Week 2 of the PSAC West football season shed some light on a few outstanding performances around the division.
Clarion, Slippery Rock, Gannon and Seton Hill all picked up solid wins for the PSAC West. As shocking as it was to hear the Golden Eagles and the Griffins both won, it may have been more of a eyebrow raiser to hear that IUP was walloped by Kutztown. The Crimson Hawks lost by a score of 44-7.
The winning teams from the West outscored their opponents, 183-56. That’s pretty impressive.
What’s more impressive is some of the individual performances from this week:
PASSING: Cody Harris completed 29-of-36 passes for 300 yards and threw two touchdowns albeit in a losing effort for Edinboro.
RUSHING: The entire Slippery Rock offense ran for a school-record 456 yards. Shamar Green ran for 183 yards and scored once and Teddy Blakeman ran for 119 yards and scored three times.
– Clarion’s newcomer Delrece Williams is bursting on to the scene for the Golden Eagles. He ran for 92 yards on found the endzone twice in the team’s win.
– Gannon’s Brock Jones found pay dirt four times as he racked up 119 yards in a blowout win. Tyler Johnson also scored twice and ran for 110 yards for the Knights.
RECEIVING: Edinboro’s Darren Massey continues to impress after grabbing 11 passes for 161 yards and scored once in Edinboro’s loss.
DEFENSE: Clarion’s All-American defensive end Julian Howsare returned to form, wrapping up ball carriers 10 times including 1.5 sacks on the day.
– Gannon’s Nico Mendleta and Kailan Chavis each had two interceptions in their win.
– Cal’s Branko Busick put up double-digit tackles again, posting 12 in the team’s loss.
– Seton Hill’s Alex Attia recorded 3.0 sacks as part of his 8-tackle day.
– IUP’s Kevin Clarke had 19 tackles in the Crimson Hawks’ loss.
– Mercyhurst’s Joe Denver also had double-digit tackles, posting 10.
Greene and Howsare were named Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively. The award is the second in a row for Greene.
In terms of statistical leaders, Slippery Rock boasts the West’s best offense, scoring 46.5 points per game and Gannon has the PSAC’s best defense, allowing just 3.5 points per game. Along those same lines, Slippery Rock is gaining 540.0 yards per game while Gannon is giving up only 142.0. The big key for both of those stats is rushing. The Rock has gained 326.0 yards on the ground per game while the Knights are giving up a mere 37.0 yards.
Greene leads the PSAC with 190.5 rushing yards per game. His teammate Blakeman sits at the 5th spot, averaging 78.0 per game. Gannon’s Jones is third with 130.5.
Cal’s James Harris is the West’s top passer, throwing for 266.0 yards per game while posting a 147.4 efficiency rating.
Edinboro’s Massey is 3rd in receiving, averaging 115.0 yards per game and has two scores. Cal’s Kowan Scott is fifth with 97.5 yards per game and two TDs.
Defensively, IUP’s Clarke has 32 tackles, good enough for the PSAC lead. Cal’s Busick also makes the Top 5 with 22. Slippery Rock’s Marcus Martin leads the PSAC in sacks with 4.0 through two games.
Gannon and Slippery Rock are the only two undefeated teams in the PSAC West heading into Week 3. In the coming weeks, the PSAC West will begin to take shape even more as some teams shake off the rust and others look to continue to stay hot.
Big matchups this week include: Kutztown at Gannon and Cal at Shippensburg.
Photo Credit: Slippery Rock
