Clarion Golden Eagles (0-8, 0-5 PSAC West) at Edinboro Fighting Scots (2-6, 2-4 PSAC West)
Saturday, Nov. 6 // 12 p.m. // Edinboro, Pa. // Sox Harrison Stadium

MEDIA COVERAGE

Radio: Mike Kalinowski (PXP) and Joe Lodanosky (color) will have the radio call for the game on 96.3 Mix96 an hour before kickoff.  Live audio streaming will be available via the Mix96 website and linked on the schedule at ClarionGoldenEagles.com.

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

The Kickoff    

• The Golden Eagles wrap up the PSAC West schedule on Saturday when they head on the road to take on the Edinboro Fighting Scots at Sox Harrison Stadium on Nov. 6. Kickoff is scheduled for noon. 

Series History

• The oldest rivalry in the books for the Golden Eagles, this will be the 91st meeting between Clarion and Edinboro, with the Fighting Scots owning a 48-40-2 edge in the all-time series. The series with Edinboro dates back to the very first year of varsity intercollegiate football at Clarion, with the first game between the two taking place during the 1926 season.
• Edinboro has won each of the last five meetings between the two teams, though the last two were decided by just a touchdown in each instance. The Fighting Scots won by a score of 27-20 at Sox Harrison Stadium in 2019, and overcame poor weather at Memorial Stadium in 2018 for a 14-7 win.
• The last Golden Eagle victory in the series came during the 2015 season, when Clarion dominated action en route to a 36-23 win at Sox Harrison Stadium. Kevin Genevro and Matt Lehman each caught two touchdown passes, and Delrece Williams iced away any opportunity for a Fighting Scots comeback with a 57-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to make it 36-17.
• In their last meeting Clarion scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to pull within a score of the Fighting Scots, but could not reach the end zone a final time. Mylique McGriff finished with two rushing touchdowns on the day.

About the Opponent

• Edinboro was predicted to finish fifth in the PSAC West division in 2021 after finishing with a 3-8 record in 2019. Head coach Jake Nulph is in actuality in his second year as the head coach of the program, but the 2021 season has been his first action on the sidelines.
• The Fighting Scots enter this weekend's action with a 2-6 overall record, with both wins coming in PSAC West action. However, they have kept it close with nearly every team they've played this season: six of their eight games, including both wins, have been decided by 10 points or fewer. Five of those have been within one score.
• Edinboro is coming off a road upset of IUP on Oct. 30, playing spoiler to the Crimson Hawks' playoff hopes in the process. Isaac Bernard hit Jack Hollibaugh for a seven-yard touchdown pass with 3:33 remaining in regulation to put the Fighting Scots ahead 21-17. On the ensuing drive, Aulden Knight stopped Justice Evans short of the line to gain on fourth down to lock up the win. 
• The Fighting Scots are one of the most disciplined teams in the league by a wide margin, at least when it comes to penalties. They are the least penalized team in the PSAC, averaging just 43.0 penalty yards per game. They are averaging just 4.5 penalties committed per game.
• That said, they have not produced much in the way of splash on defense. Edinboro ranks last in the PSAC with just three interceptions, and are 15th in the conference with just 13 sacks so far this year. 

Last Time Out

• The Golden Eagle football team benefitted from a couple of splash plays on both sides of the ball, but Clarion could not keep pace with Mercyhurst in falling 38-20 to the Lakers at Memorial Stadium.
• In the first quarter, a potential 51-yard touchdown catch-and-run by Terrell Ford was negated by a holding penalty, but quarterback Zechariah Sanderson went back to the well on the first play of the second quarter and this time found water. Facing a 3rd-and-7 from his own 45-yard line, Sanderson connected with Ford on a 55-yard score to put Clarion up 7-0 just nine seconds into the quarter.
• Clarion took advantage of Mercyhurst miscues on their third drive of the second quarter, drawing even with the Lakers after falling behind 14-7. The Golden Eagles first converted a fourth down from their own 45-yard line on a pass interference call, and later converted a third down as a result of a roughing the passer call against the Lakers. Taylor Eggers hit Ford for a strike on the righthand sideline to get down to the Mercyhurst 1, and Khalil Owens ran untouched into the end zone to knot things up at 14.
• Ford had his second 100-yard receiving day of the season, catching seven passes for 130 yards and a score. Golden Eagle quarterbacks combined for 289 passing yards, but the Lakers recorded five interceptions. Kareem Hamdan had a game-high 11 tackles, one tackle for loss, one pass break-up and one quarterback pressure, while Blon finished with nine stops, two tackles for loss and the pick.
• 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

Ford the River

• Terrell Ford had his third career 100-yard receiving game in the Blue & Gold on Oct. 30, catching seven passes for 130 yards and a touchdown against Mercyhurst. It was his second 100-yard receiving performance in the last three games. 
• The 130 yards represented his best output since recording 152 receiving yards against Gannon on Sept. 28, 2019.
• His 55-yard score against the Lakers is his longest reception as a Golden Eagle, topping by three yards his 52-yard touchdown reception against IUP on Oct. 9.
• Between his receiving yards and his ability to return kickoffs, Ford ranks second in the PSAC and first in the PSAC West with an average of 137.5 all-purpose yards per game.

Owens on the Run

• Khalil Owens has gotten his heaviest workload of the season over the last two weeks, totaling 42 touches - 38 rushes and four receptions - against Seton Hill and Mercyhurst.
• Owens has averaged 87.0 rushing and receiving yards per game in that time, and scored his third overall touchdown of the season - second rushing - in the game against the Lakers on Oct. 30.

Blon Takes Flight

• Safety Drew Blon had one of his best games as a Golden Eagle against Mercyhurst on Oct. 30.
• Blon finished with nine total tackles for the second straight game, and also added 2.0 tackles for loss and his first interception as a Golden Eagle. The pick was Clarion's first since Legend Davis and Scottie McMillon both snagged passes against Millersville on Sept. 10, and the first Clarion turnover in general since Robert Lachmann forced a fumble on a strip sack against Shippensburg on Sept. 17.
• Blon has 31 total tackles and 4.0 tackles for loss in his last three games. He now also has one interception and two forced fumbles on the year.

Keeping the Streak Alive

• The Golden Eagles' play of the day against Seton Hill on Oct. 23 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.

Sacks, Back-to-Back

• Desmond Johnson has been one of the most consistent defensive lineman as far as gaining penetration in 2021, and as such he's produced sacks in back-to-back games for the first time this year.
• Johnson recorded four total tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and a sack against Seton Hill on Oct. 23.
• He followed that up with two total tackles - both for a loss - and a sack against Mercyhurst on Oct. 30.

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.

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.
• Through three games of somewhat regular usage, Roby is averaging 6.1 yards per cary, rushing 20 times for 122 yards.

Three Bills for Eggers

• Making his second career start in the game against Shippensburg on Sept. 18, quarterback Taylor Eggers showed skill in moving the Golden Eagle offense up and down the field.
• Eggers completed 16-of-25 passes for 329 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions against the Red Raiders. That made him the first Clarion quarterback to throw for more than 300 yards since Connor Simmons did it against Gannon in the 2016 season. 

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 68 total tackles in the first nine games. He ranks 10th in the PSAC and fifth in the PSAC West with an average of 8.5 tackles per game through Week 9.

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 close out the 2021 season on the road, though the exact opponent is as of yet undetermined.
• Should Cal U defeat Slippery Rock on Saturday, Clarion will head to Bloomsburg. If The Rock win, they will head to Shepherd.