Antonio Wright Jr. vs. Edinboro
Duffy Gallagher

Football Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Upset-Minded Golden Knights Play at No. 18 Slippery Rock in Key PSAC West Contest

GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (5-1, 3-0 PSAC West) at No. 18 SLIPPERY ROCK THE ROCK (5-1, 2-1 PSAC West)
DATE: Saturday, October 15, 2022
KICKOFF: 1:00 p.m.
STADIUM: Mihalik-Thompson Stadium l Slippery Rock, Pa.
 
LIVE COVERAGE: Live Video l Live Stats l Live Audio

GAME NOTES

RADIO: 90.5 WERG FM – Listen to all the exciting action of Gannon football with Jack Quinn providing the play-by-play.
 
 
ERIE, Pa. – For the third straight week Gannon will play in a Homecoming game. Two weeks ago the Golden Knights celebrated their own Homecoming with a 21-10 victory over Seton Hill. Last week they made the short trip down I-79 and spoiled Homecoming for Edinboro with a 35-17 win. Now comes the biggest challenge yet as they travel further down I-79 with Slippery Rock's Homecoming on Saturday, October 15. Kickoff at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium is set for 1:00 p.m.
 
Gannon comes in with a 5-1 record and is 3-0 in PSAC West action, the best start since joining the conference in 2008. The Golden Knights face a Slippery Rock team that is also 5-1 and 2-1 in the PSAC West after being chosen the preseason co-favorite in the Western Division along with Indiana (Pa.). SRU's lone loss came two weeks ago, a 20-12 setback at IUP. The Rock is ranked 18th in the latest AFCA Division II Top 25 and is 19th according to D2Football.com.
Head coach Erik Raeburn hopes to lead the Golden Knights to an upset of a ranked team for the first time since Gannon defeated Slippery Rock in 2011. They will have two chances in the next three weeks, with Indiana (Pa.) ranked 15th in the AFCA poll.

Gannon turned in an impressive performance at Edinboro, jumping out to a 21-3 halftime lead then riding a strong defensive effort and the running of Antonio Wright (Palm Bay, Fla./Melbourne) Jr. over the final 30 minutes. Gannon ended the day with 418 total yards, including a season-high 259 yards on the ground, as Wright filled in for injured Melvin Blanks (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) and had a career-high 213 yards with 3 TDs. The defense, meanwhile, limited Edinboro to 202 total yards and intercepted four passes.
Slippery Rock improved to 5-1 as well on Saturday thanks to a 31-17 win over Mercyhurst. The Rock improved to 45-5 at home since 2013.
 
SERIES RECORD
Slippery Rock leads 10-6

Last Meeting:  Oct. 30, 2021 – Slippery Rock 63, at Gannon 21 I RECAP
Slippery Rock made it seven wins in a row and eight of the last nine meetings with an impressive offensive display a year ago. SRU ran up 671 yards in total offense. Noah Grove made his first start at quarterback and torched the Golden Knights for 439 yards and 8 TDs, setting the SRU record for TD passes. The Rock has won the last six games by an average of 30.7 points and has scored 40-or-more points in five of the last six meetings.
 
FIVE FAST FACTS
Gannon's 5-1 start is the best since the 2003 edition opened the season with a loss and then proceeded to run off nine straight wins. The 3-0 start in PSAC West action is the best since the Golden Knights joined the conference in 2008. In addition, the five wins match last year's win total (5-6). Slippery Rock comes into Saturday's game ranked 18th in the latest AFCA Division II Top 25 and 19th in the D2Football.com rankings. The last time Gannon defeated a ranked opponent was on November 5, 2011 at home against No. 14 Slippery Rock. That day Gannon outscored the Rock 26-7 in the second half to post a 33-27 victory on Senior Day.

For the second time in three weeks Gannon had a pair of players honored by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference for their outstanding performances. Running back Antonio Wright (Palm Bay, Fla./Melbourne) Jr. was selected the PSAC West Offensive Athlete of the Week while defensive back Chris Farnsworth (Bristol, Pa./Milton Hershey) was named the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week as the duo led Gannon to a 35-17 win at Edinboro. Gannon has had a player honored by the PSAC in four of the first six weeks, with Farnsworth now a two-time honoree. He intercepted a pair of passes as Gannon had four pickoffs, the most since intercepting four passes against Clarion in 2019. He added three passes broken up and finished with six tackles. Wright stepped in at running back when Melvin Blanks (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) was unable to go in the second half and enjoyed a career rushing day. The redshirt sophomore posted career highs with 21 carries for 213 yards and 3 TDs. In the second half, he carried 14 times for 135 yards and two scores while serving as the main back. He scored on runs of eight, 27 and 47 yards, matching his career total for rushing TDs.  It was the first 200-yard game by a Gannon back since Blanks ran for 239 yards against Edinboro last year. In addition, it was Wright's second career 100-yard game.

Through four games the Gannon defense had yet to intercept a pass. They warmed up with an interception against Seton Hill, then intercepted four passes last Saturday at Edinboro. Chris Farnsworth (Bristol, Pa./Milton Hershey) intercepted a pair of passes as Gannon had the most pickoffs since intercepting four passes against Clarion in 2019. That game was also the last time a Gannon player had two interceptions, with Jayden Ashby doing the honors. Matt Wiitanen (Renton, Wash. /Pioneer) added his second interception of the season and Reginald Hamlette Jr. (Temple Hills, Md./Oxon Hill) had his first.
 
Gannon ran for a season-high 259 yards last week at Edinboro. It's the fourth time in six games that the Golden Knights have topped 200 yards on the ground. They rank fourth in the PSAC in rushing offense at 173.8 ypg. Only two members of the line have started all six games -- Jordan Covatto (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) at center and Jacob Petit (Uniontown, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban) at left guard. Montana Nietert (Aurora, Ohio/Aurora) missed the Seton Hill game with an injury but has started the other five games at right guard. Jake Vasko (Strongsville, Ohio/Benedictine) has started five games at right tackle, with Eyvar Robles (Auburn, Wash./Auburn Riverside) and Riley Noble (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) sharing time at left tackle. Robles has started four games in all while Noble has three starting assignments.

The second half of the season finds Gannon facing the toughest portion of its schedule. It begins this week with the game at Slippery Rock. The Rock is ranked 18th in the latest AFCA Division II Top 25. Two weeks later No. 15 Indiana (Pa.) visits McConnell Family Stadium on Saturday, October 29. In between is a home game with crosstown-rival Mercyhurst. While the Lakers are currently 2-4, as the saying goes, you can throw the records out the window when these two get together. Week number ten finds Gannon playing at another of the PSAC's top teams, California (Pa.), before wrapping up the regular season with a PSAC crossover game against Shippensburg. Those five teams have a combined 18-11 record.

SCOUTING SLIPPERY ROCK
Year-in and year-out Slippery Rock has been one of the elite teams in the PSAC and in the region. This year is no exception as The Rock sits at 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the PSAC West. SRU had climbed into the top ten in the AFCA Division II rankings before dropping a 20-12 decision at Indiana (Pa.) two weeks. The Rock is currently ranked 18th by the AFCA and 19th in the D2Football.com poll. Slippery Rock was picked as the preseason favorite in the PSAC West coaches' preseason poll along with IUP. SRU opened the year with four straight wins, allowing no more than two touchdowns in any game, before the showdown with IUP. That included a 35-14 win over West Chester, a 45-14 win at Millersville, and a 30-2 triumph over Seton Hill, all Gannon opponents. Head coach Shawn Lutz is in his seventh season and has guided SRU to a 53-15 record. SRU has claimed seven of the last 10 PSAC West titles and is in search of its fourth straight Western Division title. The Rock have also made three straight appearances in the NCAA Division II Playoffs. A year ago SRU bowed out in the first round at Notre Dame (OH.) to finish at 9-3. Slippery Rock has generally been recognized for its offensive prowess during that stretch, and the offense is still strong, but this year The Rock defense ranks among the best in the country. SRU ranks first in the PSAC and 10th in Division II in scoring defense (12.8 ppg.), along with first and seventh, respectively, in total defense (241.7 ypg.). They allow just 80.3 yards rushing per game, good for third in the PSAC and 17th in Div. II, along with standing third and 24th in passing defense (161.7 ypg.).  Brandon Tuck-Hayden, a 5'11", 215 lb. linebacker, spearheads the defense. A senior who previously played at Wayne State (Mich.), he has 52 tackles, with 8.5 TFL, a sack and an interception. The offense features Noah Grover, who made his first start last year at Gannon and torched the Golden Knights for 439 yards and 8 TDs, setting the SRU record for TD passes. The former transfer from North Dakota has completed 110-of-192 passes for 1,549 yards with 14 TDs and 5 INTs. He ranks second in the PSAC and 13th in Division II in passing touchdowns and second and 18th in passing yards.
 
UP NEXT
After three straight Homecoming games its now rivalry time.  Gannon plays back-to-back home games the next two weeks, beginning with the annual game against crosstown rival Mercyhurst. Kickoff is set for 12 noon at McConnell Family Stadium. The Lakers claimed a 24-13 win a year ago and own a 17-7-1 advantage in the all-time series.
 
 
 
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Melvin Blanks

#2 Melvin Blanks

RB
6' 1"
Senior
Business
Jordan Covatto

#67 Jordan Covatto

OL
5' 11"
Redshirt Sophomore
Chris Farnsworth

#9 Chris Farnsworth

DB
5' 11"
Redshirt Junior
Reginald Hamlette Jr.

#31 Reginald Hamlette Jr.

DB
5' 11"
Redshirt Sophomore
Montana Nietert

#76 Montana Nietert

OL
6' 4"
Redshirt Junior
Business
Riley Noble

#56 Riley Noble

OL
6' 4"
Redshirt Sophomore
Accounting
Jacob Petit

#54 Jacob Petit

OL
6' 1"
Junior
Biology
Eyvar Robles

#55 Eyvar Robles

OL
6' 3"
Redshirt Junior
Sport Management and Marketing
Jake Vasko

#66 Jake Vasko

OL
6' 3"
Redshirt Freshman
Antonio Wright

#11 Antonio Wright

RB
5' 10"
Sophomore
Criminal Justice

Players Mentioned

Melvin Blanks

#2 Melvin Blanks

6' 1"
Senior
Business
RB
Jordan Covatto

#67 Jordan Covatto

5' 11"
Redshirt Sophomore
OL
Chris Farnsworth

#9 Chris Farnsworth

5' 11"
Redshirt Junior
DB
Reginald Hamlette Jr.

#31 Reginald Hamlette Jr.

5' 11"
Redshirt Sophomore
DB
Montana Nietert

#76 Montana Nietert

6' 4"
Redshirt Junior
Business
OL
Riley Noble

#56 Riley Noble

6' 4"
Redshirt Sophomore
Accounting
OL
Jacob Petit

#54 Jacob Petit

6' 1"
Junior
Biology
OL
Eyvar Robles

#55 Eyvar Robles

6' 3"
Redshirt Junior
Sport Management and Marketing
OL
Jake Vasko

#66 Jake Vasko

6' 3"
Redshirt Freshman
OL
Antonio Wright

#11 Antonio Wright

5' 10"
Sophomore
Criminal Justice
RB