Mercyhurst Lakers (2-6, 1-4 PSAC West) at Clarion Golden Eagles (0-7, 0-4 PSAC West)
Saturday, Oct. 30 // 12 p.m. // Clarion, Pa. // Memorial Stadium

MEDIA COVERAGE

Mike Kalinowski (PXP) and Joe Lodanosky (color) will have the radio call for the game on 96.3 FM Mix96 an hour before kickoff.  Live audio streaming will be available via the Mix96 website.

Streaming Video: All PSAC member institutions stream football games free of charge on the PSAC Sports Digital Network. Games are available on the web, and fans can download the PSAC Sports Digital Network App on the following: 
- Mobile: App Store (iOS), Google Play (Android), Amazon Fire
- Streaming: Amazon Fire, Android TV, Apple TV, Roku

Live Stats: Fans can follow along with live stats from all Golden Eagle football contests through SIDEARM live stats. Links will also be available on the schedule at ClarionGoldenEagles.com.

The Kickoff    
The Golden Eagles will recognize their seniors in the final home game of their careers on Saturday afternoon, when Clarion welcomes Mercyhurst to Memorial Stadium. Game time is set for noon.

Series History

• This will be the 13th meeting between the Golden Eagles and the Lakers, with Mercyhurst owning an 8-4 record in the all-time series. The rivalry dates back only to the 2008 season, when  the Lakers defeated Clarion by a 41-7 score in Erie. The Golden Eagles returned the favor in 2009, defeating Mercyhurst 29-25 at Memorial Stadium. The Lakers have won each of the last three meetings, contested between 2017-19.
• Though Mercyhurst owns a lead in the overall series, things are dead even in games contested at Memorial Stadium. The Golden Eagles and the Lakers have played to a 3-3 draw in the first six meetings played in Clarion, though the Golden Eagles have not beaten Merychurst at home in either of the last two meetings. Clarion's last win in Memorial Stadium was a 41-27 victory on Oct. 3, 2015.
• The Lakers spoiled Clarion's Senior Day in their last visit to Memorial Stadium, winning by a 57-10 score on Nov. 9, 2019. The last Golden Eagle win in the series came during the 2016 season, when Clarion rallied from a late fourth quarter deficit to defeat Mercyhurst 35-34 on the road. 

About the Opponent

• Mercyhurst was predicted to finish fourth in the PSAC West in 2021 after finishing with a 6-5 record in 2019, including a 3-4 mark in PSAC West action. This year they are 2-6 overall with a 1-4 record in divisional play. 
• The Lakers opened the season with an 18-3 home win over Alderson Broaddus before dropping five straight games. They got back on the right side of the ledger on Oct. 16 when they picked up a road win over Edinboro, defeating the Fighting Scots 27-20 in overtime. Joe Carter scored the only points of the overtime period, punching it in from one yard out for the win.
• Mercyhurst boasts a solid total defense, allowing just an average of 315.8 total yards per game. They are one of the least penalized teams in the PSAC, ranking in the top-five in the conference in average penalties (6.50 - 2nd) and average penalty yardage (54.9 - 3rd) per game. They allow just 15.3 first downs per game, an average that ranks fifth in the conference this season.
• Kicker Brian Alsobrooks is one of the most accurate in the PSAC, making 72.7 percent of his field goal attempts to rank third in the league. He's also one of the better punters in the conference, ranking sixth in the league in average yards per attempt (38.6). Defensively, Jacob Holl is the leading tackler in the PSAC with an average of 9.9 stops per game, while Thomas Zacharyasz is averaging 9.5 stops per game.

Last Time Out

• The Golden Eagle football team returned to action after a weeklong absence on Oct. 23, but Clarion could not defeat Seton Hill in falling 49-0 to the Griffins at Memorial Stadium. 
• The Golden Eagles found some success on the ground against the Griffins, with Khalil Owens gaining 78 yards on 18 carries. There was also some ability to move the ball through the air, with Kahliq Muhammad catching six passes for 92 yards. 
• While Clarion was able to move the ball with some ease, especially in the first half, they were unable to light up the scoreboard against Seton Hill. The Griffins held Clarion to 232 total yards of offense.
• Defensively, Drew Blon recorded a team-high nine tackles, including 2.0 tackles for loss. Esaie Batoula added seven tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Desmond Johnson posted a sack.

PSAC Announces Preseason Coaches Poll
The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) announced the results of their preseason coaches poll on August 4. The Golden Eagles were predicted to finish eighth in the PSAC West division in 2021.

PSAC West Division (First Place Votes)

1. Slippery Rock (4)
2. IUP (3)
3. Cal U (1)
4. Mercyhurst
5. Edinboro
6. Seton Hill
7. Gannon
8. Clarion

PSAC East Division (First Place Votes)

1. Shepherd (6)
2. West Chester (1)
3. Kutztown (1)
4. Bloomsburg
5. Shippensburg
6. East Stroudsburg
7. Millersville
8. Lock Haven

Keeping the Streak Alive

• The Golden Eagles' play of the day against Seton Hill came early in the second half, when Clarion blocked a Griffin field goal attempt.
• At the end of Seton Hill's first drive of the half, the Golden Eagle kick unit blew through the Griffins' line, with Shane Kemper blocking Luke Hauger's field goal attempt relatively easily. Scottie McMillon recovered the kick to quash the Griffins' scoring drive.
• Clarion has now blocked three total kicks in their last two meetings with the Griffins: Saif Khan blocked an extra point attempt and Rayonte Campbell a punt in their last meeting, during the 2019 season.
• The Golden Eagles have now blocked at least one kick in three straight seasons. The last blocked field goal came during the 2018 season, when Paul Blendinger blocked a Gannon field goal attempt.

Owens on the Run

• Playing against his former team, running back Khalil Owens had one of his best rushing days as a Golden Eagle on Oct. 23 against Seton Hill.
• Owens carried the rock 18 times for a season-high 78 yards, a 4.3 yards per carry average.

Baker Brings the Pressure

• Freshman defensive end Jake Baker has brought consistent pressure in 2021, and ranks as the Golden Eagles' leader in quarterback hurries.
• Baker has been officially credited with eight hurries on the season, and also has a fumble recovery to his credit.

Double-Dip Part Deux

• Against IUP on Oct. 9, Quinn Zinobile and Terrell Ford both went over 100 yards receiving, marking the second time this season two Golden Eagles broke the century mark.
• Ford added eight catches for 115 yards and a score, while Zinobile recorded six grabs for 107 yards and a touchdown.
• It is the second time this season that two Golden Eagle receivers went over 100 yards receiving in the same game. Zinobile (202) and Kahliq Muhammad (102) previously turned the trick against Shippensburg on Sept. 18.

Zech Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

• Quarterback Zechariah Sanderson made his first career start on Oct. 9 against IUP, improving as the game went on and finishing with a solid stat line.
• Sanderson completed 21-of-35 passes for 284 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
• Sanderson is the third Golden Eagle quarterback to start a game this season and the fourth to see significant game action: both Kyle Knight and Michael Proios were lost to injury earlier in the year.

Ford the River

• Terrell Ford had his second career 100-yard receiving game in the Blue & Gold on Oct. 9, catching eight passes for 115 yards and a touchdown against IUP.
• The eight receptions tied for his best total in a Clarion uniform, and the 115 yards represented his best output since recording 152 receiving yards against Gannon on Sept. 28, 2019.
• His 52-yard touchdown reception against the Crimson Hawks now represents his longest career reception at Clarion, topping a 37-yarder he posted last year against Lock Haven.

Slipping Through the Cracks

• Despite being officially listed at 5-7, 155 pounds, running back / wide receiver Nathan Roby proved to be difficult to bring down when he faced IUP on Oct. 9.
• The freshman athlete got a significant number of snaps at running back and showed great ability eluding tacklers on handoffs, as well as taking on defenders when running routes.
• Roby finished with eight carries for 66 rushing yards, and four catches for 44 receiving yards, for 110 all-purpose yards against the Crimson Hawks.

Going Ham

• Kareem Hamdan has gotten off to a good start in 2021, showing that he has a nose for making stops all over the field.
• The sophomore linebacker leads the team with 57 total tackles in the first seven games. He ranks eighth in the PSAC with an average of 8.1 tackles per game through Week 8.

Exclusive Club for Jalen Smith

• With his 55-yard punt return against Lake Erie on Sept. 4, Jalen Smith became just the fifth Clarion player to return a punt for a touchdown in the last two decades.
• The last time a Golden Eagle took a punt back for a score was on Oct. 11, 2014, when Matt Lehman took a kick 27 yards to the house against Edinboro.
• Clarion players returned four punts for touchdowns from 2002-05, but have only returned two since then.

Clarion Punt Returns for TDs - Since 2000
2021 - Jalen Smith vs. Lake Erie
2014 - Matt Lehman vs. Edinboro
2005 - Matt Morris
2003 - Bo Busch, Myron Hargon
2002 - Brandon Whitman

Nothing Runs Like a Ford

• Against Lake Erie on Sept. 4, Terrell Ford scored his second career kickoff return touchdown, taking it to the house from 70 yards out.
• Ford is the first Golden Eagle to return two kickoffs for touchdowns in his career since Rick Slike returned two kicks during the 1973 season.

One More Note on the Return Game...

• When Jalen Smith and Terrell Ford returned a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns, respectively, against Lake Erie, they became the first Clarion duo to return kicks for touchdowns in the same game in 21 years. 
• Cori Johnson and Myron Hargon both returned kickoffs for touchdowns on Sept. 2, 2000 against East Stroudsburg.

PSAC Announces Partnership with BlueFrame Technology for PSAC Sports Digital Network

• The PSAC announced in July that it reached a five-year partnership with BlueFrame technology to create an end-to-end digital network for all 18 member institutions.
• The PSAC Sports Digital Network will be available on the web along with streaming applications for television and mobile devices for Android TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku (TV), iOS, Android (mobile) and Amazon Fire Tablet. The app will be able to be found and installed by searching for the PSAC Sports Digital Network.

Next Week

• The Golden Eagles will play their final PSAC West game of the season when they head to Edinboro to face the Fighting Scots on Saturday, November 6. Kickoff is scheduled for noon at Sox-Harrison Stadium.
• Edinboro has won five straight meetings with the Golden Eagles, with Clarion's last win in the series coming on Oct. 10, 2015.
• The last two games between the teams have been decided by just a touchdown.