Maleek Toran (far left) has been in Mercyhurst's shoes./Erie Times-News

Maleek Toran knows what it feels like to be in Mercyhurst’s shoes.

He was a true freshman in 2009 at Edinboro when the Scots needed Gannon to help them get in the NCAA Division II playoffs.

In the final regular-season game, the Knights beat Bloomsburg in overtime, 10-7, to open the  door for Edinboro to play in the postseason.

Today, Mercyhurst needs to beat No. 22-ranked California (Pa.) and have Gannon upset No. 14  Indiana (Pa.) to play in next week’s PSAC title game. The game would be played at Tullio Field as it’s the PSAC West champ’s turn to play host to the title game.

When asked if the Mercyhurst players should call their rival Knights and encourage them to to beat IUP, Toran said the Lakers should pass on that idea.

“I’d probably just let it play out and hope for the best,” said Toran, an Erie native. “If the man upstairs have a playoff berth in store for you, then you’ll get it.”

– Duane Rankin

Let’s recap Week 8, shall we?

Game of the week: No. 9 South Carolina at No. 3 Florida

Final score: Gators 44, Gamecocks 11

Pregame rant: Despite losing to LSU, South Carolina can still find itself in the SEC title game, but must beat the Gators to do so. To see Steve Spurrier go back to the place he starred as a player and as a coach and knock off Florida would be one his biggest wins ever.

However, South Carolina better shore up that run defense if it plans to upend the Gators. The Gamecocks allowed LSU to bang ‘em for 258 yards on the ground.

Florida is averaging 233.33 yards rushing and will be content to win a low-scoring affair, as it did against LSU, rather than play score for score.

Post-game commentary: The Gamecocks fumbled away this one.

Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel threw three of his four touchdowns off South Carolina turnovers as the Gators put South Carolina’s championship dreams on arctic freeze.

The Gamecocks had four total turnovers with three being fumbles. When the going got tough for them, they got ran out of stadium.

As for the Gators, a win this week against Georgia in Jacksonville all but seals up a spot in the SEC title game. Their final conference game is Nov. 3 at home against Missouri, which is 0-4 in SEC play.

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Ashton Jones is seventh on the team in tackles with 29 stops./Christopher Millette/Erie Times-News

Ashton Jones came into his senior year at Gannon with 17 total tackles in his two seasons there after a year at Erie Community College in New York.

This season, the Erie native and Strong Vincent High graduate has 18 solo tackles alone.

“It’s just reassurance that I’m able to play,” Jones said.  “My number was called. So to go in and try to help the team out, I’m just doing my best to do whatever the team needs.”

The 5-10, 180-pound Jones has 29 total stops this season for the Knights (1-6, 0-4 PSAC West), who play No. 14-ranked California (Pa.) (6-1, 4-0) Saturday at noon for their homecoming game.

“He’s done it the long road and has earned it,” first-year Gannon coach Brad Rzyczycki said. “No one walked in and said, ‘Alright, here’s your position. I don’t care if you made a mistake or not.’ He’s done it through practice. He’s performed in games where he’s gotten better.

“…If there is anyone on this team that has earned playing time, Ashton has earned playing time.”

In his first start this season, Jones had a career-high 12 total stops in last week’s 38-29 loss to rival Mercyhurst.

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The Romantic Era band members Connor Kimball, Bryant Kimball, Colin Kimball, Parris Williams and Ben Griffith have all played in the rivalry game between Gannon University and Mercyhurst University.

Earlier this week, the band members talked about what it was like the play in the rivalry and gave predictions for Saturday’s noon game between the Knights and Lakers at Gannon University Field.

Scots coach Scott Browning is expected start Erie native Maleek Toran (#26) in place of James Jackson (#11) for Saturday's noon game against No. 22-ranked Indiana (Pa.). Jackson is serving an one-game suspension after being ejected from last week's game./Photo by Christopher Millette/Erie Times-News

EDINBORO – Earlier this week, Edinboro coach Scott Browning said he’ll start Erie native Maleek Toran for Saturday’s key PSAC West game against No. 22-ranked IUP (5-1, 2-1).

A Central Tech graduate, Toran will replace junior cornerback James Jackson, who is serving  one-game suspension after getting ejected from last week’s 44-24 loss to Gannon.

“Right now, Maleek Toran is in that spot,” Browning said. “We’ve got to coach him up.”

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Gannon University and Edinboro Universiy have their share of local athletes who will play in Saturday’s PSAC West rivalry game between the Knights and Scots at Sox Harrison Stadium in Edinboro.

See what Edinboro senior Shawn Walker, who played at General McLane High School, and Gannon senior Ashton Jones, who played at Strong Vincent High School, have to say about that aspect of this game.

Erie Times-News sports reporter Duane Rankin caught up with Notre Dame sophomore Kayla McBride at the Erie Spring Classic AAU basketball tournament Friday at Gannon University.

The former Villa Maria Academy star talked about her AAU playing days, playing in the 2012 Final Four and the future of Notre Dame basketball.

Safety Kenny Pettis (#21) didn't follow in his older brother, Tomar, to Gannon./Photo by Jack Hanrahan/Erie Times-News

It’s not always a given a school is going to recruit the younger brother.

Gannon coach Jim Kiernan had a chance to go after Kenny Pettis, but didn’t even though he had his older brother, Tomar, there.

“We had five safeties and we just weren’t going to take one,” Kiernan said. “That’s tough. You got the one (brother) and other doesn’t fit at that moment.”

Despite Kiernan’s outlook on the situation, Kenny Pettis, visited Gannon and said he was prepared to compete for playing time there.

“I went to visit Gannon before I came to Edinboro,” said Pettis, a Massillon, Ohio native who redshirted his first year at Edinboro in 2008. “I stayed two nights in Erie at Gannon. I didn’t stay the night here (at Edinboro).”

Tomar Pettis, who had 54 tackles as a senior in 2008, made sure his brother visited Gannon.

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Chad Noce/SRU

In a continuing series of Q&As with local players who are playing area college football, Duane Rankin caught up with Slippery Rock senior tight end Chad Noce to talk about several topics.

Noce and the No. 24-ranked Rock (8-2, 6-1 PSAC West) are preparing for Saturday’s PSAC title game at Kutztown against the No. 8 Golden Bears (9-1, 6-1 PSAC East). Noce, who played defense his year at Slippery Rock in 2008, is known for his run blocking ability at tight end.

A McDowell High graduate, Noce has just two career catches for 10 yards. Both grabs came last season against Gannon, which ironically upset the Rock last week, 33-27, in Erie. With the Rock trying to rebound from that loss, Rankin caught up with Noce to talk about their playoff hopes and the chance to win a championship.

You’re coming off a tough loss, but can make amends in the PSAC championship game. How are you guys feeling right now heading into that game? We’re feeling good. We know we made a mistake. I feel like we overlooked Gannon a little bit. I feel like we were looking toward the next week. We had the Gannon game. We knew we were in the PSAC championship already so I think that played a little part in that loss. Underestimating them a little bit, we’re feeling good. We should be ready to go.”

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Charles Rush/ETN

Earlier today, Duane Rankin caught up with former Penn State player Charles Rush (2001-05), an Erie native and Cathedral Prep graduate, and asked him about the Penn State situation involving former assistant Jerry Sandusky.

Sandusky has been indicted on charges of sexually abusing eight boys over 15 years.

“I’d say I’m just I’m in complete shock and disbelief,” Rush said. “I first heard about when watching College GameDay (on ESPN) Saturday morning. I saw it and called one of my friends, one of my teammates about it. I was just shocked. Then I went to ESPN.com and read the article about it. I know of Coach Sandusky and I would see him around the weight room or whatever. Talk to him there, but my interaction wasn’t that great with him.”

Rush was a freshman at Penn State in 2001-02. In 2002, Penn State assistant Mike McQueary testified he witnessed Sandusky sexually abusing a boy in the team’s shower. He called his father about before reporting it to Penn State coach Joe Paterno.

Rush said he never heard about this during that time.

“Absolutely not,” Rush said.

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