Sam East football vs Davenport 032021
22
Gannon GAN 0-3
37
Winner Davenport DU 2-0
Gannon GAN
0-3
22
Final
37
Davenport DU
2-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
GAN Gannon 0 0 6 16 22
DU Davenport 10 7 13 7 37

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

Second-Half Surge Helps Gannon Push Davenport Late

THE RUNDOWN
  • Final Score: Davenport 37, Gannon 22
  • Records: Gannon (0-3) | Davenport (2-0)
  • Location: Farmers Insurance Complex — Caledonia, Mich.

GAMEDAY MEDIA CENTER
KEY SEQUENCE
  • A score midway through the third quarter got Gannon on the board, and the Golden Knight offense kept coming the rest of the way, but Davenport got a few big plays to help turn a two-score lead back into a three-score lead in the fourth quarter to hold on.

HOW IT HAPPENED
  • An interception gave the ball back to Davenport 10 minutes into the first quarter, and the Panthers struck quickly, with a 75-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring. The hosts tacked on a field goal after a fumble on the ensuing kickoff to make it 10-0.
  • While the Gannon offense was working out the kinks, the defense started to step up, getting a sack on 4th and 8 from Trey Baker (Kettering, Ohio/Kettering Fairmont) and forcing a punt from just inside Gannon territory to keep the Panthers at bay. Davenport would go up 17-0 late in the first half on a 59-yard punt return to build its lead.
  • Gannon got its best drive of the game to that point to start the third quarter, as connections to Sam East (Jackson Township, N.J./Saint John Vianney) for 11, East again for 17 and Gabe Wescott (Greenwood, Del./Woodbridge) for 11 set up a first down at the Davenport 34. The Golden Knights got a first down on a 4th and 2, but a fumble gave the ball back to the Panthers.
  • Two more sacks on the ensuing drive pushed Davenport back, and the second forced a fumble, which Gannon quickly turned into its first points, as Jonathan Quinque (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) hit Sam East (Jackson Township, N.J./Saint John Vianney) for 17 yards and the score. A 49-yard strike from Davenport pushed the Panther lead back to 17 at 23-6 on the next drive though. DU stretched that to 30-6 with another long pass to set up a touchdown, but the Golden Knights wouldn't go away.
  • After a sack, Quinque hit Wescott for 25 yards on the final play of the third quarter, and although that drive ended with a fourth-down stop on the Davenport 3-yard line, the Gannon defense forced a three-and-out. A 24-yard punt return by Matt Wiitanen (Seattle, Wash./Pioneer) to the Panther 20 set up the Golden Knight offense, and Nick Demchuk (North Royalton, Ohio/Benedictine) hit Johnny Freeman (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) for the 20-yard touchdown on the first play. A Michiah Burton (Columbus, Ohio/New Albany HS) two-point rush made it 30-14 with 8:49 to play.
  • Davenport scored on the next drive, but Gannon wouldn't go away, with Quinque finding Freeman for 21 yards, Antonio Wright (Melbourne, Fla./Melbourne) rumbling 37 yards on a run, and East pulling in an 8-yard touchdown to make it 37-22. Gannon would get the ball back and drive into the red zone thanks to a 46-yard catch-and-run from Burton, but an interception with 2:11 to play would seal the game.
     
GAME NOTES
  • Gannon recorded five sacks on the night, its most since also recording five against West Chester in the second game of the 2018 season. The Golden Knights haven't gotten to the quarterback more since sacking Slippery Rock six times in 2016.
  • Nicholas White (Randallstown, Md./Milford Mill Academy) kept his incredible season going, setting career highs with seven tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles. The redshirt sophomore has a sack in each game this season, and four total on the year.
  • Quinque completed his first four passes and finished 7-of-9 for 137 yards and two touchdowns in his first collegiate action.
  • The receiving trio of Wescott, East and Freeman all had good nights. Wescott led with both five catches and 68 yards, while East hauled in two touchdowns on his four grabs for 53 yards and Freeman added four catches for 52 yards and a score.
  • Keith Thompson (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge) led the Gannon defense with eight tackles, including two for a loss.
  • Baker notched six tackles and his sack, while Tre McNeill (Philadelphia, Pa./La Salle College HS) also added six stops.
 
UP NEXT
  • Gannon will make its last road trip of the spring next week, heading back to Michigan to face Hillsdale on Saturday, April 17.
  • Live video and live statistics will be available for the 2 p.m. kickoff at Frank "Muddy" Waters Stadium.
  • Next week will be the first meeting between the former GLIAC foes since 2007.
 
 
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