Edinboro, Pa. – The Edinboro football team scored a dominant 38-8 victory over No. 20 Slippery Rock to claim a share of the PSAC West Regular Season Title.
The regular season co-championship is the first share of the PSAC West title for the Fighting Scots since 2005.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Scots broke through first driving 71 yards in 14 plays eating 8:10 off the clock and ending in a 26-yard field goal by
Tanner Bruzda with 8:34 to play in the second quarter.
The Rock drove the ball to the Edinboro 36-yard line but on a fourth-and-nine DaOne Owens was intercepted by
Kamar Meza to give the Scots the ball back at their own 20-yard line with 3:41 to play.
Caron Robinson opened the drive with a nine-yard rush. Robinson got the ball again on the next play ripping of 51 yards to the Slippery Rock 20. After a rush for no gain,
Nico Marchitelli hit
Junior Aderomilehin for 18 yards putting the Scots first-and-goal at the Rock 2-yard line.
Bo Swartz would finish the drive with a one-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 10-0 with 57 seconds remaining in the half.
Edinboro took that 10-0 lead into the break after the defense forced a turnover on downs on the final Slippery Rock possession of the second quarter.
The Scots received the second half kickoff and started right where they left off with a steady diet of Robinson on the ground. He carried the ball on each of the first two plays chewing up five yards and six yards to move the chains.
Jerry Dinkins III rushed for three yards and Marchitelli pulled the read option and covered 15 yards to put the ball at the Slippery Rock 41. Robinson picked up 18 more yards on back-to-back carries advancing the ball to the Rock 23. Marchitelli hit Bezon for 15 more to set up first and goal from the eight. Robinson outraced the Rock defense to the right pylon extending the lead to 17-0 with 9:44 on the clock in the third.
Slippery Rock went three-and-out and punted the ball back to the Scots who set up shop at their own 30-yard line. Marchitelli opened the drive with an eight-yard rush and carries of one and five gave the Scots a first down at their own 44. Dinkins went up the middle for two and Robinson burst through the middle ripping off a 54-yard touchdown run to extend the advantage to 24-0 at the 4:52 mark of the third.
The Edinboro defense continued to stifle the Rock forcing a turnover on downs with 3:20 left in the third taking the ball at the Scot 40. Swartz cashed in another one-yard touchdown run putting the punctuation on a nine-play, 60-yard drive that ate up 5:36 stretching the lead to 31-0.
Slippery Rock got on the board with 8:57 remaining in the contest when JayJay Jordan scored from six yards out finishing a 10-play 68-yard drive. Jordan would haul in the two-point conversion to make it 31-8.
The Scots set the final when Marchitelli hit
Jeremiah Neeley for a four-yard touchdown pass with 3:15 left in the fourth.
Robinson carried the ball 31 times for 273 yards for an average of 8.8 yards per carry and two touchdowns. It is the most yards by a Fighting Scot since Walter Fletcher rushed for 328 on October 18, 2018, against Seton Hill. Marchitelli was an efficient 8-of-11 passing for 70 yards and a touchdown while also rushing five times for 69 yards.
Nate Deanes led the defensive effort with six tackles, four solo, one for a loss and two pass breakups.
Carlos Morales added five stops.
Shamarr Joppy recorded 1.5 tackles for loss and 1.0 sacks.
The Scots finished West play at 5-1 tied with IUP, but the Crimson Hawks will go to the PSAC Championship game via the head-to-head tiebreaker. The win also secured the Scots their first winning season since 2018.
The Scots will close out the regular season on Saturday with a trip to Millersville. Kick off is slated for noon.
