ERIE, Pa. – The Clarion football team fell in a road shootout on Saturday, dropping a 38-28 decision to Gannon at McConnell Family Stadium. The Golden Eagles (1-9, 1-6 PSAC West) will close their season next Saturday.
The Clarion defense did its best to limit the high-powered Gannon offense, intercepting four passes and recovering one fumble for a five-turnover day on the road. They harassed Golden Knights quarterback Jimmy Keefe to the tune of a -1.3 quarterback rating, holding him to 5-of-11 for 34 yards and the four picks.
One of those interceptions led directly to the Golden Eagles' second touchdown of the game, as
Tyrone Cromwell intercepted Keefe and returned the pick to midfield. On 1st-and-10 from the Gannon 20,
Jeff Clemens hit
Cameron Jefferies in the end zone to put Clarion ahead 14-7.
Mylique McGriff exploded in the running game for Clarion, finishing with 216 rushing yards and a touchdown on 29 carries, giving him a 7.4 yards per carry average on the afternoon.
Kyle Evans made the most of his lone carry on the day, punching in a touchdown from one yard out in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 28.
Clemens finished the day 14-of-30 passing for 156 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. His other score came late in the second quarter, when he connected with
Mason Standard from 13 yards out for Standard's sixth touchdown of the season. Standard finished with a team-high five catches for 64 yards.
Gannon took a 7-0 lead after Marc Jones ripped off a 57-yard touchdown run, but McGriff quickly matched him with a long scoring run of his own. On 3rd-and-2 from the Gannon 47, McGriff went over right tackle and blew past the Golden Knight defenders on a 47-yard scamper to the end zone to make it 7-7. Clarion shut down the next two drives with interceptions, with
Sam Fareri and Cromwell picking off passes to keep the Golden Knights out of the end zone.
Gannon took a 21-14 lead on a punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter, but Clemens responded by closing out a 13-play, 61-yard drive with the 13-yard strike to Standard.
Gus Schmitt snuffed the final Gannon drive of the half with an interception, keeping Clarion within striking distance at the break.
Colton McKay did the same to Gannon's first drive of the third quarter, pulling in Keefe's pass and returning it 44 yards to the Gannon 42.
Early in the fourth quarter McGriff ripped off Clarion's longest play of the year, rushing 79 yards from his own 13-yard-line down to the Gannon 8. Evans eventually finished the drive off, rushing up the middle for a touchdown to tie the game at 28. Jones scored over right tackle late in the quarter to make it 35-28, and Gannon tacked on another field goal late to set the final score.
