Gannon DL vs. Millersville
Bryce Dolak
23
Winner Gannon GAN 2-3 , 2-0
6
Seton Hill SHU 1-4 , 0-2
Winner
Gannon GAN
2-3 , 2-0
23
Final
6
Seton Hill SHU
1-4 , 0-2
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
GAN Gannon 7 6 3 7 23
SHU Seton Hill 0 0 6 0 6

Game Recap: Football | | Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Gannon Uses Superb Defensive Effort to Win Second Straight Game, 23-6 at Seton Hill

THE GAME FACTS
Score: Gannon 23, Seton Hill 6
Records: Gannon (2-3, 2-0 PSAC West), Seton Hill (1-4, 0-2 PSAC West)
Date: Saturday, September 30, 2023
Location: Greensburg, Pa. – Offutt Field
 
GREENSBURG, Pa. – Gannon won a Homecoming game for the second straight week while improving to 2-3 overall and 2-0 in the PSAC West. Last week the Golden Knights celebrated their own Homecoming with a come-from-behind 27-20 win over Clarion. On Saturday, they spoiled Seton Hill's thanks to a superb defensive effort and a strong ground game. The defense pitched a shutout, with Seton Hill's lone score coming on a 93-yard kickoff return after Gannon took a 16-0 lead. The Griffins were held to 167 total yards with most of that coming in the final six makes against a prevent defense. Gannon held the Griffins to one first down and the first half and three until that final six-minute period. The Golden Knights intercepted four passes and recorded three sacks. Meanwhile, Donny Marcus (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) had a breakout game with 186 yards rushing, including a clinching 76-yard scoring run, his first touchdown as a Golden Knight. Nate Mikell (Summerfield, Fla./Wildwood) accounted for the first score of the game on a one-yard sneak. Eric Scarpino (Waterford, Pa./Fort LeBoeuf) followed with three field goals. Gannon now holds a 9-1 lead in the all-time series with Seton Hill.   
 
GAMEDAY MEDIA CENTER
 
Box Score:  Click Here
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Gannon offense got off to a slow start with back-to-back three-and-outs but then proceeded to score on its next three possessions. The Golden Knights scored the first points of the game after a Seton Hill punt was downed inside the one-yard line. They proceeded to drive 99 yards on 12 plays, eating up 6 minutes and 19 seconds. Nate Mikell (Summerfield, Fla./Wildwood) ran 17 yards on a keeper to get the Golden Knights out of the shadow of the goal posts. The sophomore quarterback then completed passes of 16 yards to Ke'John Batiste (Covington, La./Covington), 14 yards to Donell "Tank" Mason, and 34 yards to Joshawn Lewis (Lorton, Va./South County) to move the Golden Knights to the SHU 14. Mikell finished off the season-long drive with a sneak from the one-yard line for a 7-0 lead with seven seconds left in the first quarter.

The Golden Knights added a pair of field goals in the second quarter courtesy of the left leg of Eric Scarpino (Waterford, Pa./Fort LeBoeuf). The redshirt senior capped a seven-play, 68-yard march with a 37-yard field goal with 11:00 left in the half. Gannon had three big chunk yardage plays to start the drive. Mikell completed a 34-yard pass down the right sideline to Sam East (Jackson Township, N.J./Saint John Vianney), followed by a 26-yard run by Donny Marcus (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg). A 12-yardf run by Mikell carried to the SHU 15 before the drive stalled and Scarpino came in.

After a three-and-out, Scarpino made it 13-0 with a 41-yard field goal, his longest of the season. This time the Golden Knights went 44 yards on eight plays. Again a trio of big plays accounted for most of the yardage. The first play was a 14-yard run by Braxton Todd (Martinsburg, W. Va./Martinsburg), followed by a 16-yard completion from Mikell to Marcus. On 3rd-and-10 Gannon converted thanks to a 14-yard pass from Mikell to Mason.

After managing just one first down in the first half Seton Hill put together its first drive of the day midway through the third quarter, reaching the GU 17. A holding penalty pushed the Griffins back and on 3rd-and-16 Kam Snell (Owings Mills, Md./Good Counsel) intercepted a pass at the five to halt the drive.

The pickoff led to Scarpino's third field goal of the game, this one a 30-yarder with 1:25 remaining in the third quarter. The drive covered 59 yards on eight plays and featured a 25-yard burst up the gut by Marcus on the opening play. Facing 3rd-and-5, Batiste made his second spectacular catch of the day, covering 25 yards. Scarpino's field goal soon followed to make it 16-0.

Gannon had little time to celebrate, as 13 seconds later the Griffins were on the board thanks to Demetri Whitehead's 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. The defense stopped the two-point conversion run as Gannon maintained a two-score lead.

The fourth quarter featured just one score, but plenty of interesting moments. The Golden Knights executed a beautiful fake punt on a pass from punter Donovan Warren (Santa Cruz, Cal./Santa Cruz County Office of Education) to Hayden McDonald (Tigard, Ore./Tigard) for an apparent first down midway through the final period, but a penalty negated the play.

Seton Hill would take over at its own 12 and had back-to-back long passes dropped. A pair of completions for first downs followed, but Chris Farnsworth's (Bristol, Pa./Milton Hershey) second interception of the game halted the drive. Or so it appeared. Farnsworth fumbled on the return and Seton Hill maintained possession at the GU 35. The first play was third long pass that was dropped. The Griffins eventually moved to the GU 10 with just over two minutes left. They tried a trick play with a halfback pass, but it was intercepted in the end zone by Snell.

Marcus then put the exclamation point on the win. The transfer from Ball State went around right end on a 3rd-and-4 play and burst 74 yards for a touchdown with 1:46 remaining for a 23-6 lead. It was the first touchdown for Marcus as Golden Knight.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
The Gannon defense turned in one of its most dominant defensive efforts in years, limiting Seton Hill to 167 total yards, just 19 rushing, and 11 first downs. The Griffins had 35 yards and one first down in the first half, with most of their offense coming in the final six minutes. Gannon ran 79 plays and finished with a season-high 468 yards while Seton Hill ran off 62 plays. The Golden Knights intercepted four passes – two apiece by Chris Farnsworth (Bristol, Pa./Milton Hershey) and Kam Snell (Owings Mills, Md./Good Counsel) – and had three sacks. Gannon limited Seton Hill to four third-down conversions in 16 attempts and held a large time of possession advantage (34:30 to 25:30). Seton Hill's longest run of the day was seven yards.

Gannon held a 13-0 lead at the half. It marked the first shutout at halftime since the last time the Golden Knights played at Seton Hill in 2021. They held a 7-0 lead at the half in that game.

Twos were wild for the GU defense. Chris Farnsworth (Bristol, Pa./Milton Hershey) and Kam Snell (Owings Mills, Md./Good Counsel) each intercepted a pair of passes while Charles Calhoun (Euclid, Ohio/St. Edward) had his first two career sacks. Snell also broke up two passes. Oddly enough, Farnsworth also accounted for the lone Gannon turnover. The senior defensive back fumbled while returning his second pickoff. A week ago Snell returned an interception 16 yards for a touchdown for the winning score against Clarion. Farnsworth led Gannon with six tackles, adding a pass broken up.  

Despite missing two starters on the offensive line, Gannon ran for a season-high 270 yards on 48 rushes while limiting the Griffins to just 19 yards on the ground. Donny Marcus (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg), a transfer from Ball State in his first season at Gannon, finished with a career-high 186 yards rushing on 20 carries, including a 74-yard TD run. He added two receptions for 13 yards.

Nate Mikell (Summerfield, Fla./Wildwood) fell two yards shy of his fifth straight 200-yard passing game. In his first season as a starter, the redshirt sophomore threw for 198 yards, completing 12-of-31 passes with an interception. He scored his second touchdown rushing on a one-yard sneak, and ran for 28 yards on 11 carries. David Morgan Jr. (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Niagara Falls), the team's fourth running back, provided valuable time in the second half due to injuries and finished with 27 yards on eight carries.

Ke'John Batiste (Covington, La./Covington) led the GU receivers with four catches for 75 yards, two of the highlight variety. Sam East (Jackson Township, N.J./Saint John Vianney) caught two passes for 37 yards and Donell "Tank" Mason two for 27.

Redshirt senior placekicker Eric Scarpino (Waterford, Pa./Fort LeBoeuf) continues to enjoy an outstanding season. Scarpino converted on field goals of 37, 41 and 30 yards, with the 41-yarder his longest of the season. He has yet to miss a kick in 2023, making all eight field goal attempts and 13-of-13 PATs.  

THE RECORD BOOK
Eric Scarpino (Waterford, Pa./Fort LeBoeuf) became the first Gannon kicker to make three field goals in a game since Karch Holland made three against Southern Connecticut State in 2014. The redshirt senior has made eight field goals this year to move into a tie for eighth in field goals made in a season. He also made eight in 2021. The three field goals made in a game rank second behind Matt Szczupakowski's four against Slippery Rock in 2012.

Donny Marcus (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) ran for 186 yards on 20 carries, the most yards rushing by a Golden Knight since Antonio Wright (Palm Bay, Fla./Melbourne) finished with 213 yards at Edinboro last year. The transfer from Ball State scored his first touchdown as a Golden Knight on a 74-yard burst late in the game. That is the tenth-longest run by a Golden Knight.

Chris Farnsworth (Bristol, Pa./Milton Hershey) intercepted a pair of passes to give him nine for his career. The senior moves into a tie for seventh in career interceptions.  In addition he led Gannon with six tackles and now has 223 in his career, moving up to a tie for 16th in career tackles.

Ke'John Batiste (Covington, La./Covington) led Gannon with four catches, in the process moving into the top ten in career receptions with 94. The redshirt senior now has 1,315 yards receiving, adding 75 to his total on Saturday. That is good for ninth in a career.  

UP NEXT
Gannon's next three games will be in Erie, beginning with the first of the two local rivalry games. The Golden Knights host Edinboro at 12 noon at McConnell Family Stadium on Saturday, October 7. Nationally-ranked Slippery Rock visits the Golden Knights the following week before Gannon heads a little south to play at Mercyhurst on Saturday, October 21.
 
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