GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (4-5, 3-3 PSAC West) at MERCYHURST LAKERS (3-6, 2-4 PSAC West)
DATE: Saturday, November 6, 2021
KICKOFF: 12 noon
STADIUM: Saxon Stadium l Erie, Pa.
 
BATTLE FOR THE NIAGARA CUP

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ERIE, Pa. - There was some conjecture as to whether the Niaqara Cup was at stake in the spring when Gannon and Mercyhurst met in April at Erie Veterans Stadium. This year there is no question that the Niagara Cup, which now sits in Gannon's athletic department offices following the 28-21 overtime win in the spring, is at stake. It's just one of the storylines as the two local rivals meet for the 25^th time on the gridiron. At 4-5, the Golden Knights come in needing wins in their final two games to post a winning season. Running back Melvin Blanks (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) needs 35 yards to become Gannon's first 1,000-yard rusher since 2018. And it's also the final home game for Mercyhurst head coach Marty Schaetzle, who is retiring after this season. Plenty of storylines, all starting with the prize – the Niagara Cup.
 
SERIES RECORD
Mercyhurst leads 16-7-1
Gannon snapped a four-game losing streak to Mercyhurst with a come-from-behind 28-21 win in overtime at Erie Veterans Stadium. The Lakers have won seven of the last nine meetings. Gannon is looking for its first win at Saxon Stadium since 2015, when the Golden Knights prevailed 16-13.

LAST MEETING
2020 – at Gannon 28, Mercyhurst 21 (at Erie Veterans Stadium) | RECAP
Meeting for the first time at Erie Veterans Stadium since 2013, the see-saw affair saw Gannon jump out to a 10-0 lead, only to see the Lakers score the next 21 points for a 21-10 lead with six minutes left in the game. The Golden Knights staged a furious rally, with Melvin Blanks (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) scoring on a two-yard run with 5:20 remaining. Mercyhurst appeared to have the game in hand following a Gannon fumble with just over three minutes remaining. Mercyhurst was forced to punt, and a 12-yard punt gave the Golden Knights the ball at the Hurst 34 with 18 seconds left. Jonathan Quinque's (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) 22-yard pass to Sam East (Jackson Township, N.J./Saint John Vianney) gave GU the ball at the 12. Following a pair of incompletions, Eric Scarpino (Waterford, Pa./Fort LeBoeuf) knotted the game at 21-21 as time expired with a 29-yards field goal. Gannon got the ball first in overtime and took the lead on a 13-yard TD run by Michiah Burton (Columbus, Ohio/New Albany HS). Mercyhurst drove down to the GU 1. On 4^th-and-goal, Dustin Shoaf was stopped shy of the goal line by a hoist of Golden Knights, led by Keith Thompson (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge) and MaLik Bridgeman (Washington, D.C./Gonzaga College HS), Quinque came off the bench to complete 12-of-19 passes for 179 yards, with Bransen Stanley (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Kenston) hauling in 5 passes for 85 yards. Burton had 57 yards and a touchdown rushing, with Blanks scoring twice with 54 yards. Shoaf was the game's leading rusher with 81 yards and a TD on 25 carries. Joe Carter completed 11-of-22 passes with 2 TDs. Cameron Barmore caught 7 passes for 150 yards, including a 62-yard touchdown reception.
 
LAST WEEK
No. 15 Slippery Rock 63, at Gannon 21 | RECAP
Kory Curtis (Cape Coral, Fla.) threw a pair of touchdown passes but the Golden Knights would suffer their fourth loss to a ranked opponent in 2021.  Gannon was unable to slow down a high-powered SRU offense, as The Rock totaled 671 yards, including 447 through the air. The Golden Knights were limited to a season-low 244 yards as SRU jumped out to a big early lead, forcing Gannon to abandon the ground game.  Curtis' first touchdown pass covered 49 yards to Johnny Freeman (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep), who posted career highs for receptions (6) and yards receiving (112). The second covered 36 yards to Bransen Stanley (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Kenston) late in the first half on a 4^th-and-30 play. Gannon closed the score to 35-21 early in the second half when Damerisse Freeman Jr. (Euclid, Ohio/St.. Edward) blocked a punt, with Luke Sittinger (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) scooping it up and going the remaining 15 yards for his first collegiate touchdown. Slippery Rock took over from there, scoring the final 28 points.

Mercyhurst 38, at Clarion 20
Joe Carter threw for three touchdowns and the Mercyhurst defense forced six turnovers in the road victory. After a scoreless first quarter, Clarion went up 7-0 before the Lakers scored on a pair of Carter touchdown passes. Trevon Tate's nine-yard TD run in the final minute gave Mercyhurst a 21-14 halftime lead. The Lakers would extend that lead to 38-14 in the fourth quarter on Carter's third touchdown pass of the day. Ryan Funa's 33-yard interception return for six points was also in the run. Mercyhurst intercepted five passes on the day. Carter completed 15-of-25 passes for 202 yards, with Rylan Davison catching 5 passes for 58 yards and a TD. David Alize led all rushers with 101 yards on 25 carries.

HEAD COACHES
Erik Raeburn (Mount Union '94) is in his second season as Gannon's head coach after serving as the offensive coordinator in 2019. He took over a Gannon squad which had posted a 2-9 record in 2019. The Golden Knights were 1-3 during the spring. Raeburn has a 148-70 career record and is in his 21^st season as a head coach. He joined the Gannon staff as offensive coordinator in 2019 after serving as the head coach at Savannah State for three seasons from 2016 to 2018. From 2008-15, Raeburn enjoyed great success at Wabash. He led the Little Giants to a 78-13 record in eight seasons, with five NCAA Division II Playoffs appearances and three North Coast Athletic Conference titles. Prior to that he served as the head coach at Coe College from 2000-07, where he was 57-26 in eight seasons. That included three conference championships and two trips to the NCAA Division III playoffs. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, Mount Union, in 1994.  
 
Marty Schaetzle (Bucknell '83) is in his 20^th and final season as Mercyhurst's head coach. The veteran mentor announced his retirement before the start of the 2021 season. Schaetzle owns a 96-111 record, holding the career record for wins. His teams twice won ECAC Division II Team of the Year awards – in 2010 and 2012. The 2010 Lakers won a school-record 10 games on their way to a 10-3 finish, earning a first-ever NCAA playoff berth. The Lakers would win their first PSAC Championship with a 56-37 win over Bloomsburg, then defeated Bloomsburg in the NCAA Tournament, 28-14. For his efforts in 2010, Schaetzle was named PSAC Coach of the Year and Don Hansen Football Gazette co-Coach of the Year. His 2010 squad was also named the Division II Lambert Meadowlands Team of the Year. In 2012, Mercyhurst finished with a 9-2 ledger and was co-champion of the PSAC West.

PSAC RANKINGS
 

	Gannon	Hurst
Scoring	25.9 (7)	16.3 (14)
Scoring Defense	31.8 (14)	26.7 (11)
Total Offense	374.8 (7)	253.3 (13)
Total Defense	423.8 (14)	320.6 (7)
Rushing Offense	165.0 (5)	71.0 (14)
Rushing Defense	157.3 (12)	121.7 (8)
Passing Offense	209.8 (8)	182.3 (11)
Passing Defense	266.4 (14)	198.9 (9)

() PSAC rank

PSAC PRESEASON POLL
Gannon was picked to finish seventh in the PSAC Western Division in the coaches' preseason poll. The Golden Knights finished with a 2-9 record in 2019, and was 1-3 this past spring. Mercyhurst was picked to finish fourth in the preseason poll.
     
BLANKS 35 SHY OF 1,000
Melvin Blanks' (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) pursuit of becoming Gannon's first 1,000-yard rusher since Marcus Jones in 2018 was slowed a bit last week against Slippery Rock. But the junior running back boosted his total to 965 yards leaving him now 35 yards shy of the plateau. Prior to the SRU game he had recorded back-to-back 200-yard games and had four games of 100-or-more yards in 2021. He ranks second in the PSAC and 14th nationally in rushing yards, and is 17th in Division II in rushing yards per game (107.2 ypg.). He is 11th in yards per carry at 6.8, and stands third in the PSAC with 10 touchdowns (8 rushing, 2 receiving).
He recently had a 29-carry, 239-yard effort vs. Edinboro, both career highs, with the 239 yards the 10th-highest single-game performance. The week before he totaled 200 yards on 25 carries at Seton Hill.  

KNIGHTS BLOCK FIRST PUNT FOR TD SINCE 2014
Gannon closed to 35-21 against Slippery Rock early in the third quarter thanks to a blocked punt return for a touchdown. It represented the first score off a blocked punt since the 2014 season against East Stroudsburg. Damerisse Freeman Jr. (Euclid, Ohio/St.. Edward) blocked the punt, with former Cathedral Prep standout Luke Sittinger (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) picking up the ball and going 15 yards for his first collegiate touchdown.

FOUR OF FIVE GU LOSSES TO RANKED OPPONENTS
Gannon's loss to Slippery Rock was the fourth time the Golden Knights have lost to a nationally-ranked team. SRU came in ranked 15th in the AFCA Top 25.  GU previously to a Shepherd team that was ranked 13th, along with setbacks to IUP (25th) and Cal U (15th).   

JOHNNY FREEMAN HAS CAREER DAY VS. SRU
Johnny Freeman (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) is one of three Gannon receivers to reach 100 yards receiving in a game this season. For Freeman, he has enjoyed a pair of career days in 2021. Earlier in the year the redshirt sophomore caught 5 passes for 111 yards at Bloomsburg. He bettered those totals last Saturday with 6 receptions for 112 vs. Slippery Rock. Sam East (Jackson Township, N.J./Saint John Vianney) began the year with 7 catches for 100 yards in the season opener at Northwood. Damerisse Freeman Jr. (Euclid, Ohio/St.. Edward) burned IUP for 101 yards on 3 catches.

98 IS TWICE AS NICE AS GU BOASTS FIVE 90-YARD DRIVES
Gannon put together not one but two 98-yard scoring drives in the recent 21-18 win over Edinboro. The first was a season-high 98 yards on 11 plays (5 minutes, 27 seconds) midway through the second quarter, with Melvin Blanks (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) scoring on a two-yard run. The Golden Knights found themselves pinned back at the two once again in the fourth quarter. This time they used up 5 minutes, 13 seconds and 10 plays for a second 98-yard TD drive. Johnny Freeman (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) accounted for the touchdown, catching a 17-yard pass from Kory Curtis (Cape Coral, Fla.). The two 98-yard drives give Gannon five scoring drives of 90-or-more yards this year. The previous longest drive was 97 yards at Seton Hill. They drove 93 yards at Bloomsburg and 91 at IUP. 

TIME TO GIVE THE O-LINE A LITTLE LOVE
When the season began, head coach Erik Raeburn trotted out a young offensive line that included freshman Elisha Bacon (Vero Beach, Fla. /Vero Beach) at left tackle, sophomore Jacob Petit (Uniontown, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban), redshirt freshman Jordan Covatto (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) at center, redshirt sophomore Montana Nietert (Aurora, Ohio/Aurora) at right guard, and redshirt freshman Riley Noble (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) at right tackle. The quintet had taken virtually every snap prior to the Edinboro game, when Covatto was forced to depart. Nietert moved over to center and Charles Tollner (Wilton, Calif./Pleasant Grove), a redshirt sophomore, stepped in at right guard. The group did not miss. They have paved the way for Melvin Blanks (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) to become one of the top rushers in Division II. Gannon ranks fifth in the PSAC in rushing offense (165.0 ypg.) and has allowed just eight sacks. The latter figure is second in the PSAC and 13th in Division II. 

WHITTAKER MAKES THE MOST OF HIS CATCHES
Redshirt junior tight end Alex Whittaker (Medina, Ohio/Medina) has caught 12 passes this season after previously hauling in three passes in 10 career games. Even more impressive, five of his receptions have gone for touchdowns. Touchdown number five came two weeks ago at Seton Hill, as he took a short pass, broke a tackle, eluded another tackler, and sprinted into the end zone to complete a 26-yard scoring pass from Kory Curtis (Cape Coral, Fla.). Whittaker hauled in two touchdown tosses against Shepherd, covering 11 and 23 yards. 

DEFENSE USING BEND-BUT-DON'T-BREAK APPROACH
Gannon's defense made yet another goal line stand vs. Slippery Rock. GU has made a habit of coming up with goal line stands in recent weeks. SRU was facing a 4th-and-1 at the GU 3, but was stopped for no gain on a run by Jay Bullock (Garfield Heights, Ohio/University School) and Trey Baker (Kettering, Ohio/Kettering Fairmont). The Golden Knights stopped Seton Hill twice inside the five yard-line in a 14-10 win. The first came at the three yard-line as the Griffins came up a yard short on a 4th-and-2 play in the second quarter thanks to Joseph Loiseau (Columbia, Md./Laurel) and Cameron Jenkins (Ladera Ranch, Calif./Orange Lutheran). The Griffins were then stopped shy of the goal line as Loiseau and a host of others stopped SHU at the one. Two weeks earlier, after a tough start, Gannon's defense limited IUP to just two scores over the final three-plus quarters. The Crimson Hawks drove into Gannon territory on five occasions without coming up with any points. Edinboro reached the GU 2 but was stopped for no gain on 4th-and-goal, with Chris Farnsworth (Bristol, Pa./Milton Hershey) and Keith Thompson (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge) doing the honors. 

CURTIS CLIMBING THE SEASON PASSING CHARTS
Quarterback Kory Curtis (Cape Coral, Fla.) is enjoying a strong first season as Gannon's quarterback. Curtis played three semesters at Ohio State before moving on to Bryant in 2019. He threw for 1,700 yards in 2019 with 7 TDs and 6 INTs. As a Golden Knight, Curtis has completed 128-of-256 passes for 1,866 yards with 18 TDs and 4 INTs. He is now seventh in yards passing in a season at Gannon, and his 18 TD passes ranks sixth in a season. Curtis accounted for five touchdowns in the 56-21 win over Clarion. He would throw four touchdown passes, covering 7, 4, 19, and 35 yards, along with scoring on a one-yard run. He saw his streak of passes without an interception come to an end against Cal. The streak had grown to 139 passes before he was intercepted in the first quarter. It was his first pickoff since late in the first half in the season opener at Northwood. 

NOTHING EASY ABOUT GANNON SCHEDULE
Slippery Rock is the fourth nationally-ranked team Gannon will face this year. Three of Gannon's first six games came against nationally-ranked opponents. It began with a meeting the second week of the season against a Shepherd team that was ranked 13th at the time. Three weeks ago the Golden Knights played at 25th-ranked Indiana(Pa.). A week later, it was then 15th-ranked Cal U visiting McConnell Family Stadium. 

GANNON FIRST TO SCORE IN OPENING HALF AGAINST CAL
Cal came into its game with Gannon with some incredible defensive numbers, including shutting out three of its first five opponents. The Vulcans had allowed just 26 points total. Gannon's offense enjoyed considerably more success, scoring 17 points against the top-ranked defense in Division II, along with totaling 296 yards, the most allowed by Cal in 2021. 

GOLDEN KNIGHTS REALLY CELEBRATE HOMECOMING
A large Homecoming crowd barely had a chance to settle in their seats as Gannon jumped to a big lead against Clarion. The Golden Knights scored on their first four possessions, starting with a 10-play, 75-yard drive to open the game. Not even five minutes had elapsed and Gannon held a 7-0 lead on the first of four Kory Curtis (Cape Coral, Fla.)  touchdown passes. The lead grew to 21-0 after one quarter, and when Keith Thompson (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge) returned a fumble 99 yards for a score on the first play of the second quarter, it was 28-0. Gannon led 42-14 at the half.
 
GANNON LIGHTS UP SCOREBOARD VS. CLARION
Gannon's 56-21 win over Clarion represented the most points by the Golden Knights since a 77-31 win over Seton Hill in 2017.
 
THOMPSON NAMED PSAC WEST DEFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK AFTER RECORD FUMBLE RETURN
Junior linebacker Keith Thompson (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge) was selected the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week after pacing a strong defensive effort vs. Clarion. He would even get in on the scoring. With Clarion knocking on the door at the GU 1, Thompson picked up a fumble caused by Malachi Woody (Lynchburg, Va./Liberty Christian Academy) and raced 99 yards down the sideline in front of the Gannon bench for his first career touchdown. He would end the day with 4 tackles while pacing a Gannon defense that held Clarion to 335 total yards and five turnovers. Thompson was also named to the DC Touchdown Club Washington Metro College Football Player of the Week honor roll. He hails from Woodbridge, Va.
 
SCARPINO GOES DEEP
Redshirt sophomore Eric Scarpino (Waterford, Pa./Fort LeBoeuf) kicked a career-best 45-yard field goal against Shepherd. His previous long was a 41-yarder vs. Clarion in 2019. He would add a 25-yarder later in the game. Scarpino has made four of his five field goal attempts this season and is 9-for-11 in his career.  
 
GOLDEN KNIGHTS MAKE FIRST TRIP TO MICHIGAN SINCE 2004 A MEMORABLE ONE
Gannon's trip to Midland, Michigan and subsequent 28-21 overtime win over Northwood marked the first time the Golden Knights had won in Michigan since 2004. At that time Gannon was a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and played numerous contests in Michigan.  The Golden Knights joined the PSAC in 2007. On September 25, 2004, Gannon won at Northern Michigan, 45-40.

SCOUTING MERCYHURST
Mercyhurst improved to 3-6 last Saturday with a 38-20 win at Clarion, moving to 2-4 in league play. After opening the season with an 18-3 win over Alderson Broaddus, the Lakers lost their next five games. Three of those losses came to West Chester, IUP and Cal, all top teams in the PSAC. They snapped that string with a 27-20 overtime win at Edinboro, and the next week nearly upset nationally-ranked Slippery Rock, falling 20-17 on a late SRU field goal. Against Clarion, Mercyhurst forced six turnovers, including five interceptions. Joe Carter has settled in at quarterback. The senior has completed 72-of-128 passes for 820 yards with 9 TDs and 6 INTs. Jason Armstrong has a team-high 34 receptions for 353 yards and 4 TDs, with Cameron Barmore adding 25 catches for 355 yards and 3 TDs. The Lakers have struggled to establish a ground game, averaging 71.1 ypg. David Alize ran for 101 yards on 25 carries at Clarion, boosting the freshman's season totals to 238 yards on 58 carries. The defense is very respectable, holding opponents to 320.6 ypg. total offense (7th in PSAC) and 121.7 ypg. rushing (8th in PSAC). Bradley Burrows, a 6'2", 230 lb. senior linebacker, has 9 TFL, including 5.5 sacks. 
 
UP NEXT
Gannon wraps up the 2021 campaign with the longest road trip of the season, traveling across state to meet East Stroudsburg in a PSAC crossover contest. Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m.