ERIE, Pa. – Hosting Mercyhurst outgained The Rock by a 366-154 margin in total yardage Saturday afternoon en route to a 34-10 win in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division action.

The loss snapped a three-game Rock win streak and denied the Green and White a share of the PSAC-West lead,

Mercyhurst (3-2 overall, 2-0 PSAC-W), with the win, moved into a tie with California (Pa.) for the division lead. The Rock (3-2, 1-1 PSAC-W) is one of four teams tied for third place in the division standings.

Next week, The Rock will visit one of the other teams tied for third place as they travel to archirval Indiana (Pa.), a 21-19 loser Saturday at California.

The following week, former Rock defensive coordinator Jay Foster and his Clarion Golden Eagles will host The Rock in a 6 p.m. PSAC-West game.

Saturday, Mercyhurst gained 242 rushing yards and 124 passing yards, compared to SRU's 60 rushing yards and 94 passing yards.

Redshirt sophomore running back Ryan Lehmeier gained 54 yards on 16 carries to lead The Rock offensive effort.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Brandon Frohnapple completed 6 of 15 passes for 50 yards, no touchdowns and had two passes picked off. He had thrown 100 consecutive passes without an interception prior to being picked off early in the third period.

Junior quarterback Brad Galvan completed 2 of 5 passes for 44 yards in a relief role. Senior wide receiver Terry Grossetti caught four passes for 30 yards.

The only Rock points came on a 21-yard field goal by sophomore #C.J. Bahr# with 3:07 left in the second quarter and the recovery of a blocked punt in the end zone by sophomore wide receiver Jermale Cromerdie. Redshirt freshman defensive back Brandon Watters was credited with the punt block.

Redshirt freshman defensive back Jayson Nickson (pictured above), a native of Erie and graduate of Mercyhurst Prep High School, celebrated the return to his hometown with a game-high 15 total tackles (6 solo, 9 assisted)

Richard Stokes rushed for 140 yards and three touchdowns for Mercyhurst. Kensy Garrett completed 11 of 20 passes for 124 yards, no TDs, and did not throw an interception.

Mercyhurst assumed quick control of Saturday's game. After forcing The Rock to punt on the game's opening drive, the Lakers marched 82 yards in 13 plays to take a 7-0 lead with 5:34 left in the first period. Stokes capped the march with a four-yard burst.

 

The Lakers forced The Rock offense into a three-and-out situation on the ensuing possession and then extended its lead with another 13-play scoring drive. The 72-yard march culminated in a 30-yard field goal by Chris Ryan, which gave Mercyhurst a 10-0 lead with 13:26 left in the first half.

 

The Rock defense finally forced Mercyhurst to punt on the hosts' third drive of the game and the Green and White responded with a 59-yard scoring drive. Bahr's 21-yard field goal with 3:07 left in the first half trimmed the hosts' lead to seven points, 10-3.

 

But, aided by a personal foul/late-hit penalty against The Rock, Mercyhurst came right back to move 37 yards in seven plays in the final minute of the half. Ryan's 39-yard field goal on the final play of the half gave the Lakers a 13-3 lead at intermission.

 

Hafltime statistics showed the hosts with a 219-81 advantage in total yards behind a 131-44 rushing margin and an 88-37 passing cushion.

 

The Lakers came out and re-established control of the action on the first drive of the second half as they moved 63 yards in 10 plays to extend their lead to 20-3 with 9:06 left in the third period. Stokes capped the march with a two-yard run.

 

On the ensuing possession, a potential Rock scoring drive was killed when Frohnapple had a fourth-and-13 pass attempt picked off at the Lakers' 10-yard line.

 

The Rock had its next drive stopped at the Lakers' 43 when Frohnapple and center Brandon Fusco failed to make the proper exchange on a fourth-down snap.

 

The Green and White woes continued on the next SRU possession as Frohnapple was intercepted for the second time.

 

The turnover gave Mercyhurst possession at The Rock 26. The Lakers converted the opportunity into a six-play scoring drive, capped by a four-yard TD jaunt by Stokes, that gave the hosts a 27-3 cushion with 12:12 left in the game.

 

Mercyhurst kept its foot on the accelerator and went 59 yards in six plays the next time it had the ball to extend the lead to 31 points, 34-3, with 5:57 left to play. Carnell Evans capped the drive with a xx-yard TD run.

 

The final points of the game came when Watters blocked a punt by Mercyhurst's Jordan Bukowski and Cromerdie pounced on the loose ball in the back of the end zone with 1:05 left to play.

Trivia time: Mercyhurst's winning margin Saturday was the largest recorded by an NCAA Division II Rock opponent since a 38-14 setback at Bloomsburg in the fourth week of the 2002 season ... Bloomsburg handed The Rock a 28-point (42-14) loss in the 2001 season finale ...  Youngstown State, an NCAA Division I-AA squad, beat SRU by 30 points (44-14 and 51-21) in both 2005 and 2006 ... Had The Rock not scored the final-minute touchdown Saturday, the Green and White would have suffered their most lopsided loss since a 41-7 decision at Indiana (Pa.) in Week 7 of the 1995 season.