EDINBORO Fighting Scots (3-2, 1-1 PSAC West) at GANNON Golden Knights (1-4, 0-2 PSAC West)
Date: Saturday, October 7, 2017
Site: Erie, Pa.
Stadium: McConnell Family Field (2,500)
Kickoff: 12 noon
Live Stats: Click Here
Live Video: Click Here
Radio: WFSE 88.9
Click Here
Edinboro Game Notes
Gannon Game Notes
Scouting the Teams
On Radio and TV
The Edinboro-Gannon game can be heard live on WFSE FM 88.9, with Gabriel Hypes handling the play-by-play and Jared Wayman providing the color commentary. The WFSE stream can be heard at www.edinboronow.com.
The All-Time Series
Edinboro leads 8-3
The Fighting Scots won the first seven meetings, with Gannon running off wins in the next three games. The Fighting Scots snapped the three-game losing streak with a 41-17 win last year.
The Last Meeting
2016 -- Edinboro 41, Gannon 17
The Fighting Scots, wearing throwback helmets from 1965, celebrated Homecoming in front of 5,662 fans with an impressive offensive showing, along with the top defensive effort of the year to that point. Edinboro totaled 572 yards, including 400 through the air, while holding Gannon to 379 yards. That included limiting the Golden Knights to just 82 yards on the ground. They came in ranked second in the PSAC in rushing at 215.6 ypg. In addition, Edinboro intercepted four passes and recorded six sacks. Edinboro led 13-0 after one period on a Walter Fletcher one-yard TD run and a pair of Austin Reese field goals. They would boost the margin to 20-3 at the half thanks to a 41-yard touchdown connection from Jake Sisson to Alex Caratelli, and led 27-3 after three periods. Ta'Nauz Gregory caught a 40-yard touchdown pass from Sisson for the lone points in the third quarter. The two teams exchanged a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter, with Fletcher scoring on a 21-yard run and Caratelli catching a 23-yard TD pass. Caratelli matched his career high with 13 receptions for 188 yards, while Gregory posted season-highs with 10 catches for 136 yards. Sisson would set career highs for completions (33) and attempts (56) while recording his second career 400-yard game. Fletcher powered the ground game with 135 yards on 13 carries, his second 100-yard effort of the year.
The Coaches
Wayne Bradford (Salisbury St. '90) was named Edinboro's 15th head coach on March 29, 2017. Bradford worked under four different head coaches and was an assistant at Edinboro for 18 years before taking over as the interim head coach. He has spent a majority of his time as the Fighting Scots' defensive coordinator. Bradford has master-minded some brilliant defensive performances over the years in a day and age when offense has taken over. For instance, in 2011 the Fighting Scots ranked eighth in Division II in scoring defense (17.0 ppg.), 11th in pass efficiency defense, and 18th in total defense (292.6 ypg.). Edinboro gave up fewer than 20 points in seven of its 11 games. A year ago, his Edinboro defense finished first in the PSAC and fourth in Division II in tackles for losses, and second in the PSAC and sixth in the country in sacks. Edinboro finished the 2016 campaign with a 9-2 record, marking the fifth time an Edinboro team with Bradford on the staff tied the school record for victories (9). Three of Edinboro's teams during his tenure have reached the NCAA playoffs, including the 2009 team, which finished at 9-4 and reached the Super Region One semifinals. All told, he has been a part of 112 wins.
Brad Ryzczycki (Mercyhurst '95) was hired as Gannon's head coach on May 3, 2012. However, he is no stranger to area football, as he was a four-year starter at cornerback for Mercyhurst and most recently served as Gannon's assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for five seasons. He led Gannon to a 3-8 finish in his first season, followed by a 6-5 ledger in 2013, and a 9-2 record in 2014. The 2015 Golden Knight edition went 6-5, followed by a 5-6 finish a year ago. He has a 30-30 record in his sixth season. Rzyczycki began his coaching career at his alma mater, Mercyhurst, working there for seven seasons as a defensive assistant. Prior to arriving at Gannon he served in the same role at Kentucky Wesleyan for four years. He also served as the wide receivers and special teams coordinator at Saginaw Valley State for a season.
Last Week
Edinboro 45, Clarion 10
The Fighting Scots persevered after a tough start to turn in their top performance of the year. Edinboro would suffer fumbles on the kickoff on its first two possessions, but the defense stepped up and held Clarion to a lone field goal. By the end of the first quarter, Edinboro led 21-3. Walter Fletcher accounted for the first two scores on touchdown runs of 20 and 72 yards, the first capping a 13-play, 95-yard drive. Zuril hendrick would record the first of his two interceptions late in the quarter, and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown. The lead grew to 28-3 at the half as Edinboro scored on a touchdown pass to Jake Sisson against Clarion for the second straight year. Ta'Nauz Gregory completed the nine-yard scoring toss to Sisson with 31 seconds remaining in the half. The two teams exchanged touchdowns in the third quarter, with Edinboro's coming on a 60-yard hookup between Sisson and James Clark. The duo also combined on Edinboro's last touchdown, this one covering three yards. Mike Cushma would add a 36-yard field goal midway through the final stanza. Edinboro finished with a season-high 459 yards while featuring a balanced attack that had 234 yards rushing and 225 passing. Fletcher totaled 30 carries for 230 yards, both career highs. Sisson was called on to pass just 18 times, but completed 13 for 216 yards. Clark hauled in eight passes for 147 yards. The Edinboro defense limited Clarion to 250 total yards, a low by an oppoinent this season.
Mercyhurst 24, Gannon 22
The annual rivalry game between the two Erie teams went to the Lakers as they held off a Gannon rally. Trailing 24-16, the Golden Knights drove 88 yards on 10 plays to pull to within 24-22 on a 10-yard pass from Jimmy Keefe to Dontae Owens with 8:14 left in the game. Keefe's two-point conversion pass failed. Gannon would have just one more possession, resulting in a turnover on downs at their own 27. Gannon finished with 425 yards compared to 387 for Mercyhurst. Keefe completed 17-of-33 passes for 220 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Marc Jones went over 100 yards rushing for the fifth straight game with 154 yards on 24 carries, with one TD.
The Game Stories
- Edinboro makes the short trip up I-79 to face local rival Gannon in a key PSAC West contest. This is the second of four straight games the Fighting Scots will play in Erie County, with upcoming home games against Mercyhurst and Slippery Rock on October 14 and 21. It is also the first of back-to-back Homecoming contests against local rivals for Edinboro. Gannon celebrates Homecoming this weekend, while it is Homecoming at Edinboro on October 14 when Mercyhurst visits Sox Harrison Stadium.
- Edinboro snapped a two-game losing streak with a 45-10 win over Clarion last week. That improved the Fighting Scots to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the PSAC West. Gannon suffered its fourth straight loss, 24-22, at Mercyhurst. two of those four losses have come by four points are less. That leaves the Golden Knights with a 1-4 record and 0-2 in the PSAC West.
- The Fighting Scots opened the season with a pair of games at Sox Harrison Stadium, defeating Lake Erie (30-3) and Lock Haven (20-3). Their next two games came on the road against the two preseason favorites in the PSAC. Edinboro suffered a 62-28 loss at West Chester, the Eastern Division favorite, followed by a 38-7 setback at then sixth-ranked and PSAC West preseason favorite Indiana(Pa.) in the PSAC West opener.
- Gannon opened the 2017 campaign with a 55-22 win at Southern Connecticut State, but has since dropped four straight contests. The Golden Knights dropped a 41-33 decision in their home opener against a Shippensburg team currently leading the PSAC East, followed by a 27-10 loss at Bloomsburg. They opened PSAC West actioon with a 49-45 loss to Slippery Rock before last week's defeat at Mercyhurst.
- Edinboro was picked to finish fourth in the PSAC West in the coaches' preseason poll, while Gannon was picked fifth.
- Wayne Bradford is in his first season as Edinboro's interim head coach. He was on the Edinboro staff for 18 years, most of that as the defensive coordinator, before assuming the head coach responsibilities.
- Bradford took over for Justin Lustig, who was Edinboro's head coach for just a year. Lustig moved on to an assistant coaching position at Syracuse. He enjoyed a monumental one season as head coach, as Edinboro recorded the largest turnaround in NCAA Division II history. The Fighting Scots went 9-2 in 2016, tying the school record for wins in a season, after finishing 0-11 in 2015.
- The Edinboro-Gannon game showcases two of the top ballcarriers in Division II. Gannon's Marc Jones is the leading rusher in Division II. The 5'11", 225 lb. junior has already rushed for 1,032 yards on 109 carries, a gaudy 9.5 yard average, with 11 TDs. Jones leads Division II in rushing yards, rushing yards per carry, rushing TDs, rushing yards per game (206.4), all-purpose yards (239.4 ypg.), scoring (14.4 ppg.), total points scored (72), and total touchdowns (12). Jones ran for a PSAC-record 354 yards against Slippery Rock, and has gained at least 150 yards in all five games. Walter Fletcher, meanwhile, is enjoying one of the top seasons by an Edinboro ballcarrier in many years. The 5'9", 191 lb. redshirt sophomore ranks third in the PSAC and eighth nationally in rushing yards (661), along with 3rd and 12th in rushing yards per game (132.2), fourth and 20th in yards per carry (6.7), and fourth and 30th in all-purpose yards (153.0 ypg.). Fletcher comes off a career-best 30-carry, 230-yard effort against Clarion. The 230 yards is the ninth-highest single-game total in Edinboro history. He has had three 100-yard games this season.
- Look for the winning team to put up plenty of points on Saturday. The winner of the last five Edinboro-Gannon meetings has scored at least 40 points, including a year ago when Edinboro prevailed, 41-17.
- After finishing 9-2 finish in 2016, Edinboro was ranked in several preseason polls. The summer began with the Fighting Scots picked 16th in the Street and Smith's Division II Preseason Top 25 Poll. Next came a ranking of 30th in the College Football America 2017 Yearbook Division II Preseason Top 30. The AFCA released its 2017 AFCA Division II Preseason Coaches' Top 25 Poll on August 14, with defending national champion Northwest Missouri State ranked number one. While failing to land a spot in the top 25, Edinboro was one of the top teams among "others receiving votes". The Fighting Scots received 57 votes after ending the 2016 season among "others receiving votes", as well.
