Oct. 13, 2007

Box Score

Erie, Pa. - The Mercyhurst football team had no answer for the Findlay running game as the Oilers rushed for 408 yards and handed the Lakers a 38-22 defeat Saturday.

Findlay threw the ball only seven times, but running back Joel McDaniel had 28 carries for 212 yards and quarterback Jonathan Bell had 23 carries for 177 yards. The efforts overshadowed a milestone day for Mercyhurst running back Richard Stokes, who became just the second Laker to reach 2,000 career rushing yards. He had 67 on the day and now has 2,045 in his three-year career.

Mercyhurst fell behind early as Findlay posted a six-play, 62-yard drive on its first possession and capped it off with a McDaniel nine-yard score to make it 7-0. After the Lakers went three-and-out, the Oilers went nine plays and 66 yards as McDaniel scored from one-yard out for a 14-0 Findlay lead. The Oilers tacked on a field goal early in the second period and looked to be cruising.

But Mercyhurst answered with a drive of its own that took 9:41 off the clock and put the Lakers in position with a first-and-goal at the five-yard line. Stokes rushed for three yards on first down and was held to no gain on second down. Phillis threw incomplete on third down and Mercyhurst decided to gamble. On fourth-and-goal, Phillis' pass attempt was intercepted and stopped and momentum the Lakers had built.

With only 5:40 remaining in the first half, Findlay put together another drive, aided by a 57-yard run by Bell, and scored on a four-yard McDaniel rush to make it 24-0 at the half.

Mercyhurst made halftime adjustments to get the offense kick-started and Lakers looked strong in the third period. On the first possession of the second half, Mercyhurst drove methodically down the field and finished with a Phillis touchdown pass to Josh Szeluga to cut into the deficit.

On Findlay's next possession, the Lakers forced the Oilers to attempt a 44-yard field goal. But Findlay faked the attempt and completed a 16-yard pass for a first down that helped the Oilers eventually score on a six-yard Bell rush to make it 31-7.

The Mercyhurst special teams came up big on the ensuing kickoff as Theo Hall had a 42-yard return that gave the Lakers possession at the Findlay 33-yard line. Mercyhurst eventually scored on a Stokes one-yard plunge and he then got a pass from Phillis on the two-point conversion to make it 31-15.

Findlay got its cushion back quickly in the fourth quarter on a 39-yard McDaniel touchdown run but the Lakers answered with a Joe Laffey touchdown pass to Neil Apfelbaum to make it 38-22. Mercyhurst then recovered an on-side kick and drove to the Findlay 22-yard line. But a holding penalty backed up the Lakers and Mercyhurst's last gasp on fourth down fell incomplete to end any comeback attempt.

Findlay held a 458-329 advantage in total offense and forced four Mercyhurst turnovers, one more than the Oilers committed. Findlay was also 7-of-11 on third-downs and Mercyhurst had an uncharacteristic nine penalties for 94 yards.

Individually, Phillis had 18-of-43 passing for 191 yards while Laffey came on to replace him late and was 6-of-13 for 54 more yards. Adam Brown had a career-high 16 tackles on the defensive side of the ball, while Tim Herbener had an interception and a sack.

Mercyhurst falls to 4-4 on the year and 3-4 in GLIAC play. The Lakers will return home to host Hillsdale Saturday at 1:30 p.m.