Seton Hill Griffins (4-4, 2-2 PSAC West) at Clarion Golden Eagles (5-2, 1-2 PSAC West)
Saturday, October 25 // 2:00 PM
Clarion, Pa. // Al Jacks Field at Memorial Stadium

Quick Notes

• The Golden Eagles return to Al Jacks Field at Memorial Stadium for the 2025 Homecoming game, with Clarion hosting Seton Hill for a 2 p.m. kickoff.
• This will be the 12th meeting between the Golden Eagles and the Griffins, with Clarion owning a 6-5 advantage in the all-time series. Seton Hill has won three of the last four meetings, though Clarion had won five of the first seven contests between the teams.
• The Golden Eagles are coming off a heartbreaking 31-28 loss to California (PA) last week, with the Vulcans scoring a go-ahead touchdown with just seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter.
• Through second games, the Golden Eagles rank second in the PSAC West division and third overall in the conference with an average of 37.1 points per game.
• Of Clarion's 452 offensive plays this year, 116 of them have qualified as an "explosive" plays, making up 25 percent of their season total plays to date.
• Running back Khalon Simmons ranks third in NCAA Super Region 1 with nine rushing touchdowns in seven games.
• Receiver Davon Jones leads the PSAC and ranks 10th in the nation in receptions at 6.8 per game, and his average of 90.0 receiving yards per game ranks second in the Region.
• Receiver Holt Egan caught three touchdowns in the win over Gannon on Oct. 11, making him the first Golden Eagles to catch three in a game since 2019.
• Anthony Guercio returned to action in the game against the Vulcans and topped the 400-yard passing mark for the second time this season, the first time a Golden Eagle has done so in multiple games in one season since 2015.
• Griffin Buzzell ranks third in the PSAC and is tied for sixth in NCAA Division II with three forced fumbles and is fourth in the nation in solo tackles with an average of 6.4 per game.
• Zay Brisbane ranks eighth in D-II and first in the conference with an average of 1.43 passes defended per game. Christopher Shackleford ranks right behind him in the PSAC at 1.14 passes defended per game.
• Golden Eagles defenders have forced eight fumbles this year, second most in the PSAC to date.
• Clarion has been one of the best teams in the country at protecting the ball, ranking 10th in the nation to date with just five turnovers lost.

Series History

• This will be the 12th meeting between the Golden Eagles and the Griffins, with Clarion owning a 6-5 advantage in the all-time series. Seton Hill has won three of the last four meetings, though Clarion had won five of the first seven contests between the teams.
• Last year marked the first time the home team had won in the series since 2019, when Seton Hill won 31-16 at Offutt Field. The home team in this rivalry had not previously won since Oct. 5, 2019, when Clarion won 42-16 at Memorial Stadium.
• The last win for Clarion was on Oct. 8, 2022, a 40-13 win at Offutt Field. In that game the Golden Eagles excelled on special teams, scoring two touchdowns in the third phase of the game. Connor Lyczek blocked a field goal attempt that Legend Davis returned 67 yards for a score, and Zach Benedek scored on a fake field goal late in the second quarter to make it 21-0.
• In last year's meeting, the Golden Eagles led at halftime and did an effective job limiting the Seton Hill offense for three quarters, but the Griffins chipped away and eventually broke through in the fourth quarter with 17 unanswered points. Ty Hurst threw the Golden Eagles' lone touchdown of the day, lofting a ball to Trevon Tate for a 39-yard score. Logan Kent had one of his best days in a Golden Eagle uniform, rushing 14 times for 98 yards and catching four passes for 36 yards.

 

Scouting the Griffins

• Seton Hill was predicted to finish fifth in the PSAC West division in 2025 after finishing the 2024 season with a 3-8 overall record and a 1-5 mark in PSAC West play.
• To this point the Griffins are 4-4, including a 2-2 mark in PSAC West play. They picked up non-conference wins over West Liberty and Bloomsburg early in the season, and their conference victories include a road win over then-No. 6 California (16-7) and a home win over Gannon (28-14).
• Seton Hill head coach Kevin May is in his first season as head coach after spending six seasons as the defensive coordinator. May has coached two PSAC West Defensive Athletes of the Year, one All American and two finalists for the Cliff Harris Award.  He has coached three All Region performers and 14 All PSAC West performers including eight first team All PSAC West selections.
• The Griffins lead the PSAC with 30 total sacks and are fourth in the conference with seven forced fumbles. Anthony Stribling leads the conference with 7.5 total sacks.
• Ky'ron Craggette is one of two players in the PSAC averaging better than 100 rushing yards per game, ranking second with 104.8 yards.

Buzz at Linebacker

• Linebacker Griffin Buzzell earned his second consecutive Second Team All-PSAC West honor, as the linebacker continued his development into a leader not just on the defense but for the team. He ranked fourth in the PSAC with 90 tackles while also contributing 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception.
• Midway through the season Buzzell has been one of the best linebackers in the PSAC and the Region. He ranks third in the PSAC and tied for sixth in NCAA Division II with three forced fumbles, and is fourth in the nation in solo tackles with an average of 6.4 per game.
• Buzzell is fifth in the nation with an average of 11.9 total tackles per game.

 

The Offense by the (Conventional) Numbers

• Through seven games, the Golden Eagles rank second in the PSAC West division and third overall in the conference with an average of 37.1 points per game.
• That jibes well with their total offensive numbers; the Golden Eagles lead the PSAC with an average of 437.7 yards per game this year, a mark that ranks 19th in the nation this season and fourth in Super Region 1.
• The Golden Eagles' 603 yards of total offense in the win over Shepherd on Sept. 20 stands as the second highest single-game total in the conference to date.
• Clarion has scored 35 touchdowns this season, tied for second-most in the conference with Slippery Rock and ranking behind only behind Kutztown (43).
• Clarion has achieved 159 first downs in their first six games, fourth-best in Super Region 1 and the best in the PSAC. That's an average of 22.7 first downs per game.
•  

The Offense by the (Nerdy) Numbers

• The offense has been effective at getting yardage in big chunks; through five games the Golden Eagles have totaled 40 "explosive" runs (10+ yards) and 76 "explosive" pass plays (15+ yards) for a total of 116 "explosive" plays. That is an explosive play rate of 25.7 percent.
• Clarion is averaging 6.8 yards per play so far this season, third in the PSAC West and tied for fourth in the conference this year.
• The offense has reached the red zone more than any other team in the PSAC, scoring 22 touchdowns on 32 trips inside the opponents' 20.
• The Golden Eagles have run 220 first down plays to this point in the season; of those, 51 plays have gone for more than 11 yards, with 24 good for 20 or more yards.
• Clarion has achieved a first down or touchdown 117 times on first or second down; by comparison, they've run only 80 plays on third down all season.

 

Digging Into Defensive Stats

• Through seven games the Golden Eagles defense has allowed an average of 25.7 points per game, fourth in the West.
• In those seven games, the Golden Eagles have allowed just 23 opponent trips into the red zone, the sixth-lowest total in the conference and second in the PSAC West to date.
• Clarion has is allowing opponents to convert just 34.6 percent of their third down plays, the fifth-best mark in the PSAC and third in the West division.
• The Golden Eagles have allowed only 58 "explosive" plays in 2025, defined as a 10+ yard rush or a 15+ yard pass play. That is an explosive play rate of just 12.3 percent against for the season.

 

Dazzling First Start for Ferguson

• True freshman quarterback Jase Ferguson got the start under center against Gannon on Oct. 11, and the local product authored a sizzling stat line in the win over the Golden Knights.
• Ferguson completed 19 of 27 passes for 334 yards and four touchdowns against one interception, and was also the game's leading rusher with 13 carries for 81 yards.
• The frosh scored his first career touchdown in the first quarter, ripping off a 37-yard run and reaching the pylon to give the Golden Eagles the lead. Later in the first he connected with Holt Egan for a 14-yard touchdown pass to make it a 14-0 lead.
• Ferguson and Egan hooked up for three touchdown passes on the day, marking the first time a Golden Eagle player has caught three scores in a game since Kahliq Muhammad pulled down three scores from Jeff Clemens against Seton Hill on Oct. 5, 2019.
• Ferguson is just the third different quarterback at Clarion since 2014 to throw for 300+ yards and 4+ touchdowns in a game, joining Connor Simmons - who did it eight times from 2014-16 - and Taylor Eggers, who did it against Shippensburg on Sept. 19, 2021.

 

Simmons Busting Out on Offense

• Through seven games, running back Khalon Simmons leads the PSAC with nine rushing touchdowns, which is tied for third in Super Region 1.
• Simmons ripped off a 44-yard touchdown run against Shippensburg on Sept. 13, the longest run of his career and the longest run for any Golden Eagle since the 2023 season.
• In the last five seasons, there have only been seven runs of 44 or more yards by a Golden Eagle:

                  Khalon Simmons vs. Shippensburg (9/13/25) - 44 yards

                  Anthony Guercio at Edinboro (10/21/23) - 55 yards

                  Khalil Owens vs. Bloomsburg (9/9/23) - 45 yards

                  Zach Benedek at Mercyhurst (10/15/22) - 55 yards

                  Khalil Owens at Mercyhurst (10/15/22) - 56 yards

                  Corahn Alleyne vs. Gannon (9/24/22) - 65 yards

                  Khalil Owens at Edinboro (11/6/21) - 52 yards

 

Four of a Kind

• Against Shepherd on Sept. 20, Khalon Simmons did something that very few Clarion players have ever done, scoring four rushing touchdowns in the win over the Rams.
• It was the first time any Clarion player scored four rushing touchdowns in a game since Patrick Graham-Murphy tied the school record with five scores against Millersville on Nov. 12, 2011.
• Simmons' game marks just the eighth time in program history a Golden Eagle player has rushed for four or more touchdowns in a single game.

 

Accolades Pile Up for Anthony Guercio

• Quarterback Anthony Guercio has earned numerous recognitions for his strong start to the season, with the ripples even reaching the national level.
• Guercio was named the D2Football.com Offensive Player of the Week, as well as the PSAC West Offensive Athlete of the Week, after his standout performance against Shepherd on Sept. 20.
• Guercio completed 26 of 35 passes for 413 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions, marking the first 400-yard passing game for a Clarion quarterback since Oct. 17, 2015. It was the fifth-highest single game total in program history. He also rushed 13 times for 60 yards.
• Guercio led the Clarion offense to 603 yards of total offense and 51 points, with both of those totals the best in a single game at Clarion since 2015.
• He previously won the PSAC West Offensive Athlete of the Week Award on Sept. 8 after putting up five total touchdowns in just 33 minutes of play in the Golden Eagles' road win over West Virginia Wesleyan.

 

Guercio in 2024

• The 2024 season featured an explosion from quarterback Anthony Guercio. He threw for 2,001 passing yards and 11 touchdowns, and then ranked second in the PSAC in total touchdowns with 12 rushing scores on the year.
• That was complemented by 645 rushing yards, giving him an average of 264.3 total offensive yards per game to rank third in the PSAC and sixth in Super Region 1.
• Guercio's 12 rushing touchdowns were the most for any Golden Eagles since Alfonso Hoggard's school record 17 touchdowns in 2009, and are tied for fifth in a single season in program history.
• When it came time to make a big play on the ground, Guercio was tops on the team in 2024. He led the team with 44 rushes for either first downs (32) or touchdowns (12). Logan Kent was second on the team with 15 such plays.

 

Climbing the List

• With two more rushing touchdowns against West Virginia Wesleyan on Sept. 4, Guercio became the fifth player in Golden Eagle history to rush for 20 touchdowns in a career. He is three away from tying Hall of Famer Elton Brown (23) on the career rushing touchdown list.
• Last year Guercio finished the season with 12 rushing touchdowns; if he matched that total this year, he would surpass Robert Walker (27) and Alfonso Hoggard (27) for second on the program's career list.

 

That's 34.2 Percent of a Mile, You Know

• Clarion's win over Shepherd on Sept. 20 saw the team explode for 603 yards of total offense, one of the best single-game marks in program history.
• That yardage total represented the best single-game total since putting up a record 676 yards against Seton Hill in the 2015 season.

 

Holt and Catch Fire

• After putting up modest, even minimal numbers, in his first year as a Golden Eagle, Holt Egan has jumped onto the scene as a dangerous target in the Clarion passing game. The senior wide receiver has 26 receptions for 546 yards and six touchdowns, with his scoring total tied for third in the PSAC.
• Egan has been a big play threat for the Golden Eagles, with his 21.0 yards per reception average ranking fifth in the PSAC.
• Egan ranks fourth in the PSAC in receiving yards per game (78.0).
• Against Shepherd on Sept. 20, Egan finished with his first career 100-yard game, catching six passes for 121 yards against the Rams. He set a new career-high with 125 yards and a touchdown against California (PA) on Oct. 18.

 

Two Over the Century Mark

• Against Shepherd on Sept. 20, both Holt Egan and Davon Jones went over the century mark in receiving yards, with Egan catching six passes for 121 yards and Jones eight for 103 yards.
• That is the first time two Golden Eagles went over the 100-yard receiving mark in the same game since Quinn Zinobile (107) and Terrell Ford (115) did it against Shippensburg on Sept. 18, 2021.

 

Money Man

• Receiver Davon Jones has turned into the go-to guy when it it's time to move the chains.
• Jones leads the PSAC and ranks 10th in NCAA Division II with an average of 6.8 receptions per game, and a high percentage of those catches have resulted in either a first down or a touchdown.
• Through six games Jones has recorded seven touchdown receptions and 30 catches that would have resulted in first downs; in total, he has 31 total "money" plays. Thirty-one of his 41 receptions have gone for first down and/or a touchdown.
• Jones ranks first in the PSAC and second in Super Region 1 with an average of 90.0 receiving yards per game. His seven receiving touchdowns ranks 12th in the nation, tied for third in Super Region 1 and tied for first in the PSAC.

 

Nose for the Ball

• Through seven games, the Golden Eagles' defensive backfield has had a knack for getting their hands on the football.
• Cornerback Zay Brisbane leads the PSAC and ranks second in Super Region 1 with 10 pass break-ups, while Christopher Shackleford (8) checks in just behind him with eight pass break-ups.
• While we're talking having a nose for the ball, Clarion defenders have forced eight fumbles this year, tied for second-most in the PSAC.

 

Not So Static Kling

• Defensive tackle Owen Kling was the anchor of the Golden Eagles' defensive line in 2024, earning Second Team All-PSAC West honors.
• The numbers were not gaudy – 16 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks – but the cumulative effect was noticeable as he demanded regular double-teams on the interior.
• Clarion held opponents to a 3.9 yards per carry average for the season.
• This year the Clarion defense ranks third in the PSAC and second in the West with an average of 105.0 rushing yards allowed per game.

 

Attacking the Backfield

• Against Gannon on Oct. 11, the Golden Eagles recorded five quarterback sacks, the second time this season they've reached the quarterback at least that many times. On Sept. 13 against Shippensburg Clarion finished with five sacks.
• Prior to the game against the Raiders, Clarion had not recorded four or more sacks in a single game since the 2022 season, when they had six against Lock Haven on Sept. 17, 2022 - coincidentally, Raymond Monica's first win as Clarion head coach.
• Defensive end Mathew McGregor leads the team and is tied for fourth in the conference with 5.0 sacks through six games. Griffin Buzzell is just one sack behind him at 4.0 total sacks for the year.
• Clarion has now had three games this season where they have recorded 4.0 or more team sacks, their highest single-season total since doing it four times in 2014.

 

Brisbane Named PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Week

• Zay Brisbane was all over the field in the win over Wheeling on Aug. 28, recording four tackles and swatting away a career-high four passes.
• Four passes defended in a single game is the best total for any Golden Eagle defender since the 1992 season.
• For his efforts, Brisbane earned PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Week honors for Sept. 2.

Defense Pitches Shutout in Season Opener

• Clarion kicked off the season with a rare feat, shutting out Wheeling 34-0 in the 2025 opener.
• The goose egg represented the first shutout for the Clarion defense since Aug. 30, 2012, when the Golden Eagles beat Fairmont State by a 7-0 score.
• That marked a span of 130 games between shutouts, as well as a 130-game span between shutouts at Memorial Stadium.
• The Golden Eagles have not had a road shutout since Sept. 9, 1995 at Westminster.
• Clarion didn't just keep the Cardinals off the scoreboard, but also from doing much of anything on offense. They limited Wheeling to 180 yards of total offense, their lowest total since permitting just 111 yards to Lincoln on Sept. 15, 2018.

 

Coming Up Next

• The Golden Eagles will take on Slippery Rock at Mihalik Thompson Stadium on Saturday, November 1. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.