EDINBORO, Pa. – Edinboro celebrated Homecoming on Saturday afternoon with throwback helmets from the 1965 season, but there was nothing throwback about the Fighting Scots' offense. Edinboro rolled up a season-high 572 yards while handing local rival Gannon a 41-17 defeat at Sox Harrison Stadium before a crowd of 5,662. The Fighting Scots are now 5-1 overall and 2-1 in PSAC West action, while the Golden Knights dropped their third straight game to go to 3-3 and 0-3, respectively.
 
The contest was the first in the local rivalry for first-year head coach Justin Lustig, and it featured plenty of intensity, not to mention penalties. Gannon was whistled 14 times for 121 yards, while Edinboro had seven penalties for 74 yards. The win snapped a three-game losing streak to Gannon.
 
The Edinboro offense was the story of the game, however, as Jake Sisson to enjoy one of the finest seasons ever by an Edinboro quarterback. The junior set career highs with 33 completions in 56 attempts, while reaching 400 yards passing for the second time in his career. He threw for exactly 400 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. In addition, he was not sacked for the second straight week.
 

Alex Caratelli and Ta'Nauz Gregory both had outstanding days receiving. Caratelli tied his career high with 13 catches for 188 yards with 2 TDs. Gregory added 10 catches for 136 yards and a score, both season highs for the exciting freshman. The diminutive wide receiver has now scored a touchdown in five of his first six career games.
 
Walter Fletcher, meanwhile, helped Edinboro run for a season-high 172 yards. The redshirt freshman posted his second career 100-yard game with 13 carries for 135 yards and two scores, adding 5 receptions for 29 yards.
 
For the second straight week, the defense limited an opponent to fewer than 20 points and 400 yards. Gannon would finish with 379 total yards while throwing four interceptions. Edinboro also sacked Golden Knight quarterbacks six times.
 
Mike Shansky paced the defense with a season-high 12 tackles one week after recording 11 stops at Clarion. Josh Kibbie came up with two of Edinboro's six sacks, while Brandon Anderson, Gabe Tillman, Maurice Sims, and Marquese Moore intercepted Gannon passes.
 
Edinboro made a statement immediately to open the game, taking the opening kickoff and marching 68 yards on nine plays to take a 7-0 lead. Fletcher's 38-yard run gave the Fighting Scots the ball at the GU 8, and three plays later he scored on a one-yard run.
 
The Fighting Scots would tack on two more field goals in the opening quarter for a 13-0 lead after 15 minutes as virtually the entire quarter was played in Gannon territory. Austin Reese converted the first from 29 yards out with 6:52 left in the first quarter. He added a 31-yarder with 40 seconds to go.
 
Gannon finally got on the board early in the second quarter, as the Golden Knights drove to the Edinboro 13 before the defense stiffened. Karch Holland came in and kicked a 33-yard field goal to make it 13-3 with 12:56 to play.
 
Edinboro entered halftime with a 20-3 lead after the Fighting Scots scored on a four-play, 82-yard drive following a Gannon punt. All four plays were Sisson pass plays, covering 15 and 11 yards to Caratelli, 15 yards to Gregory, and finally a 41-yard strike to Caratelli with 8:49 left in the second quarter.
 
Edinboro appeared to score another touchdown following an interception by Gabe Tillman that was returned 23 yards to the GU 6. Sisson scored on a six-yard run two plays later, but a holding penalty negated the score, and the Scots were ultimately stopped on downs at the four.
 
Sisson and Gregory combined for the lone score in the third quarter. Taking over at their own 23, Edinboro needed just five plays to strike once again on a 77-yard drive. Fletcher burst 39 yards to the GU 39, and after two plays resulted in a loss of a yard, Sisson found Gregory open down the middle at the 15, and Gregory did the rest, juking one defender and completing a 40-yard touchdown play. Reese's extra point made it 27-3 with 2:47 left in the third quarter.
 

As has been the case most of this year, the fourth quarter featured plenty of scoring as both teams scored a pair of touchdowns.
 
Gannon put together an impressive 10-play, 95-yard drive following Gregory's score. On the second play of the fourth quarter, Marcus Jones bulled in from three yards out for a touchdown to close the game at 27-10.
 
The Edinboro offense responded with a 74-yard drive in six plays. Interestingly enough, Fletcher dropped what could have been a 40-yard touchdown pass. He made up for it over the next two plays. After going 19 yards on the next play, he danced his way to a 21-yard touchdown with 12:50 to play for a 34-10 lead.
 
The Golden Knights closed the gap to 17 points once again at 34-17 less than four minutes later. After blocking Reese's 37-yard field goal attempt, Gannon scored on the next play. Zach Phillips found Richard Makowski open down the right sideline for an 80-yard touchdown. That came with 9:13 to play.
 
Edinboro tacked on an insurance score on the ensuing possession. With Sisson completing six-of-seven passes, the Fighting Scots marched 68 yards in eight plays. He combined with Caratelli three times for 52 yards, the last a leaping catch by the redshirt junior wide receiver for the final 23 yards. That gave the Scots a 41-17 lead with exactly six minutes remaining.
 
Now at 5-1, Edinboro is off to its best start since the 2009 season. The Fighting Scots will look to continue that success while staying in the hunt for the PSAC West title when they play another local rivalry contest at Mercyhurst next Saturday, October 15.