THE GAME FACTS

Score: Gannon 47, Clarion 24

Records: Gannon (3-1, 1-0 PSAC West), Clarion (1-3, 0-1 PSAC West)

Date: Saturday, September 24, 2022

Location: Clarion, Pa. – Memorial Stadium
 
CLARION, Pa. -- Gannon opened PSAC West action in impressive fashion with a 47-24 win on the road at Clarion. It marked the third straight season Gannon opened conference play with a win, all against Clarion. The offense was near unstoppable all day while posting one of the biggest days in team history, while after a slow start, the defense settled down to shut down the Golden Eagles. Gannon finished the day with 629 yards in total offense, the sixth-highest, single-game total day. Kory Curtis (Cape Coral, Fla./Island Coast) enjoyed another big day, setting a career high for passing yards for the second straight week with 418 yards, the fourth-highest, single-game total. Ke'John Batiste (Covington, La./Covington) (148 yards) and Sam East (Jackson Township, N.J./Saint John Vianney) (124 yards) each topped the 100-yard mark receiving for the second straight week, and Melvin Blanks (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) enjoyed his third 100-yard rushing game this season and ninth of his career with 112 yards on the ground. He scored a career-high 3 TDs rushing.
 
GAMEDAY MEDIA CENTER

Box Score:  Click Here
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

A wild first half saw Gannon dominate statistically but only hold a 27-21 lead. The Golden Knights ran 50 plays for 332 yards while the Golden Eagles ran just 18 plays, but for 218 yards, an average of 12.1 yards per play. Gannon had the ball for 23:18 to just 6:42 for Clarion as Gannon scored on five straight possessions.
 
The two teams exchanged punts to start the game, but then the shootout began. Gannon's second drive resulted in a touchdown after a short Clarion punt gave the Golden Knights the ball at the CU 35. After three Melvin Blanks (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) runs Kory Curtis (Cape Coral, Fla./Island Coast) threw the first of his three TD passes, a 16-yarder to Sam East (Jackson Township, N.J./Saint John Vianney) with 11:01 left in the first quarter. Clarion needed just one play and 16 seconds to knot the game at 7-7. Corahn Alleyne, who was a thorn in the side of the Golden Knights all day, scored on a 74-yard pass play, taking a short pass in the flat from Zach Benedek and sprinting down the right sideline.
 
Gannon's next possession resulted in a field goal after the Golden Knights drove down from their won 25 to the Clarion 4. It included a 15-yard completion from Curtis to Antonio Wright (Palm Bay, Fla./Melbourne) Jr. on a 4th-and-7 play down to the Clarion 21. The drive stalled and Eric Scarpino (Waterford, Pa./Fort LeBoeuf) came in to kick the first of his two field goals. The 22-yarder gave Gannon a 10-7 lead with 5:39 left in the opening quarter.
 
The advantage grew to 17-7 after Keith Thompson (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge) recovered a Clarion fumble on the next play from scrimmage. Taking over at the CU 45, Gannon went on an eight-play, 45-yard drive with Blanks doing the honors for the first time. The senior provided the big play in the drive as he scampered 29 yards on a 3rd-and-6 play to the CU 2. It took four plays, but on 4th-and-goal Blanks scored from the one with 1:19 left in the quarter.
 
Alleyne again struck moments later on the last play of the first quarter. The sophomore wide receiver scored on a 65-yard run as a wild first quarter closed with Gannon leading 17-14.
 
Gannon would score on its first two possessions in the second quarter. The first built the lead to 24-14 and came courtesy of the first career catch by Jonathan Bowden (Palm Bay, Fla./Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy). The redshirt freshman, playing for injured tight end Alex Whittaker (Medina, Ohio/Medina), made a leaping catch for a seven-yard TD pass with 10:25 remaining in the half. The drive covered 52 yards on nine plays, with Curtis completing 5-of-6 passes for 68 yards.
 
After a Clarion three-and-out, the Golden Knights boosted the advantage to 27-14 with 1:42 left in the half. Starting at their own 20 they reached the CU 2 before Scarpino came in and kicked his second field goal, this one from 19 yards. Curtis completed four passes for 59 yards in this drive.
 
The first half scoring wasn't finished, however. With Benedek coming up with several big plays, Clarion marched 73 yards with Benedek scoring on a 14-yard scramble with 14 seconds remaining as the Golden Eagles closed to within 24-21. Gannon almost answered with little time left as Curtis and Bransen Stanley (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Kenston) combined on a 42-yard pass play to the CU 40. Curtis' pass to Ke'John Batiste (Covington, La./Covington) in the end zone fell incomplete as the half ended.   
 
Gannon turned up the defense in the second half while the offense continued to run on all cylinders.

The half began with a three-and-out and the Golden Knights answered three plays later with Blanks doing the honors on a 10-yard burst up the middle. It came one play after a 69-yard hookup from Curtis to Batiste. Scarpino's extra point made it 34-21 with 12:23 left in the third quarter.
 
Clarion put together a seven-play, 73-yard drive to close to 34-24 thanks to a 39-yard field goal by Jarrett Esposito with 5:45 remaining in the period. It would be the last points for the Golden Eagles as the Gannon defense held Clarion scoreless the rest of the way.
 
For the second straight drive, Gannon needed just three plays to score, and it was Blanks who once again did the honors. He scored his career-high third rushing touchdown of the day on a two-yard run as Gannon built the lead to 41-24 with 4:24 to play in the third quarter. The 22-yard drive was set up by Wright's 78-yard kickoff return.
 
Gannon would add a final touchdown early in the fourth quarter thanks to a long drive this time. Going 77 yards on 12 plays, Curtis threw his third touchdown pass of the day and second to East, this one covering three yards with 11:38 remaining in the game.
    
 
BY THE NUMBERS

There were plenty of big numbers for both teams, but in particular the Golden Knights. Gannon finished with 629 total yards, the sixth-highest, single-game total, on 82 plays. That total featured 418 yards through the air, the fourth-highest total in a game, along with 211 yards on the ground. That is the third time in four games the Golden Knights have topped 200-yards on the ground. Clarion totaled 338 yards, but the Gannon defense limited the Golden Eagles to 120 yards in the second half.
 
For the second straight week. Kory Curtis (Cape Coral, Fla./Island Coast) enjoyed a record-setting day. Last week it was a 362-yard effort against West Chester. This week the redshirt junior completed 25-of-38 passes for 418 yards with 3 TDs and no interceptions. The 418 yards ranks fourth in a game at Gannon. He added 19 yards rushing for 437 yards in total offense, good for ninth in a game. He has now attempted 124 passes without an interception this season.
 
Also for the second straight week, Ke'John Batiste (Covington, La./Covington) and Sam East (Jackson Township, N.J./Saint John Vianney) each topped 100-yard receiving in a game. This time it was Batiste leading the way with a career-best 148 yards on seven receptions. The redshirt junior has now caught 22 passes in the last three games. East, meanwhile, hauled in a career-high nine passes, good for 124 yards, his third career 100-yard effort. East caught TD passes of 16 and 3 yards, the fourth time the senior has caught a pair of touchdown passes in a game.
 
After being held under 100 yards by West Chester last week, Melvin Blanks (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) made it three 100-yard efforts in four games and nine for his career, finishing with 112 yards on 25 carries. He scored a career-high three times on runs of 1, 10, and 2 yards. Blanks boosted his career total to 2,471 yards. Antonio Wright (Palm Bay, Fla./Melbourne) Jr. once again enjoyed a strong game as his backup, finishing with 60 yards on nine carries, along with three receptions for 26 yards. Wright added a 78-yard kickoff return, the seventh-longest ever at Gannon.
 
With starting tight end Alex Whittaker (Medina, Ohio/Medina) out with an injury, Jonathan Bowden (Palm Bay, Fla./Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy) made his first career start. The redshirt freshman finished with a pair of catches for 15 yards, including his first career touchdown catch on a seven-yard pass in the second quarter.
 
Gannon ended the day 9-of-18 on 3rd-down conversions compared to 5-of-12 for Clarion. In addition, they were 4-of-4 on 4th down while the Golden Eagles were 0-for-1.
 
The Gannon defense was led by Keith Thompson's (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge) seven tackles. The redshirt senior linebacker recovered a fumble forced by fellow linebacker Hayden McDonald (Tigard, Ore. /Tigard). MaLik Bridgeman (Washington, D.C./Gonzaga College HS) anchored the middle of the line with a pair of tackles for losses. The Gannon defense limited Khalil Owens, one of the top rushers in the PSAC, to 14 yards on 12 carries.
 
Gannon's 3-1 start is the best since the 2016 team also started off at 3-1. That team won its first three games before suffering three straight losses. It is also the third straight season the Golden Knights opened PSAC West play with a win, all coming against Clarion.
 
Clarion showcased Corahn Alleyne, who enjoyed a huge day. The sophomore wide receiver caught five passes for 118 yards and a touchdown, ran for 93 yards on seven carries, and returned three kickoffs for 80 yards. Zach Benedek completed 11-of-21 passes for 188 yards and ran for another 45 yards on five carries.
 
THE RECORD BOOK

Kory Curtis (Cape Coral, Fla./Island Coast) was playing in his 15th game as a Golden Knight and he has already moved into sixth place in career passing yards with 3,359. The redshirt junior, who previously played at Ohio State and Bryant, threw for a career-best 418 yards, the fourth-highest single-game total, vs. Clarion to move past Todd Heigley. Next up is Jimmy Keefe with 3,682 yards.
 
Melvin Blanks (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) is now just 15 yards shy of eighth place in career rushing after posting his third 100-yard game of the season at Clarion. The senior finished with 112 yards on 25 carries to boost his career total to 2,471 yards. Kevin Cloherty sits in eighth place with 2,486 yards.
 
Ke'John Batiste (Covington, La./Covington) and Sam East (Jackson Township, N.J./Saint John Vianney) made it back-to-back weeks with 100 yards each receiving. They accomplished the feat for the first time a week ago since Jesstin Hamm and Brandon Mansell each had over 100 against East Stroudsburg in 2015. Batiste totaled a career-high 148 yards while East had 124 against Clarion.
 
Antonio Wright (Palm Bay, Fla./Melbourne) Jr. returned a kickoff 78 yards in the third quarter, the seventh-longest kickoff return at Gannon. It set up a two-yard touchdown run shortly after. It was his first kickoff return since 2020.
 
UP NEXT

Gannon returns home to celebrate Homecoming on Saturday, October 1. The Golden Knights will host Seton Hill with kickoff set for 12 noon at McConnell Family Stadium.