gannon vs shepherd 9-11-2021

Football Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Gannon in Search of Upset at 25th-Ranked IUP

GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (2-2, 1-0 PSAC West) at #25 INDIANA(PA) (2-1, 1-0 PSAC West)
DATE:  Saturday, October 2, 2021
KICKOFF: 2:00 p.m.
STADIUM:  Frank Cignetti Field at George P. Miller Stadium l Indiana, Pa.
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ERIE, Pa. – Gannon will play in its second Homecoming game in two weeks, only this time it will be IUP's Homecoming. The Golden Knights improved to 2-2 with a 56-21 win over Clarion last week as they opened PSAC West action. They opened the season with a 28-21 overtime win at Northwood, followed by a 56-26 loss to 13th-ranked Shepherd in their home opener. Two weeks ago Gannon lost a last-second heartbreaker at Bloomsburg, 31-27. Indiana(Pa.) is now 2-1 following a 48-13 win at Mercyhurst this past week. The Crimson Hawks opened the season with back-to-back games against nationally-ranked teams at home. They opened the season with a 29-26 win over 18th-ranked Shepherd, followed by a 37-21 setback to then 11th-ranked Shepherd. 
 
SERIES RECORD
IUP leads 9-3
The Crimson Hawks have won the last five meetings with Gannon. The Golden Knights have lost five of six games at IUP, with the win coming in 2009 by a 29-3 score.
 
LAST MEETING
2019 – at #19 IUP 35, Gannon 0
Quinton Maxwell threw three touchdown passes to lead 19th-ranked IUP to the home win over Gannon. The Crimson Hawks would score o their first two possessions, with Maxwell throwing TD passes of seven and 28 yards. Damon Lloyd added a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown early in the second quarter before Maxwell's third touchdown pass made it 28-0 at the half. The Gannon defense would limit IUP to a lone touchdown in the second half. The Golden Knights would rush for 173 yards while finishing the day with 245 yards. IUP ended with 442 total yards, with the Gannon defense limiting the Crimson Hawks to 112 yards on the ground. Melvin Blanks (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) led all rushers with 87 yards on 14 carries, while Zevin Holley added 83 yards on 13 totes. Maxwell completed 21-of-31 passes for 257 yards with 3 TDs.
 
LAST WEEK
at Gannon 56, Clarion 21
Kory Curtis (Cape Coral, Fla.) accounted for five touchdowns and the Golden Knights took advantage of five turnovers to post a big Homecoming victory. The 56 points were the most since a 76-31 win over Seton Hill in 2017.  Gannon jumped out to a 28-0 lead and would hold a 42-14 advantage at halftime. Curtis threw four touchdown passes to four different receivers and added a one-yard TD run. His touchdown passes covered seven yards to Alex Whittaker (Medina, Ohio/Medina), four yards to Antonio Wright (West Melbourne, Fla./Melbourne), 19 yards to Bransen Stanley (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Kenston), and 35 yards to KeJohn Batiste. He finished with 241 yards passing, completing 17-of-31 passes. Melvin Blanks (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) added TD runs of four and 32 yards while finishing with 96 yards. Linebacker Keith Thompson (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge) set a Gannon record, returning a fumble 99 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the second quarter. Gannon finished with 437 total yards, while Clarion totaled 335 yards.  
 
at Mercyhurst 48, IUP 13
IUP also had a quarterback account for five touchdowns, as Harry Woodberry likewise threw for four touchdowns and ran for a fifth. Playing in his first game after transferring from Eastern Illinois, the grad transfer led IUP to a 35-7 lead at the half, throwing for three scores and running for a fourth. Woodberry ended the day completing 15-of-22 passes for 146 yards. IUP totaled 328 yards while holding Mercyhurst to 259 yards. The Lakers finished with just 37 yards on the ground while the Crimson Hawks gained 182 yards rushing. Dayjure Stewart led IUP with 98 rushing on 18 carries. The IUP defense forced four turnovers. 
 
HEAD COACHES
Erik Raeburn (Mount Union '94) enters 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 145-66 career record and is in his 21st season as a head coach. He joined the Gannon staff as offensive coordinator in 2018 after serving as the head coach at Division I Savannah State in 2016 and 2017. 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.    
 
Paul Tortorella (Slippery Rock '85) is in his fourth season as the head coach at IUP and has put together the best start by any head coach in program history. Tortorella currently shows a 33-7 overall record with a pair of NCAA playoff berths plus a PSAC championship. He was a long-time assistant coach at IUP, including 22 years as the defensive coordinator, who was named the head coach in 2013. He took his initial squad to the NCAA Division II Final Four, opening the year with 13 straight wins before a 27-17 loss to West Florida in the national semifinals. The 13-1 squad would finish third in the final AFCA Top 25. In 2018, the Crimson Hawks posted an 8-3 record, and in 2019 they earned a second trip to the NCAA Playoffs under Tortorella, finishing at 10-2. 
 
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. Indiana(Pa.), long a power in the PSAC, was edged by Slippery Rock for the top spot in the PSAC West.
 
PSAC RANKINGS
 
     Gannon      IUP
Scoring    34.3 (5)  32.7 (7)
Scoring Defense 32.2 (14) 25.3 (7)
Total Offense 406.0 (6) 319.0 (10)
Total Defense 445.0 (16) 427.7 (13)
Rushing Offense 161.3 (4) 118.3 (10)
Rushing Defense 173.5 (15)    100.7 (6)
Passing Offense 244.8 (5) 200.7 (9)
Passing Defense 271.5 (13) 327.0 (16)
() PSAC rank

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.
 
CURTIS ACCOUNTS FOR FIVE TDs VERSUS CLARION
Kory Curtis (Cape Coral, Fla.) continued to put up big numbers in his first season as a Golden Knight. The 64", 252 lb. redshirt sophomore accounted for five touchdowns in last week's 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. The transfer from Ohio State and Bryant completed 17-of-31 passes for 241 yards.  It marks the third time this season he has thrown for three-or-more TDs. He completed 21 of 36 passes for 252 yards with 3 TDs against Shepherd. In his first start as a Golden Knight, he threw for 249 yards and three scores at Northwood. Curtis ranks fifth in the PSAC in yards passing per game (239.3 ypg.), and his 12 TDs passing are only exceeded by Shepherd's Tyson Bagent 17 TD passes.
 
BLANKS, WRIGHT PACING SOLID GROUND GAME
Gannon ranks fourth in the PSAC in rushing offense at 161.3 ypg. Melvin Blanks (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) leads the ground game, as the junior is tied for first in the PSAC in rushing at 98.0 ypg. He has rushed for 392 yards on 57 carries, an impressive 6.9 yards per carry, with 4 TDs. Blanks fell just shy of his third 100-yard effort this season, totaling 96 yards on 14 carries against Clarion. He would score on runs of 4 and 32 yards. Blanks ran for a career-high 169 yards vs. Bloomsburg and had 102 yards at Northwood. Antonio Wright (West Melbourne, Fla./Melbourne), a redshirt freshman, adds 180 yards on 33 carries, a 5.5 yard average, with a touchdown.
 
EFFICIENCY MATTERS
One of the keys to Gannon's win over Clarion was the ability to convert on third down while getting off the field on defense. The Gannon offense converted 9-of-15 third down plays, while the defense held Clarion to just 5-of-18.
 
CLARION GAME FEATURES BIG PLAYS, TURNOVERS
Gannon was able to take advantage of five turnovers against Clarion, scoring three touchdowns following those miscues. The Golden Eagles lost three fumbles and threw a pair of interceptions. The pickoffs were the first career INTs for Sir Giles (St. Cloud, Fla./Tohopekaliga) and Chris Farnsworth (Bristol, Pa./Milton Hershey). The big-play offense featured nine plays of 20-or-more yards, including six passes, along with four more plays of 10-or-more yards.
 
GOLDEN KNIGHTS GET OFFENSIVE AT BLOOMSBURG
Gannon finished with 462 total yards at Bloomsburg. That's the highest total since a 557-yard effort vs. Clarion on September 28, 2019. The balanced attack featured 247 yards rushing, the most since a 261-yard effort against Lock Haven in the final game of 2019, and 215 yards passing.
 
BATISTE REGISTERS FIRST CAREER TD
Wide receiver KeJohn Batiste, a redshirt sophomore who previously played at Butler CC in Kansas, turned in the catch of the day vs. Clarion. He hauled in a 35-yard TD pass, his first TD catch as a Golden Knight, in the third quarter. Tightly defended, he would reach above the Clarion defensive back to catch Kory Curtis' (Cape Coral, Fla.) fourth TD pass of the game.
 
TRIO POSTS CAREER BESTS AT BLOOMSBURG
Melvin Blanks (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) paced the Gannon ground game with a career-high 169 yards on 20 carries. The 169 yards are the most by a Gannon rusher since Marcus Jones ran for 410 yards against Lock Haven in the final game of the 2018 season. His previous career-best had been 142 yards vs. Davenport in the spring.  Antonio Wright (West Melbourne, Fla./Melbourne) fell just shy of his first 100-yard game with 92 yards on 14 carries. That was still a career high for Wright. Johnny Freeman (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) also enjoyed a career afternoon with 5 receptions for 111 yards, both career highs. It marked his first career 100-yard game and the most yards receiving by a Golden Knight since Joey Cox went for 114 yards against Seton Hill in 2019.   
 
WHITTAKER DOUBLES HIS PLEASURE VERSUS SHEPHERD
Redshirt junior tight end Alex Whittaker (Medina, Ohio/Medina) caught two touchdown tosses against Shepherd, covering 11 and 23 yards. He previously had just one career touchdown reception. Whittaker finished the day with 3 catches for 49 yards. It was a new personal record for touchdowns and receiving yards, and he matched his high for receptions. Whittaker would add to his touchdown total with a 28-yarder at Bloomsburg.
 
CURTIS-TO-EAST BECOMING LETHAL COMBINATION
Quarterback Kory Curtis (Cape Coral, Fla.) and wide receiver Sam East (Jackson Township, N.J./Saint John Vianney) have become a potent combination. The two have combined for 21 receptions for 278 yards and 3 TDs. East enjoyed a career day in the season-opening win at Northwood. He set career-highs for receptions (7) and yards receiving (100), while matching his career high with two touchdowns. He caught scoring passes of nine and 25 yards, the latter accounting for the winning score. Against Shepherd, he again caught 7 passes, good for 76 yards and a 17-yard TD pass. East is tied for sixth in the PSAC in receptions per game.
 
SCARPINO GOES DEEP AGAINST SHEPHERD
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 now made seven-of-eight field goals in his career.
 
YOUTHFUL O-LINE HOLDING UP
A young offensive line with a true freshman and two redshirt freshmen allowed just one sack in three of the first four games, and six over four contests. The elder statesman of the line is right guard Montana Nietert (Aurora, Ohio/Aurora), a redshirt sophomore who has started 12 games 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.
 
CURTIS IMPRESSIVE IN DEBUT IN MAROON AND GOLD
Kory Curtis (Cape Coral, Fla.) might be considered well-traveled, but to Gannon, he represents the future at quarterback. The 6'4", 252 lb. sophomore from Florida spent three seasons as a backup quarterback at Ohio State. He would play at Bryant in 2019 and during the abbreviated 2020-21 spring season. Curtis threw for 1,700 yards in 2019, completing 174-of-301 passes with 7 TDs and 6 INTs. He added a pair of touchdowns rushing. In his first three games, he has completed 51 of 90 passes for 716 yards with 8 TDs and 2 INTs.
 
WATCH OUT FOR BOOKENDS WHITE AND BULLOCK
The strength of the Gannon defense lies in the defensive line, and in particular, defensive ends Jay Bullock (Garfield Heights, Ohio/University School) and Nick White (Randallstown, Md./Milford Mill Academy). White, a 6'3", 240 lb. redshirt sophomore, was the team MVP in the spring after finishing with 20 tackles, with team highs in tackles for losses (8.5) and sacks (5.5). In 2019, White was fifth on the Knights in tackles with 43, with a team-high 9.5 tackles for losses, including 2.5 sacks. Bullock did not play this past spring, but in 2018 and 2019 he was an All-PSAC West second team selection. In 2019, he totaled 24 tackles, six for losses. In 2018, he totaled 39 stops. Bullock is a 6'1", 254 lb. redshirt senior who owns 24 career starts.
 
GO WEST YOUNG MAN
Sophomore Isaac West (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) was a hidden hero for the Golden Knights at Northwood. West punted five times for an average of 40.2 yards, the best average of his career. That included punts of 44 and 43 yards.
 
SCOUTING INDIANA(PA)
The Crimson Hawks come into the game with a 2-1 record following last week's 48-13 win at Mercyhurst. IUP opened the season ranked 24th in the AFCA Division II Top 25, and climbed to 14th before dropping out. The Crimson Hawks reappeared this week, and are tied with Cal U at 25th.  IUP opened the season with back-to-back games vs. nationally-ranked teams from the PSAC East. They opened the year with a 29-26 win over 18th-ranked Kutztown, then a week later dropped a 37-21 decision to then 11-ranked Shepherd.  IUP was 10-2 in 2019, losing to Shepherd in the first round of the NCAA Playoffs. Ten starters returned from that squad, including three preseason All-Americans: senior offensive lineman Josh Dauberman, redshirt junior wide receiver Duane Brown, and redshirt senior cornerback Nazir Streater. IUP was bolstered by the debut of Harry Woodberry at quarterback in the win over Mercyhurst. A graduate transfer from Eastern Illinois, Woodberry was forced to sit out the first two games due to COVID restrictions, but the 6'2", 195 lb. signalcaller accounted for five TDs in his first outing. While completing 15-of-22 passes for 146 yards, he threw for 4 TDs and ran for a fifth on a one-yard run.  Javon Davis had played the first two games, completing 40-of-60 passes for 456 yards with 4 TDs and 0 INTs. Brown leads IUP with 13 receptions for 173 yards and a score, while Irvin Charles adds 11 catches for 176 yards and 3 TDs.  Charles is a 6'4" redshirt senior who began his career at Penn State. Malik Anderson and Dayjure Stewart share the rushing duties. Anderson, a diminutive 5'6", 160 lb. redshirt senior, is averaging 9.1 yards per carry with 154 yards on 17 carries and a TD. Stewart, a redshirt freshman, adds 152 yards on 33 carries with a TD. He ran for 98 yards against Mercyhurst.
 
UP NEXT
Gannon hosts another of the powerhouses in the PSAC West when Cal U visits McConnell Family Stadium on Saturday, October 9. Kickoff is set for 12 noon. The Vulcans are currently tied with IUP for 25th in the AFCA Division II Top 25.
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Players Mentioned

Melvin Blanks

#2 Melvin Blanks

RB
6' 1"
Junior
Business
Jay Bullock

#3 Jay Bullock

DL
6' 1"
Redshirt Senior
Sport Management and Marketing
Sam East

#20 Sam East

WR
5' 11"
Junior
Undeclared
Chris Farnsworth

#39 Chris Farnsworth

DB
5' 10"
Sophomore
Johnny Freeman

#18 Johnny Freeman

WR
6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
Montana Nietert

#76 Montana Nietert

OL
6' 4"
Redshirt Sophomore
Business
Eric Scarpino

#94 Eric Scarpino

K
5' 8"
Redshirt Sophomore
Mechanical Engineering
Bransen Stanley

#4 Bransen Stanley

WR
6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
Keith Thompson

#7 Keith Thompson

LB
5' 9"
Junior
Finance
Isaac West

#22 Isaac West

WR/P
5' 10"
Sophomore
Nick White

#51 Nick White

DL
6' 3"
Redshirt Sophomore
Sports Management
Alex Whittaker

#47 Alex Whittaker

TE
6' 3"
Redshirt Junior

Players Mentioned

Melvin Blanks

#2 Melvin Blanks

6' 1"
Junior
Business
RB
Jay Bullock

#3 Jay Bullock

6' 1"
Redshirt Senior
Sport Management and Marketing
DL
Sam East

#20 Sam East

5' 11"
Junior
Undeclared
WR
Chris Farnsworth

#39 Chris Farnsworth

5' 10"
Sophomore
DB
Johnny Freeman

#18 Johnny Freeman

6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
WR
Montana Nietert

#76 Montana Nietert

6' 4"
Redshirt Sophomore
Business
OL
Eric Scarpino

#94 Eric Scarpino

5' 8"
Redshirt Sophomore
Mechanical Engineering
K
Bransen Stanley

#4 Bransen Stanley

6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
WR
Keith Thompson

#7 Keith Thompson

5' 9"
Junior
Finance
LB
Isaac West

#22 Isaac West

5' 10"
Sophomore
WR/P
Nick White

#51 Nick White

6' 3"
Redshirt Sophomore
Sports Management
DL
Alex Whittaker

#47 Alex Whittaker

6' 3"
Redshirt Junior
TE