#8 IUP 26, Seton Hill 0
After a dismal first half, the IUP Crimson Hawks were able to pull out a 26-0 victory over Seton Hill in their PSAC West opener.
Seton Hill forced three first-half turnovers and held IUP to just two points at the end of the first half. IUP’s Mix Box was picked off by Seton Hill defenders three times in the first two quarters, including one when the Hawks had the ball on the goal-line. Box would finish 11-of-22 for 146 yards.
IUP finally scored a touchdown with just over four minutes left in the third quarter when Erik Finklea ran the ball in from nine yards out. Finklea would finish with 76 yards on 13 carries and second 21-yard scamper for a score. The Hawks other scores came from Dorian Lane pick-six and Brett Ullman 28-yard field goal.
Shane Meisner led the Hawks defense with eight tackles and two sacks. The defense held Seton Hill to just 115 yards of total offense. Quarterback Nick Halfhill completed 14-of-25 passes for 86 yards.
IUP moves to 3-0 and Seton Hill drops to 0-3. IUP will host Cal U in a rivalry match next week at 1 p.m. Seton Hill will travel to play Edinboro next week at Noon.
Cal U 20, Edinboro 7
Cal U forced five turnovers, including one for a score, en route to a 20-7 victory over Edinboro in PSAC West play Saturday.
Edinboro got on the board first after a high snap sailed over the head of Cody Shroeder and resulted in a safety. Cal U would take the lead on the next possession with a 25-yard field goal, though. Before the end of the first half, senior safety Dewey McDonald took an interception 50 yards to the house to give the Vulcans a 10-2 halftime lead. McDonald would finish with five stops and his second career INT return for a touchdown.
After another field goal, sophomore running back Derrick Fiore would score at the start of the fourth quarter to bring Cal U to its final score of 20. Fiore finished with 73 yards on the ground while teammate Jeff Knox Jr. added 93 yards on 21 carries. A field goal and another safety would bring Edinboro’s final score to 7 and bring the game to an end at 20-7.
BJ Stevens led Cal U’s defense with 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks while former WVU linebacker Bronko Busick added eight tackles. Schroeder finished 14-of-34 for 188 yards with no interceptions and no scores. Edinboro’s Marcus Johnson led all receivers with seven catches for 96 yards while Trey Johnson hauled in five passes for 76 yards for Cal U.
Cal U improves to 3-0 on the season while Edinboro falls to 1-2. Cal U will travel to play IUP next week at 1 p.m. while Edinboro will play Seton Hill at Noon.
Gannon 38, Slippery Rock 27
Gannon was able to stifle Slippery Rock’s high-powered offense and pick up a 38-27 victory on Saturday.
After Gannon’s defense held Slippery Rock to converting just two-of-six redzone chances, they were able to pick up the win. Gannon’s Jansen Jones ran the ball 38 times for 181 yards and two scores. The Rock was able to hold Gannonn quarterback Liam Nadler to just 123 yards passing and picked him off twice, but turnovers would be the death of Slippery Rock.
Despite throwing two touchdowns, Nigel Barksdale turned the ball over twice via interceptions. The Rock also fumbled the ball three times, two of which Gannon recovered. Gannon eventually took the lead after being tied 14-14 at the half when Jones plowed into the endzone from 19 yards out and they would never look back in the back-and-forth game.
Gannon improves to 2-1 on the season while Slippery Rock falls for the first time and moves to 2-1. Gannon will play Clarion next week while Slippery Rock will host Mercyhurst next week at 6 p.m.
Clarion 20, Mercyhurst 13
Clarion, led by freshman quarterback Darelle Carson in his first collegiate start, was able to pick up a win over Mercyhurst, 20-13.
Carson, who got the start in place of injured quarterback Ben Fiscus, threw for 209 yards and a score while running for 85 yards on the ground for the Golden Eagles.
After opening the game with two field goals, Clarion would go on to score all of their 20 points in the first half. Travis Day would give Clarion their first touchdown with a 1-yard score in the second quarter followed by Carson’s 46-yard bomb to Eric Frye for the Eagles’ final points of the game.
Despite the loss, Mercyhurst running back Brandon Brown-Dukes gained 140 yards on 11 carries and one score. Clarion, though, was able to get two interceptions to seal the game for the victory.
Clarion moves to 3-0 and Mercyhurst falls to 1-2 on the year. Clarion will take on Gannon next week while Mercyhurst plays Slippery Rock.
TOP PHOTO CREDIT: IUP Athletics
