2008 Woodie Awards
Football prepares for season finale
SRU hopes to finish with .500 record at Clarion
By Adam Brewer
Rocket Sports Editor
Issue date: 11/4/05 Section: Sports Extra
|
The Rock (4-5 overall, 3-2 PSAC West) has earned back-to-back 4-7 overall records over the past two years and will look to finish at or above .500 for the first time since 2002 with a win against Clarion (3-6, 1-4).
"This is an important game for our seniors and the younger players on the team," defensive coordinator Jay Foster said. "For the seniors they want to end their careers on a positive note, and for everybody else they want to end the season with a win so that they will have something to build on for next season."
Foster said this would be a good way to end the season.
"After starting the season 0-3, it would be a great feeling if we could finish the last seven weeks of the season 5-2," Foster said. "Everyone would like to win this game."
Clarion started the season with a 43-14 loss to West Chester. The team came back with a four-overtime victory over Kutztown, 29-23, in its home opener.
The next week, Clarion got a win over PSAC East opponent Mansfield by the score of 15-12, but then lost back-to-back games against California (Pa.), 43-7, and Edinboro, 44-0. Clarion's offense continued to struggle when it was blanked by East Stroudsburg in a 56-0 rout the following week.
Clarion got its third win of the season by shutting out Lock Haven, 16-0. The last two weeks, Clarion lost to Shippensburg 37-0 and then lost to IUP by the score of 30-10.
Both Clarion's offense and defense are ranked in the bottom half in the PSAC.
Clarion offense is 13th in the PSAC in points per game as the Golden Eagles are averaging only 10.1 this season. The passing game, which is ranked 12th in the PSAC, is averaging 123.9 yards per game and is led by sophomore quarterback Erik Yonish. Yonish has only 498 passing yards in seven games this season with one touchdown and 10 interceptions.
Even though Yonish has completed only 47 percent of his passes, he is the second leading rusher on the team. Clarion has used the option this year and Yonish has 265 rushing yards and is averaging 4.6 yards per carry with one touchdown run.
