Jayden Whitaker vs. Cal
Nate Kurtz
17
Gannon GAN 1-5 , 1-2
35
Winner Slippery Rock ROCK 6-0 , 3-0
Gannon GAN
1-5 , 1-2
17
Final
35
Slippery Rock ROCK
6-0 , 3-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
GAN Gannon 0 3 7 7 17
ROCK Slippery Rock 7 7 14 7 35

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

Watkins, Banks Score First TDs as Golden Knights but Gannon Falls at No. 6 Slippery Rock

THE GAME FACTS
Final Score: No. 6 Slippery Rock 35, Gannon 17
Records: Gannon (1-5, 1-2 PSAC West) I Slippery Rock (6-0, 3-0 PSAC West)
Date: Saturday, October 12, 2024
Location: Slippery Rock, Pa. I Mihalik-Thompson Stadium
 
ERIE, Pa. – The 2024 Gannon football season has featured a demanding schedule and a plethora of injuries. On Saturday the Golden Knights were tasked with playing at sixth-ranked Slippery Rock with SRU celebrating Homecoming.
Gannon would drop a 35-17 decision to The Rock as the Golden Knights dropped to 1-5 and 1-2 in the PSAC West. Slippery Rock improved to 6-0 and 3-0, respectively, but found the Golden Knights to be more than a game opponent.
The problem was the Gannon defense could not get off the field all day as Slippery Rock never punted. Both teams were extremely efficient on third down, expected for Slippery Rock but not so for Gannon. In fact, Slippery Rock came in ranked first in the PSAC and second in Division II in third down defense at 17.9 percent. Gannon converted on 10-of-15 third-down plays. SRU matched it at 9-for-12.
Harlon Hill finalist Brayden Long threw three touchdown passes and added a fourth rushing to lead Slippery Rock.
Gannon gets a much-needed break next Saturday as the Golden Knights have a bye week before playing at Edinboro on Saturday, October 26.

GAMEDAY MEDIA CENTER
Box Score: Click Here

HOW IT HAPPENED
Bryson Costa (Windber, Pa./Windber Area) pinned Slippery Rock at the one with a 52-yard punt but SRU proceeded to drive 99 yards on 17 players, eating up 7 minutes, 18 seconds. The Rock converted twice on third down and once on fourth before Brayden Long threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Mike Solomon for a 7-0 lead with 5:02 left in the first quarter.

Not to be outdone, Gannon used 9:34 to march 48 yards on 17 plays to pull to within 7-3 early in the second quarter. The Golden Knights converted three times on third down, along with a fourth down conversion. A six-yard pass from Jayden Whitaker (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) to Donell "Tank" Mason kept the drive going early, and Whitaker later found Jay'Den Birch (Lakewood Ranch, Fla./Riverview) for a 10-yard completion down to the SRU 25 on 3rd-and-6. The second quarter began with Whitaker picking up two yards to the SRU 14 on 4th-and-1. The drive eventually stalled at the SRU 5 and Costa came in and made good on a 23-yard field goal with 10:19 remaining.

The Rock answered with a quick derive, needing just six plays and 3:10 to cover 73 yards. SRU's lead grew to 14-3 when Long threw his second touchdown pass, covering 21 yards to Logan Ramper.

Slippery Rock's score came with 7:03 remaining, and The Rock never got the ball back as Gannon ate up the remainder of the half with another impressive drive. Starting at their own 16, the Golden Knights moved 69 yards on 18 plays. Once again they converted several times on third down. After moving into SRU territory Whitaker's two-yard run on 3rd-and-1 gave Gannon a first down at the SRU 44. Later facing a 3rd-and-17 Whitaker found Napoleon Harris (Columbus, Ohio/Eastmoor Academy) on an underneath route and Harris picked up the necessary 17 yards to the SRU 34. Jerome Lee (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights), on his first career carry as a Golden Knight, ran 11 yards on 3rd-and-6 to the SRU 19 with just over a minute to play. A 10-yard completion to Harris gave Gannon a first down at the SRU 9 with a 10-yard reception. On 3rd-and-goal Whitaker threw an apparent five-yard touchdown pass to Armani Bailey (Lincoln, Pa./Woodland Hills). The score was nullified by a holding penalty, and on the last play of the half Costa's 33-yard field goal attempt was wide left.

A 52-yard kickoff return by Kylon Wilson gave Slippery Rock the ball inside GU territory to start the third quarter. It took nine plays but The Rock scored on Long's three-yard run to make it 21-3 with 10:02 remaining. The drive featured two more third-down conversions.

Gannon responded with a scoring drive of its own, and the Golden Knights also converted twice on third down. The second came on a two-yard plunge by Whitaker to the SRU 36. On the next play the redshirt freshman quarterback found Michael Watkins III (Pompano Beach, Fla./American Heritage School) for a 36-yard touchdown pass with 5:56 left in the third quarter. It was the first touchdown as a Golden Knight for the Edinboro transfer.

As they did all afternoon, The Rock answered with a touchdown, this one thanks to an 11-play, 83-yard drive that ended with 31 seconds left in the period. Idris Lawrence scored from a yard out to make it 28-10.

Gannon was unable to answer this time, as the Slippery Rock defense forced a three-and-out and also knocked Whitaker out of the game. Punting for just the second time in the game and the first since the first possession, a short punt and 31-yard return by Kanye Thompson gave SRU the ball at the GU 44. It would be the first of three straight possession inside Gannon territory to end the game.

SRU extended its lead to 35-10 on the very next play from scrimmage. Long accounted for his fourth touchdown of the day, this one a 44-yard TD pass to JayJay Jordan.

Backup quarterback Elijah Banks (Martinsburg, W.Va./Martinsburg) came in for his first extensive action of the season and directed an impressive eight-play, 79-yard drive. The redshirt junior completed three passes for 61 yards, including a 30-yarder to Braeden Soboleski (Erie, Pa./McDowell). Following a 12-yard hookup with Jonathan Bowden (Palm Bay, Fla./Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy), Banks scored on a three-yard keeper for his first career touchdown. That made it 35-17 with 10:28.

Slippery Rock recovered the ensuing onside kick at the GU 46 and moved inside the GU 10. Gannon ultimately blocked a 23-yard field goal attempt by Jake Mullins, but the Golden Knights were ruled offsides. The SRU offense returned to the field but the Gannon defense turned away The Rock on 4th-and-goal at the three thanks to a tackle by Zaire Allen (Johnson City, Tenn./Archbishop Spalding (Md.)).
     
BY THE NUMBERS
Facing a defense that came in ranked second in the PSAC and 11th in Division II in total defense (247.4 ypg.), Gannon finished with 286 total yards while Slippery Rock totaled 448 yards. Facing another defense that was limiting opponents to less than 100 yards on the ground, Gannon was held to 61 yards rushing but threw for 225 yards. The Rock had 319 yards through the air and 129 yards rushing. SRU ran off 62 plays and Gannon 60.

Jayden Whitaker (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) was enjoying one of his best games as a Golden Knights before sitting out the fourth quarter. The redshirt freshman completed 15-of-23 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown. Elijah Banks (Martinsburg, W.Va./Martinsburg) came in when Whitaker was forced from the game with an injury on the first series of the fourth quarter. The redshirt junior directed an impressive scoring drive while ending the day completing 3-of-6 passes for 61 yards. He capped the drive with a 3-yard TD run, his first career score.

Davis Morgan Jr. led Gannon with 22 yards rushing on five carries, but that came in less than a half as he was several players to depart with injuries.
Eight different players caught passes, with three players leading the way with three catches apiece. Michael Watkins III (Pompano Beach, Fla./American Heritage School) led the way with 3 grabs for 69 yards, including a 36-yard TD reception. It was his first as a Golden Knight after transferring from Edinboro. Donell "Tank" Mason added three receptions for 34 yards and Jay'Den Birch (Lakewood Ranch, Fla./Riverview) had three catches for 19 yards.    

The Gannon defense had a pair of players with double-figure tackles. Hayden McDonald (Tigard, Ore./Tigard) led the way with 11 stops and Ty Tiggs (Cleveland, Ohio/Mayfield) added 10 after finishing with a career-high 11 stops last week.

Freshman Bryson Costa (Windber, Pa./Windber Area) made it four consecutive made field goals when he converted from 23 yards in the second quarter. He later missed from 33 yards at the end of the second quarter. He also averaged 44.0 yards on a pair of punts, including his eighth of 50-or-more yards this season.
Gannon's opponents now have a record of 27-8 with California (Pa.) and Seton Hill still playing. Slippery Rock was the second nationally-ranked team the Golden Knights have faced.

THE RECORD BOOK
Donell "Tank" Mason caught three to move up one spot to 11th in career receptions. The junior has 92 career catches. In addition, he moved up a spot to ninth in career receiving yards, with his total now standing at 1,335 yards.

UP NEXT
Gannon has this coming Saturday off before returning at action with the short trip down I-79 to play at Edinboro on Saturday, October 26.
 
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