“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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“Our season was on the line. I told Adam Brown I was going to get this.” — Theo Hall.

Oct. 23, 2008: Mercyhurst 24, Edinboro 21

“Probably the toughest loss of my career.” — Trevor Harris

Trevor Harris threw for 11,899 yards and 100 TDs in his career at Edinboro./ETN

EDINBORO — Four years ago, Mercyhurst joined the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference where Edinboro was an established power.

“Edinboro has always been a big presence in the PSAC,” said Travis Rearick, who was a freshman quarterback at Mercyhurst in 2008.

That season, the Scots were led by one of the best quarterbacks to every play NCAA Division II — Trevor Harris. It was Edinboro’s best team under head coach Scott Browning.

“Offensively, we could be balanced,” said Harris, who was a junior in 2008. “We could run the football. We could throw the football and we could it from any different angle on the field.

“We really felt comfortable with everything we were doing. I think we were the best team in region my junior year. I really do, between us and Cal, in 2008.”

The Scots came into that game with one loss to California (Pa.), 35-31, and was looking to continue their playoff push against the underdog Lakers.

“That was our coming out party in the PSAC,” Rearick said. “It was a big opportunity for us.”

Having it on Thursday night was a plus for the Lakers.

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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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Coming off a dramatic 31-24 overtime win at LIU Post, Edinboro University carries major momentum into Saturday’s PSAC West rivalry game against Gannon University at Sox Harrison Stadium.

Check out Edinboro head coach Scott Browning and the Scots talk about the come-from-behind win.

A new NCAA rule made Scots coach Scott Browning change his strategy in last week's 24-14 home loss to No. 6-ranked California (Pa.)./Josh Barber/Erie Times-News

In preparing for last week’s home opener against No. 6-ranked California (Pa.), the Edinboro coaches made a decision to go for it on 4th-and-short if put in that situation against the Vulcans.

“We had decided on Wednesday that if we were 4th-and-2 or less, we  were going to go for it,” Edinboro coach Scott Browning said Monday. “That was a staff decision.”

He didn’t know at the time the NCAA’s new rule in which players must sit out a play if their helmets come off would make him go against he and his staff’s thinking.

Down 10-7 on its second offensive series of the second half, Edinboro had a 4th-and-2 situation at the Cal 29. Junior quarterback Cody Harris put the Scots in this position with a 5-yard run on third down.

Harris also lost his helmet.

So instead of bringing in a new quarterback or even calling a timeout to get Harris back in the game, Browning elected to try a 46-yard field goal that Sean Seefeldt missed.

Now Browning says Seefeldt, a freshman from Newfane,  N.Y., has made field goals from that distance in practice.

“He’s been hitting them left and right, now,” Browning said. “He’s had a lot of success hitting them. That was not a stretch by no means.”

However, Harris losing his helmet impacted the decision.

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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.

Former University of Iowa linebacker Bruce Davis will play for Edinboro this season, Scots coach Scott Browning confirmed this morning. Edinboro opens the season Sept. 8 at PSAC East power Bloomsburg.

Last season, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said Davis, an Cleveland, Ohio, native left the Hawkeyes last season for “personal reasons” three games into the 2011 season.

Davis, who attended Glenville High, which has become known for producing NCAA Division I talent, had an ACL knee injury against Arizona three games into the 2010 season and missed the rest of the year.

The 6-foot, 232-pound Davis had 25 tackles in his 25 career games at Iowa. Known for his play on special teams, Davis played three games in each of his last two years with the Hawkeyes.

Davis, 23, was scheduled to graduate in December of last year. His major was Interdepartmental Studies.

– Duane Rankin

Edinboro University head coach Scott Browning and seniors Branden Williams and Kenny Pettis talk about the Scots being picked to finish fourth in the PSAC West at today’s PSAC West media day in Slippery Rock.

Left guard Rob Stoner has 45 career starts at Edinboro./Photo by Christopher Millette/Erie Times-News

In a continuing series of Q&As with local players who are playing area college football, Duane Rankin caught up with Edinboro senior left guard Rob Stoner to talk about several topics.

A General McLane graduate, Stoner has returned from a season-ending back injury in the 2010 opener to start every game this season. The 6-foot, 2-inch, 295-pound graduate student leads the Scots in career starts with 45.

A 2009 first-team All-PSAC West selection, Stoner will try to help the Scots (7-2, 4-2) end a six-game losing skid against No. 22-ranked California (Pa.) in Saturday’s PSAC West finale at Adamson Stadium. The Vulcans (7-2, 5-1) last lost to Edinboro in 2004.

Talking to Stoner this week at Edinboro, Rankin and him talked about last week’s Senior Day, being a veteran on the offensive line and facing Cal.

How has this season been for you coming back from the injury? “It’s been great. We’ve had our ups and downs as every team does, but overall, it’s a great group of guys. Every day, I come out and have fun and I think the team overall has fun, too. Couldn’t be happier.”

What was Senior Day like for you? (Last week, Edinboro had its Senior Day. The Scots won, 42-7, against Lock Haven) “It was different. Having mom and dad out there. Talking to them a little bit and told them I thought it was weird. It’s kind of winding down here with my career. It was a different feeling. Mixed emotions. It’s been great, but I’m going to miss it. It was something different.”

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Rob Stoner returned from a season-ending injury to help Edinboro have one of its best offensive lines in years./ETN file photo.

If experience is the greatest teacher, then the Edinboro offensive line is very well schooled.

Led by senior left guard Rob Stoner, the unit has paved the way for Edinboro to rank sixth in the PSAC in rushing offense this season.

“It’s all experience,” said Stoner, a General McLane graduate who came back from a season-ending back injury in 2010. “Game play.”

Senior Nick Christman is at right guard, senior Shane Hess plays right tackle, sophomore Ryan Wilson is at center and junior Shawn Ellenberger plays beside Stoner at left tackle.

“Shane Hess is in his sixth year due to injury,” Edinboro coach Scott Browning said. “Rob Stoner is in his fifth year. Nick Christman has played ever since he’s been here and our center is a redshirt sophomore and then you got Shawn Ellenberger, who is a redshirt junior. That’s the one area that experience helps you more than people realize.”

The Scots (5-2, 2-2 PSAC West) are averaging 164.9 yards on the ground and have scored 13 rushing touchdowns heading into Saturday’s 6 p.m. game against Clarion (1-6, 1-3 PSAC West).

“They’re all five intelligent guys,” Browning said. “They’re all five special guys. It’s very rare to have the experience we’ve had there.”

Last season, Edinboro averaged 126 yards rushing to rank 12th in the conference.

Scots coach Scott Browning said Edinboro’s offensive line hasn’t been this experienced since 2004 when the Scots averaged 201.4 yards rushing to rank fourth in the PSAC. They had 28 rushing touchdowns.

“Before that, it was probably 1995,” Browning said.