Nov. 4, 2006

Stats

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Nine different Mercyhurst (3-7, 3-7 GLIAC) players caught at least two passes, but UIndy (6-4, 5-4 GLIAC) scored the first 24 points of the game en route to a 45-19 win over the Lakers in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) contest.

Mark Watson led the Laker receivers with four catches for 86 yards, including a 49-yard touchdown. Jeff Nowling, David Lough, Richard Stokes, Frank Ziegler, and Dave Stallard all caught three passes, while Owen Evans, Brandon Hill and Dan Salupo each had a pair of receptions.

Linebackers Jimmy Kokrak and Bryan Boyce led the Mercyhurst defense. Kokrak made 13 stops in the game, while Boyce had a dozen.

The Greyhounds fed Mercyhurst a steady diet of Craig Jenkins on the afternoon. The running back rushed 30 times in the game for 144 yards and a score. Fullback Sam Elmore scored twice, including a 35-yard run.

UIndy scored on the game's first drive, as Casey Gillin finished a 77-yard drive with a one-yard run for a 7-0 lead.

After the team's traded interceptions, Elmore broke his 35-yarder to put the Greyhounds ahead 14-0 at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, a 23-yard field goal by Kyle Mossbrucker and an 11-yard TD pass from Gillin to Stephen Geller built the lead to 24-0 in favor of UIndy.

After Jason Clinton fumbled a Hill punt and the Lakers took over with just 20 seconds to play in the half. After a 19-yard completion from Mitch Phillis to Lough, Phillis hit Nowling for a 14-yard score with just one second left in the half. The two-point conversion failed and Indianapolis went into the half up 24-6.

The Lakers received the kick to open the second half and Phillis hit Watson for 49-yards as the senior snagged the pass in double coverage to cut the lead to 24-12 after another failed two-point attempt.

Elmore scored on a two-yard run and Gillin connected with Albert Spears for a nine-yard to put the Greyhounds ahead 38-19 with under 13 minutes to play.

Stokes scored from seven yards out to cap a 13-play drive on Mercyhurst's next possession to cut the lead to 38-19, but Jenkins finished off the Lakers with a 21-yard TD on UIndy's ensuing drive.

Gillin finished 18-of-27 for 216 yards and two scores. He was intercepted once. Kevin Sanford had six grabs for 62 yards. Leonard Bush led UIndy with seven tackles.

Phillis completed 21-of-36 passes for two touchdowns and was intercepted twice. He moved into third place all-time with 3,699 career passing yards, just one yard shy of becoming the third Laker with 3,700 career yards. His 14 touchdowns on the season are a career-high and the fourth best season in school history.

Hill uncorked a career-high 63-yard punt in the third quarter.

Boyce's 12 tackles were a career-best. Kokrak finishes the year in 13th place all-time at Mercyhurst with 243 tackles.

Watson closed his career with 679 yards, 16th in the Laker record books. Phil Scanlon extended his Mercyhurst kicking record to 159 points in his final game.

The game was the final contest in the careers of 16 Mercyhurst players. Mike Bukky, Andrew Cisan, Alan Dailide, Brooks Davidson, Evans, Doug Kastner, Roger McClinton, Grant Meczka, Michael Moore, Nowling, Salupo, Scanlon, Dan Schuler, Goran Soldo and Watson.

The Lakers finished the season with a record of 3-7 overall, a one-win improvement over the 2005 season.