Melvin Blanks vs Davenport 032021
30
Winner Davenport DU 1-0
22
Gannon GAN 0-1
Winner
Davenport DU
1-0
30
Final
22
Gannon GAN
0-1
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
DU Davenport 6 10 7 7 30
GAN Gannon 14 0 0 8 22

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

Golden Knights Make Return To Action As Comeback Falls Just Short Against Davenport

THE RUNDOWN
  • Final Score: Davenport 30, Gannon 22
  • Records: Gannon (0-1) | Davenport (1-0)
  • Location: Erie Veterans Stadium — Erie, Pa.

GAMEDAY MEDIA CENTER
KEY SEQUENCE
  • Gannon put together a strong start in its first game action in over 16 months and got back in the game with a late touchdown and a blocked field goal to get the ball back, but Davenport tightened up on defense in the final minute to hold on for the win in the spring 2021 season opener Saturday afternoon.

HOW IT HAPPENED
  • An interception on the first play of the game gave Davenport a chance, but the Gannon defense buckled down to force a field goal and swing the momentum right back to the Golden Knights. Nick Demchuk (North Royalton, Ohio/Benedictine) completions to Gabe Wescott (Greenwood, Del./Woodbridge) and Sam East (Jackson Township, N.J./Saint John Vianney) got the ball across midfield on the ensuing drive, and Melvin Blanks (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) hit a huge hole up the middle for 44 yards and the first touchdown of the season.
  • The defense kept its strong start going, stuffing three runs around a first down pass for the Panthers to get the ball back. Demchuck stayed in rhythm on the next drive, hitting Blanks on a wheel route for 58 yards then finding East for the final 18 yards and a score for a 14-3 lead with 7:48 left in the opening quarter.
  • Davenport got back on the board with a field goal a few minutes later, and took advantage of a short field and a 44-yard scamper for their first touchdown to make it 14-13 early in the second quarter. The two defenses traded stops before a fumble gave the Panthers the ball at the Gannon 31. A Nicholas White (Randallstown, Md./Milford Mill Academy) sack pushed Davenport back, and the Panthers settled for a field go to go up 16-14 with 6:13 left before the break.
  • Two passes to Michiah Burton (Columbus, Ohio/New Albany HS) covered 29 yards, and another strike from Demchuk to Johnny Freeman (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) took up 28 more and put the ball just outside the red zone for the Golden Knights, but a fourth-down sack kept Gannon from going back in front. A big hit from Noah Thompson (Marion, Ohio/Marion Harding) on a punt return forced a fumble, and Trey Baker (Kettering, Ohio/Kettering Fairmont) hopped on it to get the Knights in position at the Davenport 26 with 20 ticks left, but the Knights ran out of clock before intermission.
  • Davenport was moving on the opening drive of the second half, but a tackle for loss from Javon Hubbard (Riviera Beach, Fla./William T. Dwyer) and a stop by Jacob Yost (Springfield, Ohio/Springfield) on fourth down got the ball back to the Knights. Gannon was just getting its drive started when the Panthers stepped in front of a pass to pick it off, returning it for a touchdown and a 23-14 lead.
  • Neither team could get past the 40-yard line as the game moved into the fourth quarter, but Davenport struck quickly when it got the ball back with 10:34 to play, hitting a long ball down the right sideline for a 48-yard score and a 30-14 advantage.
  • Gannon responded with one of its best drives of the day, getting 20 yards on carries from Blanks and Burton, then 27 yards on a strike from Jimmy Keefe (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Edward) to Freeman, tacking on a roughing the passer penalty to get to the Davenport 15. On third and goal, Keefe hit Wescott for the final five yards, and then found Freeman for the two-point conversion to make it a one-possession game at 30-22.
  • Davenport appeared to be salting the game away, moving down to the Gannon 20 and lining up for a field goal with two minutes to play, but Matt Wiitanen (Seattle, Wash./Pioneer) came around the edge to block the kick and keep it to one touchdown. Keefe found Freeman for 21 yards to midfield on the first play of the next possession, but Davenport forced four incompletions to get the ball back and seal the win.
     
GAME NOTES
  • Saturday was Gannon's first game in 489 days after the fall season was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Head coach Erik Raeburn had to wait over 16 months from the day he was announced as Gannon's sixth head coach to coach his first game at the helm of the Golden Knights.
  • Blanks rumbled for a career-high 142 rushing yards on a career-high 23 carries. It was the junior's first career 100-yard game, and he also added a career-high 58 receiving yards for an even 200 scrimmage yards.
  • Freeman led the receiving corps with a career-high 81 yards on four grabs. East also pulled in four catches for 47 yards.
  • Baker led the Golden Knight defense with 10 tackles in his debut. Keith Thompson (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge) had his nose around the ball all day, making seven tackles, including 2.5 for loss. Wiitenen and Thompson each put up seven stops as well.
  • The Gannon defense held Davenport to just 281 yards of offense, the best performance by the Golden Knight unit since allowing just 183 yards to Clarion in 2018.
 
UP NEXT
  • Gannon will continue its spring season in three weeks, making a return trip to Davenport on Friday, April 9.
  • Live video and live statistics will be available for the 6 p.m. kickoff at the Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex.
 
 
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