Erie, PA- The Mercyhurst Football team will look to rectify last week's loss against Sacred Heart as they make the short trip to Pittsburgh to take on Duquesne University on Saturday, November 2nd. The Mercyhurst's Lakers are currently 2-6 on the season as they enter the final stretch of the season. Saturday's game is scheduled for 12:00 PM.
 
A Look Back
 
The Pioneers capitalized early last week, driving 46 yards in six plays to take a 7-0 lead.
In the second quarter, Sacred Heart extended their advantage when quarterback John Michalski connected with Kevin McGuire for a 7-yard touchdown, making it 14-0. The lead eventually grew to three scores by halftime.
 
Despite the growing deficit, the Lakers pressed on. Starting from their own 27-yard line, they orchestrated a 13-play, 73-yard drive culminating in a 10-yard touchdown pass from Urena to his brother, Austin Urena, bringing the score to 28-14. As the second half continued, there was no answer for the Sacred Heart offense as they cruised to victory.
 
Laker Spotlight
 
The Laker offense continues to be stout. The Mercyhurst ground game averages over 100 yards per game and throws for over 250 per game. Adam Urena continues to lead the NEC in multiple passing categories, while his main target, Cameron Barmore, leads the conference in receptions and receiving touchdowns.
 
Defensively, Mercyhurst hopes to rely heavily upon their run defense, with Duquesne averaging 164 yards on the ground. Tyler Buterbaugh and Zach Hill currently lead this effort with 66 and 57 total tackles respectively. Buterbaugh has also recorded an interception and a fumble recovery.
 
Scouting the Dukes
The Lakers next opponent, Duquesne University, is coming off a 48-34 victory against Stonehill College. Ty Howard led the defense with a career-high eight tackles, a tackle for loss, and a fumble recovery. Miller contributed with two tackles for loss and a half-sack, while Jack Dunkley recorded his fourth sack of the season.
 
Offensively, Darius Perrantes threw for a career-high 412 yards and five touchdowns and was an efficient 25-for-34 (74%) in the road win. John Erby also totaled seven catches for a career-high 125 yards and two touchdowns. He now has a team-leading 28 receptions for 354 yards (12.6 yards per catch) in his first season after transferring from Rhode Island.
 
As a team, the Dukes are on top of the NEC standings and score just shy of 30 points per game. They rely heavily upon their ground game. Last week, JaMario Clements went over 100 yards for the third time this season, racking up 108 on 20 carries and scored one touchdown. He extended his season lead in the NEC to 688 yards (98.3 per game / 6.6 per carry).
 
Up Next
 
The Lakers will return home on Saturday, November 9^th as they play host to Lincoln University. The 11:00 AM kickoff will serve as the team's senior day. The ceremony will take place prior to kickoff.