Millersville, Pa. – The Edinboro offense struck early and often as the Fighting Scots closed out the regular season with a 63-10 victory over Millersville Saturday afternoon.
The Fighting Scots won the toss and deferred the choice to the second half and never looked back. The Edinboro defense forced the Marauders into a three-and-out and
Isaiah Grier returned the ensuing punt 18 yards setting up the Scots at the Millersville 32-yard line. It took just three plays to cash in the good field position when
Nico Marchitelli hit
Jaret Frantz for a nine-yard touchdown. The Scots converted the two-point conversion to take an 8-0 lead.
The defense forced another Millersville punt. Trent McDowell got the punt away for 39 yards to the Edinboro 35. Grier again set the Scots up this time with a 39-yard return to put the ball at the Marauder 26. The Edinboro drive stalled but
Tanner Bruzda converted the 31-yard field goal to extend the lead to 11-0 with 10:07 left in the first.
The Scots forced their third straight three-and-out and took over after a punt at their own 46. Completions to
DaeDae Allen and
Caron Robinson put the across to the Millersville 43. After an Edinboro penalty for holding a Marauder offside Marchitelli hit Allen for a 46-yard strike to set up first-and-goal from the 2-yard line. Robinson punched it in on the next play and the Scots tallied another two-point conversion, pushing the lead to 19-0 with 6:39 remaining in the first.
Edinboro extended the lead at the 9:29 mark of the second quarter when Marchitelli hit
Clayton Bezon for a 13-yard touchdown capping a five-play, 80-yard drive to extend the lead to 27-0.
After another stop by the Edinboro defense the Scots took over at their own 15-yard line. Robinson ripped off a 41-yard rush pushing the ball to the Millersville 44. Marchitelli hit
Nico Mrvos on a slant and Mrvos ran away from the defense for a touchdown to make it 34-0 Edinboro with 5:49 left in the second quarter.
Millersville got on the board with a McDowell 29-yard field goal with 1:21 remaining in the first half. A kickoff out of bounds set Edinboro up at the 35. Facing a third-and-seven Marchitelli hit Allen along the sideline for 15 yards to the Millersville 48. Marchitelli and Allen hooked up again for 14 more to the Marauder 34. For the third straight play, Marchitelli connected with Allen this time down the right sideline for a 34-yard touchdown to make the score 42-3 a lead the Scots would carry into the locker room.
The offense picked up where it left off in the second. Robinson scored his second touchdown of the contest a one-yard plunge with 5:14 left in the third capping an eight-play, 54-yard drive to extend the lead to 49-3. The Scots got the ball back and needed just three plays to cover 71-yards as Robinson picked up a 56-yard chunk on the ground on the first play of the drive.
Jerry Dinkins III rushed for six and
Bo Swartz threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to Bezon making it 56-3 with 1:46 left in the third.
In the fourth, Kaden Smith scored his first collegiate touchdown a one-yard rush to extend the lead to 63-3. The Marauders would score a touchdown at the 7:10 mark to set the final.
Robinson carried the ball 22 times for 165 yards and two scores. He crossed the 1,000 yard mark for the season becoming the first Fighting Scot to reach that milestone since Walter Fletcher rushed for 1,690 in 2018.
Marchitelli finished the day 13-for-21 for 285 yards and four touchdowns. The last time a Fighting Scot threw for at least four touchdowns was Jake Sisson on Nov. 11, 2017. Allen was his top target catching seven passes for 142 yards and a touchdown. Bezon caught three passes for 74 yards and two scores.
Carlos Morales led the defense with seven tackles, three solos.
Amari Jones added six stops and a sack.
The Scots finished the season 7-4 their best mark since 2017 when they also finished 7-4.
