Box Score (New/Sortable Format) EDINBORO, Pa. (Nov. 9, 2013) – On a day when the defenses ruled, Edinboro was able to parlay a safety and a touchdown by a senior playing in his final home game into a 9-7 win over Clarion on Saturday afternoon. The victory snapped a two-game losing streak and evens Edinboro's record at 5-5, including 3-4 in the PSAC West. The Golden Eagles fell to 4-6 and 2-5, respectively. Edinboro needs a win in its final game at Kutztown next Saturday to clinch a winning season.

Neither team mustered much offense on a windy afternoon. Edinboro would finish with 257 total yards while Clarion totaled 237 yards. The two teams combined to convert just 12 of 34 third-down attempts and register eight sacks.

Edinboro would score the game's first points late in the first quarter after Brad West's 56-yard punt was downed at the Clarion one-yard line. Facing a 3rd-and-5 from the six, Darelle Carson dropped back to pass and in the process of trying to elude a tackler dropped the ball into the end zone. He would then bat it out of the end zone for a safety and a 2-0 Boro lead with 1:38 remaining in the first quarter.

The Fighting Scots would take the ensuing free kick at the 50. They would piece together a 13-play drive that was almost a touchdown several plays earlier, but Marcus Johnson was unable to hold on to Jon Girvin's pass. It would have resulted in a 12-yard touchdown pass. The Scots eventually reached the one, but on 4th-and-goal Jeremy Donaldson was thrown for a two-yard loss.

The Golden Eagles grabbed a 7-2 lead with a quick six-play, 87-yard march later in the second quarter. Facing a 3rd-and-one, Carson took off on a 17-yard run to the Clarion 39. On the next play Bobby Thomas swept around left end for 34 yards to the Edinboro 27. Following an incomplete pass, Carson burst up the middle untouched for a 27-yard touchdown with 5:23 remaining. Phil Esposito converted on the extra point.

The Fighting Scots would answer with their own scoring drive on the next series. D'Andrea Vaughn's seven-yard run converted a 3rd-and-one situation, and on 3rd-and-3 at the Clarion 35, the Golden Eagles were offsides, giving the Scots a first down. Two plays later Girvin drilled a beautiful ball into the wind to Johnson, who hauled it in for a 30-yard touchdown. T.J. Hardy booted the extra point to cap the nine-play, 71-yard drive and give the Fighting Scots a 9-7 lead with 1:29 left in the half.

Edinboro had one more opportunity to score in the half after Greg Cunningham recovered a Carson fumble following a sack by Devin Ghafoor. Taking over at the Clarion 42 with under a minute to play, the Scots moved to the 14. A sack would move the ball back to the 23. Hardy's 40-yard field goal attempt into the wind was wide right as the half ended.

The defense was forced to step up in the second half, as Edinboro failed to move inside the Clarion 42 in the final thirty minutes. Clarion had two opportunities to put points on the board in the second half. The first saw the Golden Eagles move to the Edinboro 27 before Bobby Kmetz threw Carson for a loss of four yards on 3rd-and-3. Esposito's 48-yard field goal attempt with the wind was wide to the right as the third quarter came to an end.

Sacks by Victor Hudson and Domenic Principale in the next series halted another Clarion possession after the Golden Eagles had moved to the Boro 35. Nathan Conway's 43-yard punt pinned the Scots at their own three. Three plays and less than a minute later the Scots were forced to punt.

Clarion regained possession with 5:08 to play at the Edinboro 42. The Golden Eagles picked up one first down, but Mike Hanhauser and Mike Shansky stopped Carson a yard short of another first down. Esposito came in to attempt a 34-yard field goal into the wind, and once again his kick was wide to the right. Edinboro was able to run out the final 89 seconds.

Girvin ended the day completing 16 of 34 passes for 146 yards, although he was once again hampered by a number of dropped passes. Johnson, one of eight seniors honored before the game, hauled in five passes for 65 yards and a touchdown. He moved into fourth place in career receptions with 139 and is also fourth in career receiving yards with 2,086 yards. Jordan Williams and Ben Eisel had four catches apiece.

Vaughn led the ground game with 49 yards on nine carries as Edinboro ran for 111 yards. Donaldson added 42 yards on 14 carries.

Carson turned in an outstanding performance for Clarion. The redshirt freshman carried the ball 24 times for 130 yards, along with completing 6 of 11 passes for 57 yards. Thomas had 39 yards on 11 carries.

Hanhauser paced the strong defensive effort, as the junior safety had a career-high 11 tackles. Principale also posted career-best numbers with 10 tackles, including 4.5 for losses and a pair of sacks. Kmetz, another of the honored seniors, totaled nine tackles, two of those for losses.