“I was nervous. I remember smiling back at him, trying to pretend I wasn’t nervous.” — Travis Rearick

Oct. 16, 2010: Mercyhurst 22, Edinboro 21 (OT)

“The rest is history.” — Trevor Kennedy

Quarterback Cody Harris put Edinboro on top in OT, but could only watch Mercyhurst win the game with a two-point conversion pass./ETN

EDINBORO — Two years after winning in dramatic fashion at Edinboro, Mercyhurst was back at Sox Harrison Stadium fresh off a 28-27 thriller at Indiana (Pa.).

On this day, the Lakers forced overtime on an Gerald Anderson 9-yard run with 59 seconds left in regulation.

“We were down like the whole second half,” said Travis Rearick, who was a starting junior quarterback at Mercyhurst in 2010. “So we were finally excited to get back into it.”

In overtime, Edinboro took first possession and scored on an Cody Harris 1-yard run to go up 21-14. The Lakers answered with Rearick finding Terrence Coon for an 11-yard scoring pass.

Mercyhurst lined up for a PAT to force a second overtime.

Then flags flew.

“They were going to kick an extra point,” Edinboro coach Scott Browning said. “We jumped offsides so it moved (the ball) up a yard and a half.”

A yard and a half closer, the Lakers decided to go for two — and the win.

“It was a momentum thing,” Lakers coach Marty Schaetzle. “It wasn’t a matter of that the play was going to be any better from 1-1/2 or three yards out. It just seemed like the right thing to do at the time.”

What?

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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 heads into Saturday’s PSAC West rivalry game at Edinboro University with an 0-6 record against the Fighting Scots (2-2, 1-1).

The Knights (1-4, 0-2) have dropped four straight games to Edinboro since joining the PSAC. Check out players and coaches from both sides talk about the upcoming showdown at Sox Harrison Stadium.

After having an extra week to prepare for the 2012 season, Edinboro University will play its opener Saturday at No. 19-ranked Bloomsburg.

Out of the PSAC West, the Scots are playing an PSAC East power in Bloomsburg, which opened its season with a 44-28 win at Stonehill College.

Junior reserve nickel back Maleek Toran, far left, is part of a talented Edinboro secondary featuring cornerbacks Branden Williams (22) and James Jackson (11)./ETN file photo

In a continuing series of Q&As with local players who are playing area college football, Duane Rankin caught up with Edinboro junior nickel back Maleek Toran to talk about several topics.

A Central Tech graduate, the 5-foot, 8-inch, 170-pound Toran is part of a very talented secondary that features cornerbacks Branden Williams and James Jackson. A reserve who excels on special teams, Toran will look to help Edinboro (6-2, 3-2 PSAC West) get past winless Lock Haven (0-7, 0-5) Saturday at Sox Harrison Stadium.

The Bald Eagles have the nation’s longest active losing skid at 39 consecutive defeats, which ties a PSAC record for consecutive losses. Talking to Toran this week at Edinboro, Rankin and him about facing Lock Haven, playing on special teams and the state of the athletic program at his high school alma mater, Central Tech.

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True freshman quarterback Ty Stoldt had six turnovers for Edinboro in its 24-23 loss to Slippery Rock today./Photo by Jack Hanrahan of the Erie Times-News

James Jackson has his back.

Following Edinboro’s 24-23 loss in which true freshman Ty Stoldt threw three third-quarter interceptions in his first career start, Jackson, who starred as a true freshman last season at cornerback, was proud of how Stoldt played.

“He’s a tremendous freshman,” said Jackson about the skinny 6-foot, 2-inch, 169-pound Stoldt. “He might not look it physically, but he’s going to be the future at Edinboro.”

Stoldt played in place of sophomore Cody Harris, who was cleared to play this morning after sustaining a minor concussion in last week’s loss at Indiana (Pa.), but hadn’t practiced all week.

Harris is expected to start in next week’s PSAC West rivalry game at Mercyhurst College.

“Cody will be back,” Edinboro coach Scott Browing said. “He’s good to go now, but we’re not going to forget about Tyler either because I think he did an awful lot of good things.”

While Stoldt did some good things like looking down field when pressured, he went 9-of-23 for 140 yards, was sacked twice and lost three fumbles.

An Alden, N.Y. native, Stoltz was just 3-of-13 in the second half for 30 yards, but left an impression on Slippery Rock senior safety Jayson Nickson, a four-yeart starter out of Mercyhurst Prep.

“He actually played a really good game, especially for being a true freshman in a game of such a high rivalry,” Nickson said.

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George Mihalik was more than just upset today – and his team won.

The longtime Slippery Rock coach had words with the referees after Slippery Rock erased a 17-point deficit to win 24-23 at Edinboro.

Mihalik’s biggest gripe was about how Edinboro scored its second touchdown to take a 13-3 halftime lead. To keep himself out of the PSAC commissioner Steve Murray’s doghouse, Mihalik made the following point about the play:

“Let me phrase this and you can print it exactly,” he said. “No comment on the call. That tells you what I think of it.”

Late in the first half, Kevin Sanders caught pass and was being driven back by a host of Edinboro defense. Sanders’ forward progressed was clearly stopped, but Edinboro freshman cornerback Devin Ghafoor came in and ripped the ball out.”

Freshman safety Veuntrae Robinson picked the ball up and scored from 17 yards out.

Mihalik lost it.

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Junior tailback Akeem Satterfield rushed for a team-high 52 yards for Slippery Rock in its 24-23 win today at No. 25-ranked Edinboro. Satterfield is a Cathedral Prep graduate./Photo by Jack Hanrahan of the Erie Times-News.

Area talents Ryan Skelton and Jayson Nickson shined in Slippery Rock’s 24-23 win at No. 25-ranked Edinboro today. Skelton, a senior linebacker at Edinboro who starred at General McLane High, had game-high 11 tackles  with 9 being solo stops.

Skelton had a sack, three tackles for loss, a forced fumble, fumble recovery and a blocked field goal that James Jackson returned for a 62-yard touchdown.

Can you say PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week?

Nickson, a senior strong safety at Slippery Rock who starred at Mercyhurst Prep, had seven tackles and pass break up.

As for Akeem Satterfield, the Slippery Rock junior tailback started the game with a 29-yard run, but finished with just 52 yards and no touchdowns on 15 carries.

An Cathedral Prep graduate, Satterfield also fumbled twice, but he lead the Rock in rushing today.

James Jackson (11) and David Bostic (3) are two of four Edinboro players from the state of Florida./Photo by Christopher Millette of the Erie Times-News.

The Sunshine State is shining bright on Edinboro these days.

The Scots (1-0) have four players from the state of Florida.

In 2009, tailback D’Andrea Vaughn (Tavares) came to Edinboro and last season, cornerback James Jackson (New Smyrna Beach) arrived.

This season, the Scots added linebacker Trevor Lindsey, who played high school football with Jackson.

Jackson had a say in this.

“He was looking for a school,” Jackson said. “Too short to go D-1 (5-foot-9) so I got with the coaches. Showed them the film of him. They liked him. Got him up here. I wouldn’t lie to them. He liked it so he just committed.”

Edinboro senior receiver David Bostic had the same influence on Vaughn.

Vaughn and Bostic were high school teammates as well at Tavares. Vaughn was a prospect of the Detroit Tigers, but stopping pursing that and wound up continuing his football career at Edinboro.

In last week’s 30-14 season-opening win against West Liberty (W.Va.), Vaughn scored a touchdown, Jackson made eight tackles and broke up four passes and Bostic lead Edinboro in receptions (four) and receiving yards (38).

See a pattern?