Game Notes vs Clarion

Visitor's Guide

ERIE, Pa. - The Mercyhurst University football team, fresh off its first victory of the season last Saturday at Millersville, will be hosting the Clarion Golden Eagles in the Lakers' first home game of the 2012 season on Saturday, September 15. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. from Tullio Field.

Redshirt freshman Brandon Brown-Dukes became just the fifth player to rush for more than 200 yards in a game, finishing with 213 yards and three touchdowns, as Mercyhurst won in convincing fashion over Millersville, 45-7, last Saturday. As a team, the Lakers rushed for 379 yards, the most in a game since rushing for 402 yards in a 48-0 win over Pace on November 6, 1993.

Meanwhile, Clarion suffered a 46-26 loss at LIU Post last Saturday, dropping its record to 1-1. The Golden Eagles outgained the Pioneers 538-375 but turned the ball eight times proved to be extremely costly for Clarion.

The Lakers are 3-1 against Clarion in the all-time series, including a 42-38 come-from-behind victory last year in Clarion. Mercyhurst trailed 38-14 with just seconds remaining in the third quarter, but scored the final four touchdowns of the game - three in the fourth quarter - to pull off the win. It proved to be the largest comeback in program history.

The teams renew their rivalry on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. from Tullio Field.

NOTES

This Week
Mercyhurst will entertain the Clarion Golden Eagles for the first home game of the 2012 season. The Lakers are 3-1 lifetime against Clarion, including last year's 42-38 come-from-behind victory, a game in which Mercyhurst trailed 38-21 entering the fourth quarter. The comeback win proved to be the the program's biggest in history.

Much Better
After a rough start to the season at Notre Dame College on August 30, a game that saw the Falcons score 59 points and have 543 yards of total offense and the Lakers turn the ball over eight times, Mercyhurst regrouped in a big way last Saturday with a 45-7 win at Millersville. The Lakers amassed 487 yards of total offense while allowing just 255 to Millersville. Mercyhurst also turned the ball over just once in the contest.

Running Wild
In just his second career start, redshirt freshman Brandon Brown-Dukes became the fifth player in program history to rush for more than 200 yards in a game, finishing with 213 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Millersville. He was the first played to rush for more than 200 yards since Gerald Anderson rushed for 237 against LIU Post in 2010. His yardage output was the fifth-highest total in program history. Junior Allen Jones II also rushed for a career-high 132 yards in the victory. It was his first career 100-yard game. All told, Mercyhurst had 379 yards rushing in the victory, the most by the Lakers in a game since rushing for 402 yards in a 48-0 win over Pace on November 6, 1993.

The record for rushing yards in a game by an individual was Brian Haberstock with 282 yards against Buffalo in 1990. For the team, the 1983 Lakers rushed for 469 yards against Gallaudet.

Points At A Record Pace
Through two games, Mercyhurst has scored 87 points (43.5 points per game), marking the second-highest point total in school history. The 1985 Lakers, under head coach Tony DeMeo, racked up 127 points in their first two games, including a school-record 82 points in an 82-0 win over Niagara (September 14, 1985). The 2010 team holds the record for most points in a season with 354, while the 2007 squad holds the record by averaging 32.1 points per contest.

It marks the first time since 2007 that Mercyhurst has had back-to-back 40-point games. In that season, the Lakers scored 42 against Ferris State, 58 against Wayne State, 49 against Gannon, and 43 against Ashland - in four straight weeks.

Yards Coming Fast And Furious Too
Mercyhurst, through two games, has accumulated 870 yards of total offense, an average of 435 yards per game - again, on record-setting pace after only two weeks. The 2000 Lakers hold the record with 4,473 yards - an average of 406.6 per contest.

Don't Blink
Through two games, Mercyhurst has outscored the opposition 87-66 (153 total points) and has outgained its opponents 870-798 (1668 total yards). On a per game basis, 76.5 combined points and 834 yards combined offense have occurred through the first two weeks.

Just For Kicks
Junior placekicker Steven Wakefield also had a game to remember against Millersville. While Brown-Dukes and the rushing game got most of the headlines, Wakefield set career longs in both punting and field goals. In the first quarter, Wakefield launched a 77-yard punt, shattering his previous long of 62. It was the second-longest punt in school history, trailing only Jim Schuler's 82-yard punt against Indianapolis in 2004. Later in the first quarter, Wakefield connected on a 46-yard field goal, again shattering his previous high of 35 he set last year against LIU Post. It was the fifth-longest field goal in school history. So far, Wakefield is 10-for-10 in PATs, 1-for-1 in field goals, averages 50 yards per punt, and has seven touchbacks kicking off in 2012.

Wakefield now has 133 career points, second on the all-time list in points by a kicker, and trailing only Phil Scanlon's 165 points from 2002-06.

Brown-Dukes, Wakefield Honored
With their performances against Millersville last Saturday, Brandon Brown-Dukes and Steven Wakefield picked up some weekly accolades. Brown-Dukes was awarded Division II Player of the Week by both Beyond Sports Network and the ECAC for his 213 yards and three touchdowns. He was the co-running back with Notre Dame College's Pedro Powell. Wakefield, meanwhile, earned the ECAC Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts handling all of the kicking duties.

Bruner Sets Program Record
Entering the season as the expected guy to replace Trevor Kennedy's role in the receiving game, senior Paris Bruner replaced Kennedy nicely as the primary kick returner in the season opener against Notre Dame College. Bruner established a school-record 210 kickoff return yards, including an 86-yard touchdown return to begin the second half. The 86-yarder was the fourth-longest in program history. The senior also broke a 72-yard return early in the second quarter. Bruner broke the record of 197 kickoff return yards, previously held by Andrew Bailey against Clarion in 1999. Bruner did catch one pass from Vendemia, which went for 24 yards, giving him 234 all-purpose yards in the opener.

Dust-in The Wind
Junior defensive lineman Dustin Galich recorded seven tackles last Saturday after tying a career-high with 11 total tackles against Notre Dame College. He enters game three of his third season with 111 total tackles - moving him into a tie for 77th on the all-time list with Fred Hale (2007-10) and Mike McQuillan (2000-03). He also has two tackles for a loss this season, giving him 18.0 for his career and tying him for 29th on the all-time list with Kevin Williams (2008-11) and Paul Berlin (1984-87). Galich was a PSAC West Second Team selection last season.

Poro-patting His Accolades
Senior offensive lineman Kevin Poropat has been a mainstay on the Laker line for three seasons and will be looked upon for leadership on the unit again in 2012. Poropat has not missed a start in his first three seasons with the Lakers and has earned All-Conference honors in each of the past two seasons (Second Team in 2010, First Team in 2011). This summer, Poropat was named a Preseason All-American by three different organizations - Beyond Sports Network (Honorable Mention), D2 vs NAIA Bowl (Honorable Mention), and the USA Football Freedom Bowl (Second Team). Poropat is now eligible to participate in both bowl games after the 2012 season.