Clarion Golden Eagles (6-2, 2-2 PSAC West) at #22 Slippery Rock "The Rock"
Saturday, November 1 // 1:00 PM
Slippery Rock, Pa. // Mihalik-Thompson Stadium

Live Stats // Live Video // Slippery Rock Gameday Information

Quick Notes

• The Golden Eagles head on the road to face off with their first nationally-ranked opponent of the season when they face 22nd-ranked Slippery Rock at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
• The teams will battle for the legendary Milk Jug Trophy - or, as has been pointed out by Clarion Sports Hall Famer Mike Kalinowski, "it's more of a milk can."
• This will be the 83rd meeting between the two teams, with Slippery Rock owning a 53-25-3 advantage in the all-time series with Clarion.
• The Golden Eagles are coming off a 23-17 win at home over Seton Hill, a game where Clarion scored 16 unanswered points in the second half to take the lead.
• With the victory over the Griffins on Oct. 25, the Golden Eagles clinched their first winning season since 2015 and just their third winning season since 2003.
• Through eight games, the Golden Eagles rank third in the PSAC West division and fourth overall in the conference with an average of 35.4 points per game.
• Of Clarion's 513 offensive plays this year, 129 of them have qualified as an "explosive" plays, making up 25.1 percent of their season total plays to date.
• Davon Jones and Holt Egan are the first duo of Golden Eagles receivers to both have seven or more touchdowns in the same season since Matt Lehman and Kevin Genevro did it in 2015-16.
• Thirty-three of Davon Jones' 44 receptions this year have gone for either a first down or a touchdown (or both).
• Holt Egan leads the PSAC with an average of 86.0 receiving yards per game and his average of 22.9 yards per reception is best in the conference among players with 15 or more receptions this year.
• Of the 10 highest single-game passing yard totals in the PSAC in 2025, Clarion has three of them.
• Anthony Guercio is one of only two PSAC quarterbacks to top 400 passing yards in a game twice this year.
• Receiver Davon Jones leads Super Region 1 and ranks 15th in the nation in receptions at 6.3 per game, and his average of 80.6 receiving yards per game ranks third in the Region.
• Linebacker Griffin Buzzell fourth in the nation and first in NCAA Super Region 1 with an average of 11.6 total tackles per game, and is 10th in the nation in forced fumble per game (0.38).
• Punter Frankie Passantino III is tied for second in the PSAC in punts downed inside the 20-yard line with 13.
• Kicker Andrew Kurtas is 9 for 11 on field goal attempts this year, making him one of the most accurate and productive kickers in the PSAC to date.

 
Series History

• This will be the 83rd meeting between the two teams, with Slippery Rock owning a 53-25-3 advantage in the all-time series with Clarion. The series dates back to the 1928 season, a barn-burner that the Rock won by a 2-0 score.
• The rivalry took a holiday from 1934-47, and Clarion won their first in the series in 1951, a 19-14 victory in the season finale. The Rock are 38-18-2 dating back to the 1958 season.
• Slippery Rock has won each of the last seven meetings between the teams dating back to the 2017 season, and 12 of the last 13 overall. The lone victory for Clarion in that span came on Oct. 29, 2016, when the Golden Eagles came away with a 27-23 victory at Memorial Stadium.
• Quarterback Connor Simmons returned after missing several games due to injury, and the senior signal caller threw for 372 yards and four touchdowns. Wide receiver Kevin Genevro pulled in 12 passes for 199 yards and two scores, including what proved to be the game-winning touchdown with 1:05 remaining after the Golden Eagles had fallen behind earlier in the fourth quarter.
• Last year Slippery Rock won by a 38-22 score at Memorial Stadium in a rare Thursday night game, beating Clarion on Halloween night. Anthony Guercio scored a pair of rushing touchdowns in the first half to  keep it close, but The Rock outscored the Golden Eagles 17-8 in the second half.
• The most recent win for the Golden Eagles in Slippery Rock was on Oct. 8, 2009, when Clarion beat The Rock in a 27-10 at what was then just N. Kerr Thompson Stadium. Daily Whitten scored on a 41-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter and Alfonso Hoggard ripped off an 84-yard touchdown run on the next possession, then the longest run in school history.

 
Scouting the Rock

• Slippery Rock was predicted to win the PSAC West division in 2025 with four first place votes, just one ahead of second place IUP's three first place votes. Slippery Rock went 12-2 in 2024 and reached the NCAA semifinals, while returning plenty of talent, including All-American tackle Joe Cooper.
• To this point the Rock are 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the PSAC West, tying them with the Golden Eagles for third place in the division. As far as common opponents with Clarion, The Rock are 3-2 with wins over Shippensburg, Shepherd and Seton Hill, and losses to California (PA) and Gannon.
• Slippery Rock head coach Shawn Lutz is in his ninth season as head coach and 29th total year at The Rock. He is a three-time PSAC West Coach of the Year honoree and was named the 2019 Don Hansen Football Gazette Division II National Coach of the Year.
• Running back JayJay Jordan leads the PSAC with 991 rushing yards, and ranks third in Division II this year with an average of 194.4 all-purpose yards per game and 8.5 yards per carry.

 
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 with four forced fumbles, and his average of 0.38 FF per game ranks 10th in the nation to date.
• Buzzell is fourth in the nation and first in NCAA Super Region 1 with an average of 11.6 total tackles per game. He ranks fifth in the nation and second in the Region with an average of 6.0 solo tackles per game.

 
The Offense by the (Conventional) Numbers

• Through eight games, the Golden Eagles rank third in the PSAC West division and fourth overall in the conference with an average of 35.4 points per game.
• That jibes well with their total offensive numbers; the Golden Eagles rank second in the PSAC with an average of 432.8 yards per game this year, a mark that ranks among the top 20 nationally 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 37 touchdowns this season, tied for third-most in the conference with Slippery Rock and ranking behind only Kutztown (43).
• Clarion has achieved 176 first downs in their first eight games, best in the PSAC. That's an average of 22.0 first downs per game.

 
The Offense by the (Nerdy) Numbers

• The offense has been effective at getting yardage in big chunks; through eight games the Golden Eagles have totaled 46 "explosive" runs (10+ yards) and 83 "explosive" pass plays (15+ yards) for a total of 129 "explosive" plays. That is an explosive play rate of 25.1 percent.
• Clarion is averaging 6.7 yards per play so far this season, third in the PSAC West and fifth 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 eight games the Golden Eagles defense has allowed an average of 24.6 points per game, third in the West.
• In those eight games, the Golden Eagles have allowed just 25 opponent trips into the red zone, the sixth-lowest total in the conference and second in the PSAC West to date.
• Clarion is allowing opponents to convert just 35.8 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 68 "explosive" plays in 2025, defined as a 10+ yard rush or a 15+ yard pass play. That is an explosive play rate of just 12.2 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 eight games, running back Khalon Simmons leads the PSAC with nine rushing touchdowns, which is tied for fifth 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 30 receptions for 688 yards and seven touchdowns, with his 86.0 yards per game leading the conference and his seven touchdowns tied for second.
• Egan's 688 total receiving yards ranks second in Super Region 1 and 17th in the nation, while his 86.0 receiving yards per game are second in the Region and 19th in NCAA Division II.
• Egan has been a big play threat for the Golden Eagles, with his 22.9 yards per reception average ranking fourth in Super Region 1 and ninth in all of Division II.
• 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 141 yards and a touchdown against Seton Hill on Oct. 25.

 
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 was 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 Super Region 1 and ranks 15th in NCAA Division II with an average of 6.3 receptions per game, and a high percentage of those catches have resulted in either a first down or a touchdown.
• Through seven games Jones has recorded eight touchdown receptions and 32 catches that would have resulted in first downs; in total, he has 33 total "money" plays.
• Jones ranks third in the PSAC and fifth in Super Region 1 with an average of 80.6  receiving yards per game. His eight receiving touchdowns ranks 11th in the nation, tied for third in Super Region 1 and alone atop the PSAC.

 
Nose for the Ball

• Through eight 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 with 12 pass break-ups, while Christopher Shackleford (10) checks in just behind him with 10 pass break-ups. Adrian Torres also ranks inside the top-10 in the conference, with his six breakups ranking seventh.
• 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 104.4 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 third in the conference with 6.0 sacks through eight games.
• 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 play their final home game of the 2025 season when they host IUP for Senior Day. Kickoff is slated for noon at Al Jacks Field.