PSAC football midseason report: First-half takeaways for Edinboro, Gannon, Mercyhurst

Five games into PSAC football teams' 11-game schedule isn't exactly halfway, but it's within field-goal range. Here's a look at how the season has started for Erie County's three NCAA Division II teams and a glimpse of what's ahead:

Break up the Golden Knights

Gannon is off to a 4-1 start for the first time since 2014 and is 2-0 in the PSAC West for the first time since 2013.

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The Golden Knights beat Seton Hill 21-10 Saturday in their homecoming game at McConnell Family Stadium. They limited the Griffins to 201 total yards ― 51 of them on Mark Fails' touchdown reception in the third quarter ― in another strong defensive effort.

Gannon is second to Slippery Rock in the PSAC in yards allowed per game (275.2) and has limited opponents to 788 total passing yards, or 157.6 per game. Only Edinboro (137) and Slippery Rock (145.6) have been better. No opponent has passed for more than 188 yards against Gannon since Charleston threw for 264 yards in the season opener.

Gannon didn't get its first interception until Saturday but has 16 sacks, 35 tackles for loss and 14 pass break-ups. Three Knights are among the PSAC sack leaders: No. 7 Obi Ezeigbo (3½), No. 16 Nicholas White (3.0) and No. 22 Malachi Woody (2½).

That defense will be tested; four of the Knights' next five opponents are in the PSAC top six in passing and Gannon closes the regular season against Shippensburg, also in the top half of the league's team passing leaders.

Who can stop Melvin Blanks?

Blanks, Gannon's 6-foot 1-inch, 216-pound senior running back, came up five yards short against Seton Hill of his fourth 100-yard game of the season. He's third in yards per game in the PSAC at 106.2 and first in touches with 116. He's tied for first with seven rushing touchdowns and is second with 531 yards gained.

Blanks has scored in every game, and three times in a 47-24 Week 4 win at Clarion. He caught his first touchdown pass of the season against Seton Hill.

Next up for the Knights is a 2 p.m. game Saturday at Edinboro. Blanks ran for 239 yards and two touchdowns in Gannon's 21-18 victory over the Fighting Scots a year ago.

Let Edinboro hang around at your peril

The Fighting Scots are 3-2 and all three wins have come by three points including Saturday's 16-13 victory at Mercyhurst. The Scots have game-winning field goals against Franklin Pierce and Mercyhurst. Against Bloomsburg in Week 3, freshman Keon Anderson scored on a one-yard run in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 17 and force overtime, then one-upped the Huskies' OT field goal with a game-winning 2-yard touchdown run.

In their past eight games, dating to the end of the 2021 season, the Scots are 6-2. Five of the wins have been by seven or fewer points.

The Scots have played four of their first five games on the road. Four of their next six are at Sox Harrison Stadium starting with Saturday's 2 p.m. homecoming game against Gannon.

Who'll test Edinboro's pass defense?

Edinboro is 11th in total defense in the 16-team PSAC and 15th in rushing defense. Pass defense is something else entirely; the Scots are first, permitting an average of 137.0 yards per game.

Some of that is imbalance. Opponents have run 60% of the time. California and Shepherd each gained 357 yards on the ground in wins over Edinboro. Still, no 'Boro opponent has attempted 20 passes or thrown for 190 yards.

Junior defensive back Anthony Mendicino and graduate student Allen Stritzinger, a Youngstown State transfer, each have two interceptions. Linebackers Clay Cunningham and Wilfredo Diaz and tackle JR Tellington have one pick apiece. Micah Thomas (five) and Kaden Spiegel (four) are among the top 25 in the conference in passes broken up.

Cunningham is having the type of season that ends in awards. The redshirt sophomore leads the conference with 58 total tackles and the team with 6½ tackles for loss.

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Streaky Mercyhurst

Mercyhurst started 2-0 but lost its third straight Saturday on Edinboro's last-second field goal. The season won't get any easier; the Lakers' remaining six games include No. 8 Slippery Rock, Gannon, West power California (Pa.) and No. 4 Shepherd.

After a 20-12 loss to IUP in Week 5, The Rock (4-1) figures to be hopping mad when they host the Lakers Saturday at 6 p.m. Mercyhurst is fourth in the PSAC in pass defense, permitting 167 yards per game. Slippery Rock is second in pass offense (272 yards per game) ― and third in rushing at 168.6 yards per game.

Lakers dot the conference defense leaderboards. Jacob Holl is third in tackles with 54, 13th with two interceptions and three pass break-ups. Fellow graduate student linebacker Thomas Zacharyasz is 14th with 41 tackles. Freshman defensive back Marquis Mauney has two interceptions and redshirt sophomore lineman Camden White has four sacks and two forced fumbles.

Mr. Reliable

Mercyhurst kicker Brian Alsobrooks is 7-for-9 on field-goal attempts, 7-for-8 inside 40 yards. Only East Stroudsburg's Devin Bartholomew (12) has converted more attempts this season.

Alsobrooks is 17-for-18 on his point-after attempts. He leads all Lakers with 38 points scored, two more than redshirt junior running back Dustin Shoaf.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: PSAC football 2022 midseason report for Gannon, Edinboro, Mercyhurst