right with No. 9 Slippery Rock well into the second quarter, but the visitors converted two key third downs to cap a 63-yard touchdown drive to go up 21-7 with 6:08 left in the half. The Rock went on to score on its next two drives to build a comfortable lead and finished off its PSAC West slate unbeaten.

HOW IT HAPPENED
  • Slippery Rock committed to the run after receiving the opening kickoff, but its third carry of the game saw the ball popped loose by Keith Thompson (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge). Tre McNeil hopped on the ball, and Gannon was in business at the Rock 31.
  • After a sack on first down, freshman quarterback Rashad McKee (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne HS) settled in, and Zevin Holley (Fredericksburg, Va./Stafford), making the start at running back on Senior Day, burst 28 yards up the middle for the score just over two minutes in to give Gannon the first lead of the game.
  • SRU moved down the field quickly looking to match, getting into Gannon territory after the first play, and finding the end zone on a 24-yard strike. The extra point attempt was fumbled though, allowing the Golden Knights to stay in front 7-6.
  • McKee hit two short passes then scrambled for 13 yards on the next drive to set the hosts up near midfield. Another first down after a 14-yard scamper from Holley got the Knights to the Rock 29, but two incompletions and a penalty put Gannon up against fourth and 14, and a sack ended the threat. Two big passes on the ensuing drive set Slippery Rock up, and it took the lead with a touchdown with 2:30 left in the first.
  • Gannon got into SRU territory again on its next possession, and although the Rock forced a punt, the Golden Knight defense stepped up. A sack from Jeremy Mensah (Laurel, Md./Riverdale Baptist) got things off on the right foot, and McNeill and Joshua Jackson (Rochester, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) stopped a third-down pass short to force a punt. Holley started the Gannon drive after the punt off with a quick first down, but SRU got the ball back and moved down the field to open up a 21-7 lead.
  • A short punt gave the Rock just 43 yards to cover when they got the ball back late in the second quarter, and three rushes inside the red zone finished off another scoring drive. With just 62 seconds left before halftime, Slippery Rock added another touchdown to build a 35-7 advantage.
  • Gannon wasn't able to get a drive started to open the second half, but the defense came up with a stop, as A.J. Satcher (Buffalo, N.Y./Canisius) broke up a pass on third down to bring out the punting unit. SRU picked up first downs on all three plays on its next possession to find the end zone for the first time in the third quarter, making it 42-7. The Rock defense hopped on a backward pass on the next Gannon drive, returning it for a touchdown.
  • Holley kept his career game going, bursting for 18 yards on the next-to-last play of the third quarter. Just four pass plays were called in the fourth quarter as Slippery Rock wrapped up its win.
     
GAME NOTES
  • The Golden Knights' eight seniors — Andrew Berger (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle), Aaron Britton (Washington, Pa./Trinity), Joey Cox (Costa Mesa, Calif./Calvary Chapel), Zevin Holley (Fredericksburg, Va./Stafford), Alex Hutchings (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas), Dorian Jones (Gaithersburg, Md./Quince Orchard), Bo Miller (Clarion, Pa./Clarion Area) and A.J. Satcher (Buffalo, N.Y./Canisius) — before Saturday's game.
  • Holley, who entered Saturday with 284 career rushing yards, ran with a purpose in his final home game, churning out 147 yards on 27 carries. It was the best rushing performance by a Gannon player this season, and the best by any back against the Slippery Rock defense this year.
  • McKee, making his second career start, was an efficient 7-of-11 passing, and has now gone his first two games without throwing an interception.
  • It didn't take long for the Gannon defense to extend its streak of forcing an opponent turnover, as Thompson popped the ball loose on the first drive of the game. That's now 11 consecutive games that the Knights have got a turnover, dating back to last season.
  • The Gannon defense held SRU quarterback Roland Rivers III, who leads the team in rushing, to his second-lowest output of the season at just 15 yards on five carries.
  • Khwan Mickens (Miami, Fla./West Broward) led the Gannon defense with nine tackles, with McNeill adding eight stops and Jeremiah Brennin (Mastic, N.Y./William Floyd) seven.
 
UP NEXT
  • Gannon will close out its season with a PSAC crossover at Lock Haven next Saturday.
  • Live video, live stats and live audio will be available for the noon kickoff at Hubert Jack Stadium.
  • The Bald Eagles sit at 1-9 after an 0-7 finish in PSAC East play, suffering a 56-14 defeat against West Chester Saturday.
  • Gannon holds a 6-1 lead in the all-time series against LHU after the Bald Eagles won a thrilling 50-48 shootout in a blizzard last year at McConnell Family Stadium.
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