Box Score
STATS & SCORING SUMMARY

                (Clarion, Pa.): Clarion's Patrick Graham-Murphy (Jr. Pgh. Brashear) ran for 155 yards and 1 td, qb Ben Fiscus (So. Indiana) rushed for 88 yards and 1 td and passed for another, and the Golden Eagle defense held Gannon to -14 rushing yards as Clarion defeated Gannon 28-21 on Saturday afternoon.
 
                Held at Clarion's Memorial Stadium, the Golden Eagles raised their record to 2-7 overall and 2-4 in the PSAC-West, while Gannon dropped to 3-6 overall and 2-4 in the West.
 
                The Family Day crowd of `1,047 were barely in their seats when Clarion running back Patrick Graham-Murphy, in only his second start at running back, dashed 68 yards to paydirt on the game's second play for a 7-0 Clarion lead. Graham-Murphy took the handoff from qb Fiscus, ran up the right hash to the 45, cutback to the left sideline and beat the Gannon defenders into the endzone. The PAT by Tyler Ruark came at 14:06.
 
                Gannon tied the game late in the first quarter on a 37-yard pass from Daniel Tapscott to Jerry Smith who made a nice catch between two Clarion defenders. Matt Szczupakowski  kicked the PAT at 1:18 and the game was tied 7-7.
 
                Clarion jumped back in front 14-7 driving 78 yards in 8 plays after Gannon failed on a fourth and 10 at the Golden Eagle 22. The drive's big play came on first down when Fiscus hit tight end Ryan Wolfe (Jr. Delmont)  for 51-yards to the Gannon 27. Graham-Murphy converted a 4^th and 1 from the Gannon 18 to the 17, then on third and 6 at the 13, Fiscus hit Jon Reid (So. Stafford, Va.) on a corner fade route in the right side of the endzone with 6:33 left in the second quarter.
 
                Gannon reached into its bag of tricks and scored the game-tying td on the final play of the first half.  With the ball on the Gannon 43 and 9 seconds remaining, Tapscott his Jonathon Jones for 12 yards to the Clarion 45, who lateralled the pigskin to Lawrence Coleman who ran down the right sideline 45 yards for the score. The hook & ladder play went 67-yards.
 
                Gannon placekicker Matt Szczupakowski  missed a 44-yard field goal to start the second half, and Clarion came right back to drive 74 yards in 7 plays to take the lead. Graham-Murphy's 13-yard run and a pass from Fiscus to tight end Anthony Becoate (So. McKeesport) , which put the ball at the Gannon 32. Running back Brandon Akins (So. Erie/Strong Vincent) took the read-draw handoff from Fiscus, cut the play to the right sideline and scampered 32-yards for the go-ahead score at 9:08 of the third quarter.
 
                Gannon drove to the Clarion 8 yard line, but a fade pass into the right endzone was intercepted by Ryan Stevens in the endzone ending the threat.
 
                Clarion used the momentum swing to drive 80 yards in 18 plays taking 9 minutes of the clock. On second and 15 at the Gannon 25, Fiscus drilled a pass over the middle to Robert Tantlinger (Jr. Franklin) for 18 yards and a first and goal at the Gannon 7.
 
                Graham-Murphy ran 6-yards to the 1, and two qb sneaks from Fiscus netted 0 yards. On fourth and goal at the 6-inch line, Fiscus sneaked off left guard for the td and a 28-14 lead with  8:43 left in the game.
 
                The Clarion defense came up with big plays on Gannon's next two drives. Linebacker Mike Verdun intercepted a Tapscott pass at the Clarion 30 and returned it to midfield. On the Golden Knights next drive, which had the ball at the Clarion 26, backup qn Ty Watson tried a pass into the left endzone but Anthony Stimac jumped up and made a one-handed interception.
 
                Gannon scored with 49-seconds left on a 2-yard pass from Watson to Jerry Smith to cut the lead to 28-21.
 
                Matt Szczupakowski  tried an onside kick, but tight end Rob Irwin grabbed the pigskin at the Gannon 39 and Clarion ran out the clock.
 
                Clarion totaled 421 yards of total offense including 247 rushing and 174 passing. Patrick Graham-Murphy rushed 27 times for 155 yards and 1 td. QB Ben Fiscus rushed 19 times for 88 yards and 1 td, plus hit on 11 of 18 passes for 174 yards and 1 td.
 
                The Clarion defense played well on Saturday holding Gannon to -14 rushing yards on 21 carries. Ryan Stevens an d Anthony Stimac had 7 hits and 1 interception each, while Barrington Morrison was in on 4 tfl's.

                Gannon had 376 yards of total offense including 390 passing yards and -14 rushing yards. Jansen Jones rushed 5 times for 19 yards and Alex Papson had 9 carries for -5 yards. QB Daniel Tapscott completed 17 of 27 passes for 266 yards and 2 td's with 3 int's. Watson completed 7 of 14  passes for 124 yards and 1 td. Lawrence Coleman caught 7 passes for 194 yards and 1 td and Jerry Smith grabbed 6 passes for 127 yards and 2 td's.
 
                CLARION NOTES:  Clarion returns home next Saturday in the season's final home game  against Mercyhurst … Kickoff is set for 1pm on Senior Day … The last time Clarion held a team to minus yardage was -7 rushing yards in a 24-0 win over Lock Haven on Sept. 19, 2009… Clarion held S.R. to -18 rushing yards on November  16, 2002 in a 21-14 loss.