District College Football Recap for Saturday, October 17th

By: Bruce Markey
Sunday, October 18, 2015 | 12:55 AM

On a cold day in the middle of October, playe3d in wind, rain, sleet and even snow showers, the college football season continued in Western Pa. Clarion took another step towards a magical season in the PSAC, while IUP and Slippery Rock both posted wins, leading to next week’s matchup.

Here are recaps of ALL the games:

Bryant 38 – Duquesne 17
Dalton Easton threw for a career high 330 yards and 4 touchdowns as the Bulldogs snapped a 3 game losing skid. Ricardo McCray added 118 rushing yards and a score, his 11th 100 yard game of his career.

Duquesne scored on a Sam Martello 42 yard Pick 6 in the second quarter. Austin Crimmins kicked a 21 yard field goal and Dillon Buechel(Montour) threw 13 yard td pass to Wayne Capers(Char Valley).

Buechel was 21-34 for 198 yards. Capers was the leading receiver with 7 catches for 76 yards.The Dukes were held to 85 yards rushing. Duquesne falls to 4-3, Bryant is now 3-3. Both teams are 1-1 in the NEC. 

Saint Francis 43 – Wagner 14
Zach Drayer hooked up with tight end Frank Failace for 3 scores as the Red Flash won their NEC opener. Drayer was 16-28 for 292 yards. Khairi Dickson posted 161 yards on the ground while Marcus Bagley added 126 yards, both ran for a score. Terrell Smith made 6 catches for 130 yards. Saint Francis is 4-2 overall.

Alex Thomson threw a td pass to Lloyd Smith Najee Harris had a punt return for a score. The Seahawks are 0-6 overall and 0-2 in the NEC.

IUP 20 – California 15
Chris Temple had another monster game for the Crimson Hawks, rushing for 255 yards on 37 carries and all 3 scores as IUP goes to 4-0 in the West. Lenny Williams(Sto-Rox) carried 14 times for 134 yards and the IUP defense held James Harris to 185 passing yards.

Jimmy Wheeler(West Mifflin) opened the scoring for Cal on a 12 yard run. Temple answered with a 32 yard scoring run, following a Cal field goal, Temple scored in the second on a 1 yard run and added a 15 yard run late in the third. John Franklin added a 1 yard run with 9:46 left in regulation, the Vulcans failed on the try for two points.

Cal recovered an onside kick and drove to the 7, Harris was intercepted by Mikale Makle. The Vulcans drove deep again on the final possession, but Harris’ attempt to go to Desimon Green(Clarton) in the end zone was incomplete and IUP held on.

IUP is 5-1 overall. Cal was led by Wheeler with 22 carries for 95 yards. Garry Brown had 8 catches for 126 yards. Cal is now 4-3 overall and2-2 in the West and falls out of the title picture. The Vulcans can play spoiler when they host Clarion next week. IUP travels to SRU.

Clarion 44 – Seton Hill 29
Connor Simmons threw for 432 yards and 4 touchdowns, while Delrece Williams(Steel Valley) ran for 201 yards as the Golden Eagles matched their best start since 1983.

Clarion trailed 10-7 after one quarter but used 3 Phil Esposito field goals to lead 16-10 in the third. The Golden Eagles added td passes to Matt Lehman(Burrell) and Williams to lead 30-10. Williams added a touchdown run and Simmons hit Gage Clark for a 6 yard score. Chritian Strong tossed his second touchdown pass of the game and Ardell Brown returned a punt 83 yards to cut into the final margin.

  Clarion posted 33 first downs and 676 yards of offense, the Golden Eagles are 4-0 in the West, and tied for the top spot. Lehman had 7 catches for 159 yards, Williams added 8 grabs for 109 yards.

For Seton Hill, Strong threw for 356 yards on 25-50. The Griffins are 1-3 in the West and 2-5 overall. 

Slippery Rock 35 – Mercyhurst 24
After leading 14-0 in the first quarter, the Rock trailed 24-1 entering the fourth. SRU used two short scoring drives early in the final frame to stay in the thick of the race in the West Division.

The Rock built the early lead on touchdown runs by a pair of former WPIAL stars. Julian Durden(Montour) scored on the opening drive on a 1 yard run. Isiah Neely(OLSH) added a 9 yard run. However, the Rock would not score again in the half.

Zack Emerick brought the Lakers back on touchdown passes to Jaquan Williams and TJ Latimer. Emerick started in place of Brendan Boylan, who left last week’s loss to Gannon with an injury. Dylan Kondis gave Mercyhurst the lead in the third with a 26 yard field goal. Durden answered with another yard run to put SRU up 21-17, but Emerick hit FJ Williams for a 20 yard touchdown to take back the lead.

Dante Nania(Hempfield) hit Leroy McClain for a 30 yard touchdown thirty seconds into the fourth. After the teams traded turnovers, the Lakers drove to the Rock 37, on fourth down Emerick was sacked by Marcus Martin to end the drive. Shamar Greene(West Mifflin) scored six plays later for the final tally.  Mercyhurst had a golden opportunity after recovering a Durden fumble at the Rock 2, but Emerick was intercepted by Derrick Fulmore at the nine. The Lakers got no closer than midfield the rest of the way and the Rock moved to 6-1.

Greene led the Rock with 167 yards on 26 carries. Slippery Rock is 3-1 in the West, one game back. The Rock defense was the big story, holding the Lakers to minus 11 yards rushing. Emerick was 39-65 for the Lakers for 412 yards, but Mercyhurst is 0-4 in the West and 3-4 overall, after starting with 4 non-division wins.

Case Western Reserve 20 – Geneva 7
The Spartans defense held the GT’s to 124 yards of offense to remain tied with Thomas More at 5-0 in the PAC.

After a scoreless first quarter, Rob Cuda tossed his 17th touchdown of the season to Bryan Erb. A late field goal gave Case Western a 10-0 lead at the break.

Cuda added a second touchdown on the opening drive of the third, 38 yards to Zech Medved. A second Ben Carniol field goal made it 20-0. Geneva scored their only touchdown on an Aaron Channing to Jake Olenick 3 yard pass.

Cuda was only 13-30 for 163 yards, he has not been intercepted this season. Case Western is 5-1 overall. The Spartans host W & J next week and Thomas More in three weeks as they look to claim the PAC title.

Channing managed only 76 yards passing on 11-21. Dylan Jones(Laurel) was held to 14 yards. Geneva is 2-4 overall and 1-3 in the PAC. 

W & J 66 – Bethany 42
The teams combined for 73 first half points and posted 925 yards of total offense in the game.

#16 W & J scored 31 second quarter points on the way to the big lead. Ryan Ruffing(Thomas Jefferson) ran for 116 yards and 3 scores. Pete Coughlin(Upper Saint Clair) was nearly perfect, throwing for 202 yards on 15-19 with 3 scores. Jesse Zubik(Avonworth) had 2 touchdown catches. W & J is 5-1 overall and 3-1 in the PAC.

Eric Blinn(Western Beaver) added to his career leading totals in the PAC with 11 catches for 11 catches for 146 yards and 3 scores. Jalen Holmes(New Castle) carried 24 times for 180 yards and 2 scores. The Bison are 2-5 overall and 1-4 in the conference.

Carnegie Mellon 44 – Grove City 0
Andrew Hearon threw 3 touchdown passes and Sam Benger added 189 rushing yards to his PAC leading total. Benger carried 27 times and had one touchdown,. CMU is 3-3 overall and 2-3 in the PAC.

Grove City turned the ball over 3 times, the Wolverines are 0-6 overall and 0-4 in the PAC.

Westminster 24 – Waynesburg 7
Jake Dougherty hit Dan Davis for a first quarter touchdown, but that would be it for the Yellow Jackets, who fall to 2-5 overall.

Shannon Walker threw touchdown passes to Cody Alward(Keystone Oaks) and Jametrius Bentley. Dominique McKinley(Greensburg Salem) added a 4 yard td run in the fourth as Westminster stays in the PAC race at 4-1. 

McKinley ran 24 times for 99 yards. Bentley had 5 catches for 100 yards. The Titans are 5-2 overall. Westminster has not won 5 games since the 2011 season, when the Titans were 5-2 and dropped the final three games.

Jerry Lawman ran 27 times for 134 yards for Waynesburg, now 1-4 in the PAC.

Thomas More 42 – Saint Vincent 28
The 12th ranked Saints scored twice in the final quarter to escape Chuck Noll Field with the win, remaining perfect at 7-0. Brenan Kuntz came on in relief of Jensen Gebhardt and hit Colin Justice for a 9 yard touchdown. Trey Wells added a short interception return to take Thomas More to 5-0 overall.

Gebhardt threw for 235 yards and 2 touchdowns before departing. CT Tarrant ran 27 times for 141 yards and a pair of scores. Goose Cohorn had 8 catches for 132 yards,  Tyler Vogelpohl added 4 catches for 113 yards.

Tyler Donahue carried 23 times for 158 yards and a score. Shavonta Craft(Jeannette) added 79 yards and one score, the Bearcats managed just 54 yards passing. Saint Vincent is #-3 overall and 2-2 in the PAC.