Edinboro, Pa. -- The Edinboro football team returns to PSAC West action on Saturday when they host Gannon for a 2 p.m. kickoff on homecoming at Sox Harrison Stadium.

Both Edinboro and Gannon are coming off week five victories with the Scots imporving to 3-2 overall 1-1 in PSAC West play while Gannon is 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the West.

Last Week
Richie Pekmezian split the sticks on a 21-yard field goal with five seconds left capping a brilliant two-minute drive to lift the Scots to a 16-13 victory over Mercyhurst on Saturday. JR Tellington returned a first quarter interception for a touchdown to go with 11 tackles. Thaddeus Standfield paced the offense with 12 catches for 129 yards including a key 25-yarder on the games final drive.

Gannon is coming off a 21-10 victory over Seton Hill on Saturday. Kory Curtis passed for 162 yards  and a pair of touchdowns while Melvin Blanks rushed for 95 yards with a touchdown each receiving and rushing. Nicholas White made eight tackles including 2.5 sacks for the Golden Knights.

The Series
Edinboro Leads 10-5
Last Edinboro Win: Oct. 15, 2019, 18-17
Last Gannon  Win: Oct. 23, 2021, 21-18
Largest Margin of Victory Edinboro: Oct. 4, 2008, 40-3
Largest Margin of Victory Gannon: Oct. 16, 2014, 52-7

Tackle Machine
Clay Cunningham has led as strong Edinboro defensive effort. He currently tops the PSAC and ranks fourth in Division II with 11.6 tackles per game. He ranks in the top 40 in D-II with 5.4 solo tackles per contest. 

No Fly Zone
The Fighting Scot defense leads the conference in passing defense holding opponents to 137.0 yards per game the ninth best mark in the country.

Takeaways
Edinboro's defense has also  been effective taking the ball away from other teams. The Scots have forced 11 turnovers ranking fifth in the PSAC and 25th in the nation. The Scots were a +2 in the turnover department against Mercyhurst.

Behind Enemy Lines
The Edinboro defense has been disruptive in the opponent's backfield. Their average of 7.4 tackles for loss per game is the seventh best mark in the PSAC. Clay Cunningham leads the team with 6.5 stops for a loss while Malcolm Johnson checks in with 6.0 tackles for loss. 

Honor Roll
Freshman defensive lineman JR Tellington made good on his first career start making 11 tackles and returning an interception for a touchdown and earning PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week honors after Edinboro defeated Mercyhurst 16-13 last week.

Reed Martin has been named the PSAC West Special Teams Player of the Week twice this season after Scot victories over Franklin Pierce and Bloomsburg. Martin is currently atop the PSAC in punting averaging 42.3 yards per punt ranking 20th in D-II.

Hidden Yards
The Edinboro coverage team is holding opponets to less than five yards per return. The result is the 11th best net punting margin in the nation at 39.9 yards per punt. The special teams unit has also been strong on kickoff coverage. The 12.7 yards per kickoff return is the fifth best mark in the country. 

All-Purpose Threat
After no receiver went over 100 yards in the 2019 season, Thaddeus Standfield crossed the 100-yard threshold for the second time this season going for 129 on 12 catches against Mercyhurst. Standfield averages seven catches per game third in the PSAC and 13th in D-II. He has also had success as a kick returner ranking 16th in the nation in all-purpose yards with 152.6 yards per game.

In the Pocket
Sophomore quarterback Isaac Bernard ranks fourth in the PSAC and 22nd in the nation with 1,200 passing yards through five games. His 240 yards per game rank fifth in the PSAC. He also ranks 11th in Division II with 23.0 completions per contest. Bernard went 7-for-8 for 58 yards on the Fighting Scots game-winning field goal drive last week.

Close Calls
After going 2-4 in games decided by one score a season ago, Edinboro has been on the other end of the results this season. The Scots are currently 3-0 in games decided by one score in 2022.

In the Red
After starting the season 1-for-9 in the red zone without a touchdown, the Scots have scored on seven of their last 12 trips inside the 20 with three touchdowns. Freshman running back Keon Anderson has been a part of all three red zone scores rushing for a pair and passing for the third. 

Eating the Clock
The Scots have controlled possession through five games. They rank ninth in the country and second in the PSAC with an average time of possession of 33:33 per contest. 

Scouting the Golden Knights
Gannon is 4-1 overall and 2-0 in PSAC West play after a 21-10 victory over Seton Hill on Saturday. They average 30.8 points per game while holding opponents to just 17.2. 

Kory Cutris triggers the offense passing for 1,266 yards and 11 touchdowns to just one interception. He also adds a pair of rushing touchdowns. Melvin Blanks averages 106.2 yards per game and 4.6 yards per carry to go with seven touchdowns. Ke'John Batiste is the leading receiver for Gannon with 32 catches for 463 yards and two touchdowns. Sam East has made 21 catches in three games gong for 350 yards and four scores.

Defensively, Chris Farnsworth is the Golden Knights leading tackler with 47 stops and three pass break ups. Keith Thompson checks in with 29 tackles. Nick White has been a disruptor in the backfield making 23 tackles with six for a loss including three sacks.

Jake Nulph Show