Riding a two-game winning streak, Mercyhurst takes on Slippery Rock in an PSAC West game Saturday at 1 p.m. at Tullio Field.
The Lakers (2-1, 1-0) lost 28-21 to the Rock (2-1, 1-0) last season.
Mercyhurst opens the 2012 season on Thursday night against Notre Dame College (Ohio) at 7 p.m. at Korb Field in Lyndhurst, Ohio.
The Lakers edged the Falcons, 24-23, in overtime last season. This is just Notre Dame College’s third season of football.
First-year Gannon University coach Brad Rzyczycki talks about his relationship with Lake Erie College coach Mark McNellie before the Knights play the Storm on Thursday night at Gannon University Field.
A Mercyhurst graduate, Rzyczycki played when McNellie was an assistant for the Lakers.
Mercyhurst senior receiver Paris Bruner will return to his home state of Ohio for Thursday’s season opener against Notre Dame College (Ohio).
The top returning receiver for the Lakers, Bruner is from Warren, which is less than 50 miles from Lyndhurst where the game will be played at Korb Field.
Mercyhurst Lakers football players L.J. Stevens, Anthony Vendemia, Paris Bruner, Steve Reinhardt of Bradford and head coach Marty Schaetzle talk about their season opener Thursday night at Notre Dame College (Ohio).
Mercyhurst seniors Linnell Robinson, Kevin Poropat and head coach Marty Schaetzle talk about the Lakers being picked to finish fifth in the PSAC West at today’s PSAC West media day in Slippery Rock.
Erie Times-News reporter Duane Rankin caught up with Bryant and Colin Kimball to discuss a variety of topics. From Erie, Bryant Kimball is a senior safety at Mercyhurst College while Colin Kimball is a true freshman cornerback for the Lakers.
Garrett Wild
Garrett Wild saw something. Thank goodness he was right.
When the Mercyhurst College true freshman linebacker called a fake punt against city rival Gannon this season, his older brother, Ian Wild, was the long snapper.
The youngest Wild, who was the up man on the play, took the snap and completed a 31-yard pass to Todd Wingate for a first down.
“I made the call,” said Garrett Wild, who is the youngest of three brothers who went to Mercyhurst. The oldest, Zac, finished his career there in 2008.
“We put than in earlier in the year. (Assistant coach Tom Herman) gives me the responsibility. If I see anything that’s open, you take it. You make the call. I glanced. I saw him. I just called it and threw the ball out there.”
Thank goodness he made the right one.
“He saw the uncovered gunner,” Ian Wild said. “He makes on the calls on punt. It was a pretty bold call for a freshman to make it.”
Big brother had to trust the call.
“He must see something,” Ian Wild said. “If he’s calling it, someone must be wide open. I just snapped it to him and it was a good play.”
When asked what would have happened had the play not worked, Ian Wild did something he rarely does during interviews – laugh out loud.
“I would have wanted an explanation,” said a laughing Wild. “‘Was he open or not?’”
Senior Bryan Kelly and the Gannon defense did the job in helping the Knights shock No. 14-ranked Slippery Rock, 33-27, at Gannon University Field./Photo by Jack Hanrahan/Erie Times-News
What a day of college football in the PSAC. Here are some highlights from the games.
Biggest upset: Gannon stuns No. 14-ranked Slippery Rock, 33-27. The Knights had just three wins, but got four touchdown passes from redshift freshman Daniel Tapscott and forced five turnovers to knock off the Rock (8-2, 6-1). The Rock will still play in next week’s PSAC title game, but Gannon sent them into it on negative momentum.
Biggest comeback: Mercyhurst College rallied from a 24-point, third-quarter deficit to win at Clarion, 42-38. Anthony Vendemia picked up his first win as a starter to end Mercyhurst’s five-game losing skid. Richie Sanders’ 1-yard run with 32 seconds left put the Lakers up for good.
Two-minute rally: Down 20 points late in the fourth quarter, Edinboro scored two touchdowns and was an onside kick conversion away from having a chance to beat No. 22 California (Pa.). Instead the Vulcans recovered the onside kick and edged Edinboro, 34-28.
Biggest beatdown: In a battle of Top 25 teams, No. 13 Kutztown destroyed No. 12 Bloomsburg, 52-14, to earn a spot in next week’s PSAC championship game. Kevin Morton threw three touchdowns, no interceptions and ran for another score to lead the Golden Bears to victory.
Having both lost to Edinboro and California (Pa.), Mercyhurst College senior receiver Trevor Kennedy and Gannon coach Jim Kiernan have an idea of what the Scots (7-2, 4-2) and No. 22-ranked Vulcans (7-2, 5-1) can do.
The Lakers lost 30-20 to Edinboro at home Oct. 15 and fell 32-26 at Cal in overtime Oct. 22 . The Knights lost 27-0 at home to Edinboro on Sept. 24 and fell 33-6 at Cal on Oct. 8.
So this week, we asked Kennedy and Kiernan how they see this PSAC West showdown between the Scots and Vulcans going today at 3:30 p.m. at Cal.
