When it rains, it pours and the Golden Knights are on a slippery slope to the bottom of the PSAC West football standings.
Only one game into the PSAC schedule, Gannon and Slippery Rock, the top-two preseason favorites in the division, entered Saturday’s contest in a must-win situation
Slippery Rock dropped out of the Top 25 rankings after being upset by Seton Hill and Gannon was still scratching its head after a disappointing loss to Clarion in week one. But The Knights will need to do more than just ponder what happened in Saturday’s 41-14 blowout loss to The Rock — they need to do some soul searching.
Just like the six fumbles that Gannon had Saturday (four lost), the Knights are slowly starting to see their hopes of a PSAC title and first-ever NCAA playoff appearance slip away.
Gannon returned seven players from last’s year offfense that led the PSAC in scoring, but that unit is a shell of its former self. The departures of three key offensive linemen and WR Justin Caliste have hurt the Gannon offense. Throw in injuries up front for the Gannon line and the Knights are left searching for a way to keep QB Liam Nadler standing up.
Gannon has allowed 16 sacks (seven against Slippery Rock) through five games this season — that’s just three less sacks than the Knights gave up all season last year.
If Gannon can’t regroup and grab a huge momentum-building win Saturday on East 38th Street, it could be a long 2.98 miles back to downtown Erie.
DOMINIC SANSONE