One season after becoming co-champions of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division and tying the school record for most wins in a season with nine, the Gannon University football program was picked to finish first in the PSAC Western Division, according to the league’s preseason coaches poll released Monday.
Gannon was named the front-runner to win the West, edging Slippery Rock during the PSAC Football Media Day hosted by Slippery Rock University.
Defending PSAC East champion Bloomsburg was selected to repeat, in front of West Chester and East Strodsburg.
Gannon will return 38 letter winners and 18 players who started at least five games from last year’s 9-2 squad.
The Knights will rely heavily on their offense, which is led by a pair of record-setting veterans.
Senior quarterback Liam Nadler and Brock Jones will lead the Gannon offense as it returns seven starters from last season’s high-scoring attack.
Nadler will be under center for the fourth straight year, and he has played a key role in helping to build Gannon into a PSAC power.
Nadler is Gannon’s all-time leader in six different categories, including a school-record 58 passing touchdowns.
After a breakout year last season, Jones, a senior tailback, will look to run his way into the Gannon record books.
Jones, the 2014 PSAC West Offensive Athlete of the Year, currently sits at fourth all-time in 100-yard rushing games (nine) and 10th in career rushing yards at 1,656.
Brad Rzyczycki, who will start his fourth season as head coach of the Knights, won as many games last season as he did in his first two seasons as head coach. Gannon finished 3-8 and 6-5 during the 2012 and 2013 campaigns.
DOMINIC SANSONE
