EDINBORO, Pa. - Redshirt junior running back Richie Sanders rushed for a career-high 170 yards and two touchdowns to lift the Mercyhurst University football team to a 38-28 victory at Edinboro University on Thursday night in front of 3,121 fans at Sox Harrison Stadium. The win snapped a four-game losing streak and evened the Lakers' record at 4-4 overall. Mercyhurst improved to 1-4 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West. The Fighting Scots dropped to 0-8 overall and 0-5 in conference play.

The Lakers have now won four straight against Edinboro and improved to 7-5 lifetime against the Fighting Scots.

The 170-yard effort by Sanders shattered his previous-high of 125 yards he recorded against Clarion in a 42-38 victory over the Golden Eagles on November 5, 2011. He gave the Lakers a lead they would never relinquish late in the third quarter on a 75-yard run on a toss play around left end. It was the longest run of his career and tied for the fifth-longest run from scrimmage in program history. He added a one-yarder with 5:51 left in the fourth quarter.

Sanders also added 81 yards on four kickoff returns to give him a career-high 251 all-purpose yards on the night.

The winless Fighting Scots came out swinging in the opening moments of the contest, putting two touchdowns on the board before fans at Sox Harrison Stadium even settled in. After a three-and-out by the Lakers on their opening possession, Edinboro's Mitch Thomas corralled a Dylan Kondis punt at the Mercyhurst 47-yard line and returned it to the house. Austin Reese added the point after and Edinboro led 7-0.

Moments later, redshirt junior quarterback Zach Emerick was picked off on a failed screen pass by defensive lineman Josh Kibbie, who returned the interception to the Mercyhurst three-yard line. Two plays later, Cory Bell ran in from two yards out and, after Reese added the point after, Edinboro led 14-0 just 3:47 into the game.

Edinboro had eight yard of total offense in the opening 15 minutes but led 14-0 when the quarter changed to the second. However, Mercyhurst was in the midst of a drive for the ages that was capped off with a touchdown early in the second.

The Lakers put together a 15-play, 87-yard drive that took 8:55 off the clock that was finished when Emerick found senior wide receiver Jaquan Williams from six yards out with 14:17 left in the first half. Kondis added the point after to cut the Edinboro lead in half. During the drive, Mercyhurst went 4-of-4 on third downs to keep the march down the field alive.

Mercyhurst tied the game with 4:30 left in the first half when Emerick plunged into the endzone from two yards out. The Lakers started the drive at the Edinboro 14 yard line after a blocked punt by freshman Dante Redwood gave Mercyhurst excellent field position. Then, on Edinboro's first play of its ensuing drive, Fighting Scot quarterback Jake Sisson was picked off by junior Dorian Stevens at the Edinboro 42 to give the Lakers good field position in the closing moments of the first half.

The Lakers would capitalize with three points after a 24-yard field goal from Kondis with 19 seconds remaining to close the scoring in the opening thirty minutes.

Mercyhurst's defense was stifling in the first half, limiting the Fighting Scots to just 11 yards of total offense on just 15 offensive plays. The Lakers held the ball for 21:36 of the first half but only held a three-point lead.

Edinboro reclaimed the lead with 1:18 left in the third quarter when Sisson found paydirt from three yards out. The score was set up after Reese was forced to punt. He booted the kick just 25 yards to the Mercyhurst 23-yard line, but, the ball hit junior Kyle Briggs who was coming back to block for Sanders on the return and Edinboro pounced on the loose ball.

Sanders took over from that point. On the second play of the Lakers' ensuing drive, Sanders took a toss from Emerick and ran around left end, sprinted down the left sideline, and scored from 75 yards out with 17 seconds left in the third. Kondis added the point after and Mercyhurst led 24-21 after three.

The 75-yard run was easily Mercyhurst's longest play from scrimmage this season - the Lakers previously had two plays that amassed 44 yards each - a run by redshirt senior Brandon Brown-Dukes and a pass play from redshirt senior Brendan Boylan to senior Dylan Bongiorni.

The Lakers put together another long drive after forcing an Edinboro punt early in the fourth. Mercyhurst marched 83 yards on 11 plays and took 7:01 off the clock culminating with a one-yard run by Sanders to put the Lakers ahead 31-21 with 5:51 left. Then, after a second pick by Stevens on Edinboro's ensuing drive, Mercyhurst scored again, going 35 yards in four plays, capped off by junior Drew Robinson's 25-yard touchdown run with 3:08 left.

Edinboro scored the final points when Sisson hit Alex Caratelli on a 76-yard screen-and-run down the right sideline.

Mercyhurst outgained Edinboro 315-206 in total yards and limited the Fighting Scots to just seven first downs on the night. The Lakers finally got their run game going, rushing for 251 yards against the Fighting Scot defense while limiting Edinboro to just 37 yards on 20 carries. One week after setting a school-record with 39 completions and throwing for 412 yards against Slippery Rock, Emerick served as a game manager on Thursday. The redshirt junior was 11-for-18 for just 64 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Brown-Dukes caught four passes for nine yards while also rushing 12 times for 48 yards. Robinson had 60 yards rushing on eight carries.

The Lakers will return home for the final time during the 2015 season when they host the Griffins of Seton Hill University on Saturday, October 31. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.