ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon football team ripped off 499 yards of total offense and recorded its highest scoring output in two years en route to a 45-6 victory against LIU Post Saturday afternoon at Gannon University Field.
Gannon's team statistics were flashy during the regular-season finale. The 45 points equaled the most in a game since a 45-17 home victory against Indiana (Pa.) on October 23, 2010. The scoring output was the program's most in a regular-season finale since earning a 50-39 home win against Tiffin on November 6, 2004.
The 499 yards of total offense represents the team's most since accumulating 558 yards during a 51-48 home win against Slippery Rock on October 17, 2009. Gannon held the ball for 38 minutes and 26 seconds, resulting in the best time of possession since at least the 1998 season.
Saturday's contest seemed to get out of hand early. Gannon raced out to a 21-0 halftime lead.
Jansen Jones (Rochester, N.Y./Penfield) scored first, taking an eight-yard pass from
Liam Nadler (Leipsic, Ohio/Leipsic Local) into the endzone with 5:07 left in the first half.
Jones added a second touchdown on a two-yard run at the 4:34 mark of the second quarter, before
Joe Sobucki (Girard, Pa./Girard) raced 58 yards after catching a Nadler pass for another score with 2:59 left in the first half.
Head coach
Brad Rzyczycki's troops completely shut the door in the third quarter with 17 more unanswered points.
Justin Caliste (Roseville, Calif./Oakmont) opened the second-half scoring early, taking another Nadler pass 58 yards down the left sideline for a 28-0 advantage 2:39 after the break.
Matt Szczupakowski (Spencerport, N.Y./Churchville-Chili) got into the act with a 31-yard field goal at the 7:38 mark of the third quarter. Nadler and Sobucki followed with their second connection of the day, combining for a 49-yard touchdown play to extend the lead to 38-0 with 3:28 left in the third quarter.
LIU Post finally ruined the Gannon shutout on Jeff Mack's one-yard plunge with 11:29 remaining. The Golden Knights answered moments later when
Everett Tune Jr. (Albany, N.Y./The Albany Academy) scored from two yards out with 7:27 to play. The score was set up by Tune's 69-yard run on third-and-26 earlier in the drive. The Tune tally also brought an end to the scoring as both teams ran the clock out the rest of the way.
Gannon produced large advantages in first downs (23-14), total yards (499-305), rushing yards (167-76), passing yards (332-229) and time of possession (38:26-21:34). The Golden Knights were 10-of-18 on third down while holding LIU Post to 3-of-14 in third-down conversions.
Turnovers proved to be the difference. LIU Post entered the contest No. 1 among all NCAA Division II teams in turnover margin. The Pioneers had only thrown one interception in 242 attempts and lost only four fumbles. However, the Gannon defense intercepted four passes and recovered a fumble. In contrast, the Golden Knights turned the ball over only once.
Tune Jr. led the Gannon rushing attack with a career-high 89 yards and one touchdown despite carrying the ball only 11 times in the second half. Jones added 54 yards and a score on the ground. He also caught a career-high seven passes for 43 yards and another touchdown.
Nadler finished 23-of-34 for 335 yards and four touchdowns. The redshirt freshman tied Gannon's single-game record for passing touchdowns in back-to-back weeks and for the third time this season overall. The feat was accomplished seven times prior to the 2012 campaign.
The Leipsic, Ohio, native broke Gannon's single-season records for passing yards (2,910), passing touchdowns (21) and 200-yard passing games (8). Nadler also tied a school record with his fourth 300-yard passing game of the season.
Caliste headlined the receiving corps with eight catches for a career-high 137 yards and one touchdown. Sobucki scored on both of his receptions, piling up a career-high 107 yards in the process. It also marked the first two-touchdown game of his career.
Caliste and Sobucki became the third receiving duo to produce 100 yards in the same game this season. It's the first time that had been accomplished in school history.
Abraham Ocasio (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Hayes) had four receptions for 25 yards. He finished the season with school records for catches (64), receiving yards (911) and receiving touchdowns (10).
The Gannon defensive unit had its best outing since shutting out Millersville 47-0 on September 17, 2011.
Luke Rankie (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport) led the way with 10 tackles, tying a career-high for the second consecutive week.
Mike Phillips (Bowie, Md./Bowie) was close behind with eight stops. His 96 tackles this season equaled the 11th-highest single-season total in school history.
Tashawn Sneed (Brooklyn, N.Y./Campus Magnet) picked off a career-high three passes, finishing one shy of the school's single-game record.
Gannon concluded its regular season with a 3-8 record. LIU Post dropped to 3-6 with its second consecutive setback. The Pioneers conclude their season Saturday, November 17 with a make-up game at Kutztown.
