Box Score (New/Sortable Format) ERIE, Pa. (Oct. 12, 2013) – Sunshine bathed the Gannon University Field on Saturday afternoon, but it turned out to be a gloomy day for Edinboro.  The Golden Knights scored the final 41 points of the game to claim their first-ever win against the Fighting Scots, claiming a 55-14 win.  The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for Edinboro as the Scots are now 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the PSAC West.  The Golden Knights, 4-2 overall, take over sole possession of first place in the Western Division at 3-0 following IUP's loss at Slippery Rock.

The setback set several milestones.  The 55 points were the most allowed by a Scott Browning-coached team in a regular season game since he took over in 2006, bettered only by the 84 points allowed in the playoff loss at West Liberty in 2009.  The 611 yards allowed marked the fourth-highest total ever against the Fighting Scots, and again the most against Browning in a regular season contest.

Edinboro had won the previous seven meetings between the two teams, and the day got off to a promising start.  Redshirt freshman Jon Girvin guided the Fighting Scots on a six-play, 75-yard drive on the game's opening possession.  His 61-yard connection with Marcus Johnson  on a 3rd-and-4 play gave the Fighting Scots a 1st-and-goal at the eight.  Three plays later Girvin scored on a one-yard run.  Mike Simon's extra point gave the Scots a 7-0 lead with 13:16 still remaining in the first quarter.
The Boro defense responded with a three-and-out, but little did they know it would be one of only two times they would do so all day.  Edinboro was unable to pick up a first down on its possession, and Brad West's 13-yard punt gave the Golden Knights the ball at the Edinboro 31.

Jansen Jones, who enjoyed a career day against the Scots, scored on the very next play, but it was called back by a holding penalty.  Five plays later the Knights were back in the end zone, helped by a dropped interception by Devin Ghafoor.  Ghafoor read the bubble screen and had an open path to the end zone but was unable to hang on to the ball.  On the next play Liam Nadler paired with Justin Caliste on 17-yard pass play to the two.  Nadler bulled in from there to tie the score with 9:29 left in the quarter.

Gannon would take its first lead in the series since 2009 late in the first quarter as Nadler and Jones took turns moving the ball on a six-play, 46-yard drive.  Nadler accounted for 30 yards running and passing, and Jones finished the drive with a five-yard scoring run with 2:15 remaining in the first quarter.

The Fighting Scots answered with a 67-yard march in nine plays, knotting the score at 14-14 on the second play of the second quarter.  Again it was a long pass from Girvin to Johnson that set up the score.  This one covered 40 yards and gave the Scots a first-and-goal at the five.  On third-and-goal Jeremy Donaldson scored from four yards out with 14:33 left in the quarter.
Gannon would tack on ten points in the final six minutes of the half to take a 24-14 lead at intermission.  The first three points came on Donnie Mann's 37-yard field goal with 5:35 to play.  On the ensuing kickoff, Johnson fumbled with the Knights recovering at the Edinboro 29.  Gannon needed six plays to reach paydirt.  Most of the yardage came on a 21-yard pass play from Nadler to Abraham Ocasio on a 3rd-and-11, giving Gannon a first down at the nine.  Three plays later Nadler scored his second touchdown on a one-yard run. 

Gannon scored 17 points in the third quarter while the Edinboro offense struggled, managing just two first downs and 41 yards.  Mann opened the third period with his second field goal, this one from 39 yards for a 27-14 Gannon lead.

Jones accounted for the other two third period scores.  The third-leading rusher in the PSAC capped an eight-play, 69-yard drive with a 31-yard burst with 6:18 left, then gave the Golden Knights a 41-14 advantage with 1:37 left on a six-yard run. 

Jones scored his fourth touchdown on the ground and Nadler his third in the fourth quarter. Nadler culminated an 11-play, 70-march with a one-yard scoring run with 9:17 to play.  Jones finished the scoring when he plowed in from a yard out with 4:12 to play, ending a six-play, 57-yard drive.

Gannon would end the day with 611 yards compared to 258.  Most of Edinboro's damage came through the air and in the first half, while Gannon had 23 plays of 10-or-more yards from scrimmage.  The Fighting Scots had 210 yards at the half but totaled just 48 yards over the final thirty minutes. Of course, Gannon had the ball for most of the half, as the Scots had the ball for less than seven minutes in the second half. In fact, Gannon held a 41:46 to 18:14 advantage in time of possession.

Girvin would complete 9 of 32 passes for a season-high 192 yards.  He was victimized by numerous dropped passes.  Johnson was the lone Fighting Scot with more than one catch, hauling in the two long receptions for 101 yards.  Donaldson accounted for most of Edinboro's 66 yards on the ground with 54 yards on 16 carries.

Nadler and Jones both had monster days for Gannon.  Nadler completed 26 of 38 passes for 350 yards while adding 31 yards rushing on 14 carries with 3 TDs.  Jones ran for 209 yards and 4 TDs on 35 carries, along with catching four passes for 36 yards.

The going doesn't get any easier for Edinboro next week.  The Fighting Scots head to Indiana(Pa.) to play a seventh-ranked Crimson Hawk team that will be smarting from a 42-16 loss to Slippery Rock.