ERIE, Pa. -- The Mercyhurst football team will honor the 25 senior members of the team prior to hosting crosstown rival Gannon Saturday afternoon at Saxon Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon.

All-Purpose Back: Garrett Owens lead the Lakers rushing attack with 508 yards and 10 touchdowns He also has a team-high 23 catches for 230 yards and two scores. The Lakers are 2-0 in 2019 and 7-1 all-time when Owens surpasses 100 yards rushing.

Backfield Production: Mercyhurst has targeted their backs out in the passing game with four different backs catching at least 14 passes. Jason Armstrong has hauled in 13 passes including a team-leading five touchdowns.

Records were Meant to be Broken: Senior quarterback Doug Altavilla now holds both the Mercyhurst all-time passing and total offense records. Altavilla passed Matt Kissell to take the top spot on both lists. Altavilla became the first Laker ever to surpass 7,000 yards passing.

Sudden Change: The Lakers have forced 14 turnovers through eight games. Joe Scro has intercepted a pair of passes and taken them to the house in back-to-back weeks against Slippery Rock and Edinboro. Scro also returned a fumble 55-yards and was tackled inside the 10 against IUP. Jon LoChiatto also has a pair of interceptions for the Lakers.

Working the Second Shift: The second quarter has been kind to the Lakers in 2019. Mercyhurst has outscored opponents 88-33 in the second.

Playing Behind the Line: The Mercyhurst front seven has consistently played behind the offensive line of scrimmage. Ayron Thompson has recorded 10.5 tackels for loss leading a Laker defense that has 46 stops behind the line for the season. 

Scouting the Knights: Gannon enters the contest allowing 32.1 per game while scoring 17.6. Melvin Blanks leads the rushing attack averaging over five yards per carry and scoring a pair of touchdowns. Jimmy Keefe has over 1,500 passing yards and 13 touchdowns. Joey Cox is his favorite target with 33 catches for 506 yards. Tre McNeill leads the Gannon defense with 58 tackles, 31 solo. Aaron Webb adds 56 tackles.