EDINBORO, Pa. (Sept. 3, 2015) – The Edinboro football team opened the 2015 season with a 30-10 loss to Saint Joseph's(Ind.) on Thursday night in front of a crowd of 4,172 at Sox Harrison Stadium. It marked the first meeting ever between the Fighting Scots and the Pumas, members of the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for the Fighting Scots.
 

On a hot and humid night a veteran Saint Joseph's squad wore down a young Edinboro squad which played a number of true freshmen. The Pumas were one of the top rushing teams in Division II a year ago, averaging 242.6 ypg. rushing. They would end the night with 235 yards on the ground, while Edinboro managed 100 yards, most of that on the final series.
 
Saint Joseph's finished with 430 total yards, while Edinboro had 315 yards. Most of that came through the air behind sophomore Jake Sisson, who was making his second career start. Sisson completed 26 of 42 passes for 215 yards, but threw four costly interceptions. The last was returned for 31 yards and a touchdown by Jessie Pourch with three minutes remaining in the game.  
 
The bright spot for Edinboro was wide receiver Darren Massey. The junior tied David Bostic's school record for receptions in a game with 13, good for 100 yards. He also moved into 11th place in career receptions with 119. Massey set a school record for receptions in a season a year ago with 80.
 
Alex Caratelli, a former transfer from Robert Mossris playing in his first game at Edinboro, added 5 receptions for 56 yards, and Connor Hollenbeck caught 5 balls for 49 yards. Ja'maal Eveillard led Edinboro in rushing with 66 yards on six carries, all in the final series of the game. Cory Bell got the start at tailback and gained 42 yards on 13 rushes.
 

Saint Joseph's Wade Burtron completed 15 of 23 passes for 195 yards and ran for another 79 yards on 14 carries. The redshirt junior proved an elusive target for the Scots all night long. He scored on an eight-yard run midway through the third quarter.
 
Braxton Shelton, a 1,000-yard rusher the last two-years, added a 53-yard touchdown run to finish with 96 yards on 11 carries. Kobi Cook added 56 yards on 19 rushes. Jose Esquivel led the Pumas with 5 receptions for 90 yards.
 
Edinboro found itself trailing 10-0 after Saint Joseph's first three possessions, but would come back to tie the game at 10-10 early in the third quarter. On their second possession of the game, the Pumas drove 60 yards on 13 plays, with Burtron opening the series with four straight completions. Thanks to a pair of penalties and a ten-yard loss, the Boro defense dug in and held Saint Joseph's to a 44-yard field goal by Gavin Voss.
 
Edinboro would drive down to the SJC 29 on the next series but Austin Reese's 46-yard field goal was wide to the right.
 
Saint Joseph's responded with a 3-play, 71-yard quick strike thanks to Shelton's 53-yard scoring burst with 1:39 remaining in the first quarter.
 
The Edinboro defense would settle in after that and the Fighting Scots sent the game into the half at 10-7 following a 10-play, 75-yard drive. Sisson was 6-for-7 for 52 yards in the march. The drive was capped by Sisson's two-yard touchdown pass to tight end Justin Kempka, another transfer from Robert Morris playing in his first game at Edinboro.
 
Edinboro would come up with a big break early in the third quarter when the Pumas muffed a punt, with freshman Thaddeus Cornick recovering at the SJC 17. Cornick was celebrating his 18th birthday today.
 
Unfortunately, Saint Joseph's would limit the Scots to a 32-yard field goal by Reese, the first career three-pointer for the redshirt sophomore. That knotted the score at 10-10 with 9:36 left in the third period.
 

Saint Joseph's needed just ninety seconds to take the lead for good. A 41-yard hookup from Burton to Esquivel gave the Pumas the ball at the Boro 22, and three plays later Burtron scrambled into the end zone from eight yards out for a 17-10 lead with 8:06 to play in the third quarter.
 
Edinboro's next possession ended with an interception by Cedric Turner. The Scots would limited SJC to a 38-yard field goal by Voss for a 20-10 advantage with 2:56 left in the third.
 
Voss booted his third field goal of the game, this one from 29 yards out, with 3;10 to play in the game. On the very next play from scrimmage Sisson was hit while attempting to pass and Pourch picked off the errant pass and returned it for the final score.
 
Edinboro will look to get into the win column next Saturday, September 12, hosting Shippensburg. Kickoff at Sox Harrison Stadium is set for 12 noon.