Sept. 15, 2007

Box Score

Erie, Pa. - In a football game in which Mercyhurst College and Wayne State University played three overtimes and combined for 108 points Saturday, it could be difficult to pinpoint one play that decided the game. And by the time Wayne State quarterback Mickey Berce's fourth-down pass fell incomplete in the back of the end zone to finalize a wild 58-50 Mercyhurst victory, it was certainly difficult to remember a play the took place midway through the second quarter.

But when Theo Hall, who seems to make a crucial special teams play every week, blocked a punt early in the second quarter, he may have made the play of the game. At the time, Mercyhurst trailed 21-3 and the Wayne State offense was piling up yards with little resistance. Wayne State punter Dave Chudzinski had his back against the goal line when Hall broke through the line, made his play, and watched the ball fall into the end zone. Teammate Michael Peoples fell on the ball and suddenly momentum had turned.

The Laker defense came alive, the offense found its rhythm and Mercyhurst scored 33 of the next 40 points to build a 36-28 lead with just 1:50 to play in the game. Wayne State marched down the field to score a touchdown with 30 seconds remaining, added on the two-point conversion, and sent the game to overtime. That's when things really got interesting.

Mercyhurst began the first overtime with possession and quarterback Mitch Phillis, who threw for 283 yards and four touchdowns, found Josh Szeluga for a seven-yard scoring strike to put the Lakers on top 43-36. But Wayne State running back Joique Bell, who compiled 227 yards rushing and five touchdowns, carved up 25 yards on three carries, including a 13-yard touchdown that sent the game to a second overtime.

Bell scored again from two yards out in the second overtime to give Wayne State a 50-43 lead, but Mercyhurst came right back with a Phillis-to-Apfelbaum touchdown pass from three yards out to tie the game again.

By NCAA rules, each team was forced to go for the two-point conversion beginning with the third overtime and the Lakers made that change pay off. Phillis found Brandon Hill for a 10-yard touchdown and then completed the two-point conversion pass to Max Khuri to give Mercyhurst a 58-50 lead. On Wayne State's possession, Berce found Chris Alsina for 14 yards to give the Warriors a first-and-goal from the nine-yard line.

After a pair of Bell carries that gained five yards, Berce's third-down pass attempt to Bell fell incomplete. On fourth down, Berce looked for Alsina again, but his pass sailed through the back of the end zone to seal the contest.

While Bell finished with 227 yards on 44 carries, his counterpart Richard Stokes posted a strong game in his own right. Stokes, who was named the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for 244 yards last week, had 35 carries for 154 yards and two touchdowns.

As well, the Wayne State defense had no answer for Mercyhurst's tight end tandem of Josh Szeluga and Hill. Szeluga had nine catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns, while Hill ended with seven catches for 94 yards and a score.

Early on, the game was marred by turnovers as each team tried to gain a stranglehold on the contest. Hall picked off Wayne State quarterback Trent Pohl in the end zone on the Warriors' first possession, but Phillis was intercepted by Dante Dunn just three plays later.

That interception helped Wayne State jump on top early as the Warriors finished a six-play, 28-yard drive as Pohl took a quarterback sneak from one-yard out to make it 7-0. After Mercyhurst kicker Chris Ryan knocked down a 20-yard field goal to make it 7-3, the Warriors gained 65 yards on just four plays, capped off by a 30-yard touchdown reception by Ed Sanders to make it 14-3.

As the second quarter got underway, Bell broke a carry for a 57-yard touchdown that put Wayne State on top 21-3 and seemingly in control. Mercyhurst drove to the Warrior nine-yard line on its next possession, but Phillis was sacked on a fourth-and-one to end the threat.

Hall came up with his blocked punt on Wayne State's next possession to make it 21-9 and Bell fumbled away possession on the Warriors' first play after that. But Stokes gave the ball back to Wayne State only two plays later inside the Warrior 10-yard line.

Wayne State tried to settle things down and picked up a first down but Pohl threw an interception to Craig Moone and the Lakers were back in business. Mercyhurst went 26 yards on six plays and Dave Stallard scored on a fourth-and-one from the Wayne State two-yard line to cut the deficit to five points at 21-16 at the half.

Midway through the third quarter, Wayne State scored a touchdown that seemed to put the Warriors back in charge with a 28-16 lead. But Phillis found Szeluga for a seven-yard touchdown just before the end of the third quarter to make it 28-22.

On Wayne State's first possession of the fourth quarter, Chudzinski missed a 25-yard field goal and Stokes came up with a 58-yard touchdown run that put the Lakers on top for the first time at 29-28.

Over the next four possessions, the two teams combined for just one first down and Wayne State took over possession at its own 20 with 4:38 to play. On first down, Bell found himself stuffed in the backfield but before going down, he attempted to heave the ball to a teammate. Hall picked up the prayer and Mercyhurst took over at the Wayne State 34.

Stokes seemed to put the game away when his four-yard touchdown run with 1:50 to play but the Lakers ahead 36-28, but Wayne State marched 57 yards without a timeout to score a touchdown 80 seconds later. Berce's pass to Alsina on the two-point conversion tied the game and sent it into overtime.

With the win, Mercyhurst improves to 3-1 for the first time since 1999 and is now 2-1 in the GLIAC. Although the Lakers were picked to finish 11th in the preseason conference coaches poll, Mercyhurst has now beaten teams picked to finish fourth (Ferris State) and fifth (Wayne State) in successive weeks. The Lakers will travel across town to play Gannon next Saturday at 7:00 p.m. looking to improve to 4-1 for the first time since 1992.