EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. -- The Mercyhurst football team will play its first away game of the 2017 season when it visits East Stroudsburg for a 6:05 p.m. kickoff on Saturday. Watch the game live by clicking
HERE.
The Lakers (0-2) are coming off a 21-16 home loss to Kutztown while ESU is one week removed from a 38-14 loss to Indiana (Pa.). The PSAC East and PSAC West divisions squared off a week ago, splitting the eight games, 4-4.
Last week, a late push fell short as Mercyhurst lost to KU at Tullio Field. Laker quarterback
Doug Altavilla threw for one touchdown and ran for another. He completed 20 of 34 passes for 192 yards. His top receiver was wide-out
Brad Novak, who totaled six catches for 72 yards. Running back
E'Andre Smith finished with 21 carries for 85 yards. Fellow RB
Garrett Owens totaled 59 yards on offense -- four carries for 30 yards and three receptions for 29. Owens scored one touchdown through the air.
On defense, backs
Jake Tarasovitch and
Tarique Ellis were credited with 10 total tackles apiece. Fellow DB
Ben Young added two tackles-for-loss while linebacker
Alex Zacharyasz has 1 1/2. Another defensive back,
Dante' Redwood, recorded two pass breakups.
Time ran out on the Lakers during their home matchup with East Stroudsburg in 2016. The Warriors won, 34-31.
Altavilla completed 22 of 38 passes for 314 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Novak added six catches for 95 yards while the Lakers' leading rusher, running back
Richie Sanders, finished with 12 carries for 72 yards.
Wide receivers
Danavian Clay and
Brian Matthews had touchdown receptions for MU and running back
Drew Robinson contributed a touchdown run. Clay finished with three catches for 59 yards. Fellow wide-out
Zach Smith made four grabs for 28 yards.
Defensively, the Lakers were led in the tackling department by defensive back
Rocky Owens, who totaled eight stops. Linebacker
Nick Slonac and defensive back chipped in with seven total tackles apiece. Slonac also had a sack and forced fumble. Interceptions were recorded by defensive backs Redwood and
Dorian Stevens. Redwood broke up three ESU passes.
The Mercyhurst defense had trouble containing East Stroudsburg running back Robert Healy, who racked up 256 yards on 30 carries. The Warrior runner also scored four touchdowns.
East Stroudsburg quarterback Bruce Campbell finished 114 of 27 for 159 yards, one TD and two interceptions. His top target was Tim Wilson, who had eight grabs for 65 yards.
For the Warrior defense, linebacker Sekou Jones had 11 total tackles, inclding a sack. Fellow LB Mike Poulter made nine stops and defensive Andre' Gray made an interception.
ESU won the yardage battle, 435-425, and was fueled by a 282-135 advantage in the run game. Mercyhurst accumulated 314 passing yards to East Stroudsburg's 159.
