EDINBORO, Pa. -- For the first time since 2011, the Mercyhurst football team found itself needing more than four quarters to decide a winner. The Lakers scored on a Joe Carter quarterback sneak in the first overtime period to earn a 27-20 victory Saturday afternoon at Sox Harrison Stadium.
The Lakers had the ball first in overtime and found themselves facing a 3rd-down and 12. Carter connected with Cameron Barmore for 26 yards setting up first and goal from the one. Carter pushed his way in on the next play and Alsobrooks connected on the PAT to make it 27-20. RJ Tillman came up big for the Lakers with a second down sack forcing the Fighting Scots back to the 34 to help the Lakers secure the win.
With the game tied in the 14-14 in the fourth, Mercyhurst went 50 yards on two chunk plays a 21-yard catch and run by Barmore and a 30-yard touchdown from Carter to Makai Burris. The Alsobrooks PAT was blocked making the score 20-14.
Edinboro hit a 31-yard touchdown pass of its own with just 51 seconds left, but Vicente Arriagada banged the extra point off the upright to keep the game tied.
The Lakers struck first in the when Carter hit a wide-open Jason Armstrong for a 20-yard score at the 5:20 mark of the first quarter. Edinboro answered just before the end of the first with an 18-yard touchdown pass, but a bad snap on the extra point made it 7-6 Lakers.
Barmore capped a six play, 71-yard drive with a 17-yard touchdown catch with 12:57 remaining in the second quarter. The Fighting Scots came right back with an 11-play 67-yard drive of their own with a two-point conversion to knot the score at 14-14.
Carter was an efficient 22-of-31 for 310 yards and three touchdowns. While also scoring the overtime winner with his feet.
Barmore hauled in six catches for 106 yards and a touchdown. Armstrong also caught seven passes going for 74 yards and a score. David Alize carried the ball 18 times gaining 72 yards while also catching two passes for 15 yards.
Thomas Zacharyasz led the Lakers with 12 tackles and a fumble recovery. Jacob Holl added nine tackles. Bradley Burrows and Tillman each recorded a sack.
The Lakers evened their all-time overtime record at 3-3 with the win and move to 2-5 overall and 1-3 in the PSAC West with the win. They are back in action next Saturday at noon when they host Slippery Rock at Saxon Stadium.
