Box Score

CLARION, Pa. - The Clarion Golden Eagles raced to a 20-0 first half lead and then held on to defeat the Mercyhurst University football team 20-13 on a rainy Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. Clarion improved to 3-0 overall and to 1-0 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West Division while the Lakers dropped to 1-2 and 0-1 respectively.

Redshirt sophomore Brandon Brown-Dukes rushed for 140 on just 11 carries, including a career-long 77-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. The 77-yarder was the fourth longest run from scrimmage in school history - former Laker great Craig Woodard holds the record with a 94-yard touchdown against Canisius in 1992. It was his eighth career, and second consecutive, 100-yard game.

The Lakers also got a fine game from senior Allen Jones II, who rushed for 78 yards on 13 carries, including a five-yard touchdown run to end the second quarter.

However, it was turnovers that plagued the Lakers. Mercyhurst, who had not turned the ball over during the first two games of the season, turned the ball over four times on Saturday - all interceptions by redshirt senior quarterback Anthony Vendemia. The Laker quarterback, who was picked off just seven times all of last season, was picked off twice in the second quarter, and twice more in the fourth quarter - including Mercyhurst's final drive of the game. He would finish just 12-of-26 for 96 yards on the night.

Clarion went 62 yards on 18 plays following the opening kickoff, converting on four straight third-down situations, before settling for a 25-yard field goal by Phil Esposito. The Golden Eagles got first downs on a third-and-seven, a third-and-ten, a third-and-15, and a third-and-five during the drive.

After a Mercyhurst three-and-out, Clarion drove 36 yards in 12 plays culminating in a 39-yard Esposito field goal and a 6-0 lead after a quarter. Clarion ran 28 plays in the quarter to just three for the Lakers and controlled the ball for more than 13 minutes.

The opportunistic Golden Eagles then used a pair of second quarter interceptions that resulted in two scores and a 20-0 advantage. Clarion's Rocco Yauger intercepted Vendemia after his attempted pass carromed off the hands of senior Vladmir Rock at the Lakers' 35 yard line and then returned the pick ten yards to the Mercyhurst 25. On third and 13, Clarion quarterback Darelle Carson hit Mark Nicholas, after it had bounced in and out of the hands of his intended receiver Caleb Mancini, for a first down at the one. Running back Travis Day scored on the next play.

Later in the quarter, Vendemia was picked off at the Clarion seven by Adam Lynch. A 20-yard return and subsequent personal foul moved the ball to the Golden Eagles' 42. It took Clarion just four plays to navigate the 58 yards with Carson hooking up with Eric Frye for a 46-yard TD strike.

The Lakers stopped the bleeding and took some much-needed momentum into the dressing room when they drove 64 yards in seven plays in the half's final four minutes. Jones II capped the surge with a 5-yard TD run with under thirty seconds to play in the half. The drive was set up by a 31-yard kickoff return by junior Marcus Snipes, followed by a 27-yard run by Jones II two plays later.

The third quarter began on a promising note when, for the second straight week, sophomore Brandon Brown Dukes took a handoff deep in Mercyhurst territory and carried it to the house. The 77-yard, 13-second carry came with eleven minutes left in the quarter. It was set up by junior Tevin Stewart's fumble recovery after Carson put it on the ground with the Golden Eagles driving. The extra point by senior Steven Wakefield hit the right upright, however, as the Eagles maintained a seven-point lead.

But, despite a combined 33 points in the game's first 34 minutes, neither team would score again in the final 26.

Brown-Dukes and Jones II combined for 218 yards on the ground, on just 24 carries. The rest of the team carried the ball six times for one yard. Redshirt junior Stephen Yarbrough, sophomore Dylan Bongiorni, and Brown-Dukes each had two receptions to lead the Lakers in that department.

Carson finished 9 of 18 for 209 yards, a TD, and a pick. Carson also led Clarion's ground attack with 85 yards on 22 carries. It was Carson's first collegiate start, replacing the injured Ben Fiscus. Mercyhurst's defense did a fine job containing the Golden Eagles' two running backs, Travis Day and Bobby Thomas. The two combined for 61 yards on 27 carries. However, the Lakers' had no answer for Carson. Mark Nicholas was Carson's favorite target - four catches for 83 yards.

The Lakers owned the football eleven times in the contest with the following results: four punts, four interceptions, a turnover on downs, and two touchdowns.

Mercyhurst will take to the road again next Saturday for another night game, this time against Slippery Rock University. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.