PREVIEW: Golden Knights Open Spring Season Against Davenport Saturday (Game Notes)

GAMEDAY CENTRAL – Davenport at Gannon
Game Details	Saturday, March 20, 2021 \| Noon \| McConnell Family Stadium
Records	Gannon (0-0) \| Davenport (0-0)
Game Coverage	Live Video – PSAC Digital Network Live Stats – Click Here Live Audio – Click Here Radio – Jet Radio 1400 AM/96.7 FM
Tickets	Currently, no spectators are allowed in attendance at sporting events hosted on the Gannon campus due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Access to the facility is limited to participating teams and those workers whose duties are essential to the contest.
Gannon Links	Game Notes \| Roster \| Schedule \| Statistics
DU Links	FB Home Page \| Roster \| Schedule \| Statistics

SERIES HISTORY

All-Time Series: First Meeting

THE GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS COACHES SHOW

Click Here - Football coach Erik Raeburn makes his debut on the Gannon Golden Knights Coaches Show, Episode 5

SCOUTING GANNON

Sixteen months and one day after he was announced as the newest Gannon football coach, Erik Raeburn will get to coach his first game. The veteran will kick off his 20th season in charge of a program after 16 years at Division III stalwarts Wabash and Coe, and three at then-Division I Savannah State.
Saturday will be the first meeting between Gannon and Davenport. It's the first new opponent in the Golden Knights' history since Seton Hill joined the PSAC and faced off against Gannon in 2013, and will be the 81st different opponent in Gannon's history.
Gannon is 7-1 in its last eight season openers, and 10-2 in its past 12. Those contests all came against Lake Erie and Southern Connecticut State, making Saturday's game the first opener against an opponent other than the Storm or the Owls since 2007.
Quarterback Jimmy Keefe (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Edward) is back after making 20 starts behind center over the past three years. The redshirt junior, who is in his fifth year with the program, stands fifth in program history with 3,682 passing yards, and fourth with 28 passing touchdowns.
A quartet of defensive players form the experieinced core of a unit that saw plenty of youth dot its ranks a year ago. Jay Bullock (Garfield Heights, Ohio/University School) and Malachi Woody (Lynchburg, Va./Liberty Christian Academy) have both started all but one game on the defensive front the past two seasons, while linebacker Keith Thompson (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge) has started 19 games in that same span. Senior defensive back Tre McNeill (Philadelphia, Pa./La Salle College HS) has 27 career games under his belt, and led the defense with 77 tackles a year ago.

SCOUTING DAVENPORT

The Panthers are coming off a 5-5 season in 2019 that saw them win their first three and final two games of the season.
Davenport had one of the stingier defense in the GLIAC in 2019, ranking in the top three in scoring defense (23.3) and total defense (303.8). They return All-GLIAC honorable mention linebacker Jalen Robinson, who totaled 68 tackles.
Starting quarterback Deondre Ford also returns after throwing for 1,124 yards and seven touchdowns in eight games in 2019.
Davenport rushed for just 93.7 yards per game in 2019, but may get an boost there with the return of 2018 rushing leader Seth Acda, who posted 581 yards on the ground that season.

UP NEXT

The Golden Knights will continue its spring season in two weeks, making a return trip to Davenport in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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Players Mentioned

#3 Jay Bullock: DL; 6' 2"; Redshirt Senior; Sport Management and Marketing

#6 Jimmy Keefe: QB; 6' 2"; Redshirt Junior; Master of Business Administration

#1 Trevaughn McNeill: DB; 6' 0"; Senior; Communication Arts

#7 Keith Thompson: LB; 5' 10"; Junior; Finance

#97 Malachi Woody: DL; 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior; Sports Marketing

Players Mentioned

#3 Jay Bullock
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Senior; Sport Management and Marketing
: DL

#6 Jimmy Keefe
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Junior; Master of Business Administration
: QB

#1 Trevaughn McNeill
: 6' 0"; Senior; Communication Arts
: DB

#7 Keith Thompson
: 5' 10"; Junior; Finance
: LB

#97 Malachi Woody
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior; Sports Marketing
: DL