Box Score (New/Sortable Format) ERIE, Pa. (Nov. 2, 2013) – Edinboro was unable to overcome heavy rain and a strong Mercyhurst defense and ground game on Saturday afternoon at Tullio Field, suffering a 19-6 loss to the Lakers.  The loss was the second straight for the Fighting Scots, as they fall to 4-5 overall and 2-4 in the PSAC West.  Mercyhurst moved to 5-4 overall and 3-3 in league play.

The visiting team had won the previous five games in the series, but Mercyhurst took advantage of an early safety and controlled the line of scrimmage to bring that streak to a halt. The Lakers finished with 353 yards in total offense, with 266 of those yards coming on the ground.  Edinboro would manage a season-low 148 yards in total offense, and had just three first downs and 35 yards in the second half behind three different quarterbacks.

Mercyhurst took the opening kickoff and appeared to score a touchdown on a 39-yard run by Allen Jones II, but that play was called back due to a holding penalty.  The Boro defense would force a punt, with the Fighting Scots taking over at their own 20.  They would move the ball to the 28 before being forced to punt. The snap went well over punter Brad West's head and through the end zone for a safety and a 2-0 Mercyhurst lead at 11:11 of the first quarter.

Mercyhurst took the ensuing free kick and drove to the Edinboro 26, but Delano Fabor halted that drive with an interception at the eighth.  Fabor came into the game tied for the PSAC lead in interceptions and now has five on the season.

A 27-yard pass from Jon Girvin to Jordan Williams gave the Fighting Scots their initial first down of the game, but they would be forced to punt, with the Lakers taking over at their own 39.  One play later they were leading 9-0 as Anthony Vendemia combined with Stephen Yarbrough on a 61-yard touchdown pass with 6:13 left in the first quarter.

Late in the first quarter Edinboro drove down inside the Mercyhurst 20, but on a 4^th-and-3 play from the 17 Jeremy Donaldson gained just a yard. Mercyhurst would follow with its best drive of the day, an 84-yard march that was all on the ground. In fact, Brandon Brown-Dukes would account for most of those yards. The sophomore carried eight times for 51 yards, including runs of 13 and 20 yards.  He got the Lakers within distance, and Richie Sanders capped it with an eight-yard touchdown run. That gave Mercyhurst a 16-0 advantage with 9:44 to play in the half.

Edinboro would take advantage of one of three turnovers on the day by Mercyhurst to close the score to 16-6 with 5:49 remaining. Chris Williams forced a fumble by Sanders, with Greg Cunningham recovering at the Laker 11.  Keith Regis bulled his way in from three yards out on a 4^th-and-2 play for the Boro touchdown. It was the first career touchdown for the redshirt freshman.  Edinboro went for two and Girvin's pass to Ben Eisel was good, but the Scots were called for a hold. T.J. Hardy came in to attempt the long PAT, but it was wide to the right.

Edinboro's second interception of the day gave the Scots the ball back at their own 38. James Jackson did the honors, giving the senior cornerback 15 for his career, tied for fourth in career pickoffs.

Girvin directed the Scots 11-play march down to the Mercyhurst 22, including a 34-yard improvisation pass to Eisel.  Three incompletions halted the drive, and Hardy's 39-yard field goal attempt hit the left upright with 39 seconds to play in the half.
A scoreless third quarter started with Girvin taking off on a 15-yard run.  The redshirt freshman would exit with an injury midway through the period.  Freshman Matt Bodamer played one series before departing, with another freshman, Cameron Sheppard, playing the rest of the way.

Mercyhurst would tack on an insurance score after an Edinboro gamble late in the third quarter. Facing a 4^th-and-9 at their own 41, West attempted a fake punt but his run came up well short of the first down.   The Lakers drove down to the Edinboro 8 before Steven Wakefield came in and booted a 25-yard field goal with 11:05 left in the contest.

Girvin completed 7 of 21 passes for 91 yards before leaving.  He was once again hampered by several dropped passes. Sheppard completed 2 of 3 passes for 12 yards with an interception, and Bodamer was 1 of 2 for -6 yards as Edinboro totaled 97 yards through the air.  Williams had a career-high five receptions for 53 yards.

The ground game accounted for just 51 yards on 38 rushes. Regis, in his most extensive action of the season, led the Scots with 15 carries for 38 yards.  Girvin added 30 yards on 10 carries. Leading rusher Jeremy Donaldson saw limited action and carried just twice for four yards.  D'Andrea Vaughn started after sitting out last week's game against Slippery Rock with an injury, but he did not make it through the first quarter. He carried four times for 11 yards.

Jones II led Mercyhurst with 148 yards on 21 carries, marking the fourth straight game an opposing runner finished with 100 yards. Brown-Dukes added 67 yards on 10 carries before leaving in the second quarter and not returning.  Sanders contributed 50 yards on 12 carries.  Mercyhurst rushed for 266 yards on 46 carries.

Mercyhurst quarterbacks Anthony Vendemia and Zach Emerick combined to complete 7 of 16 passes for 87 yards with two interceptions.

Mike Shansky led the Edinboro defense with 10 tackles.

The Fighting Scots will play their final home next Saturday, November 9, hosting Clarion. Kickoff at Sox Harrison Stadium is set for 12 noon.