Football Earns 28-14 Road Win At Gannon To Open Season

OVERVIEW – GANNON

SCORE: Northwood Timberwolves 28, Gannon Golden Knights 14
RECORDS: Northwood 1-0, Gannon 0-1
LOCATION: McConnell Family Stadium – Erie, Pa.
RECAP: Northwood football opens the season with a 28-14 road win at Gannon Thursday night (September 5).

INSIDE THE GAME

• After a scoreless first quarter, Northwood got on the board in the opening minute of the second. Quarterback Jacob Barlage found freshman Braylon Gardner for a 70-yard touchdown to take a 7-0 lead.
• The Timberwolves defense got a stop on the next possession, Northwood went right back down the field for their second straight touchdown. Devin Brown capped the 79-yard, nine-play drive with an eight-yard TD run on third and goal. That made the score 14-0.
• The score stood at 14-0 at halftime, thanks in large part to a dominant second quarter for NU. The Timberwolves out-gained Gannon 195-44 in the second quarter while holding a 9-1 edge in first downs.
• Northwood got the ball first to start the second half and added to their advantage. The Timberwolves went 65-yards on 13 plays over 6:14. Brown finished the drive with a four-yard touchdown run to make the score 21-0.
• Gannon put together a drive late in the third quarter, getting all the way down to the Northwood five. But the NU defense came up with another big play, as newcomer Jackson Price ended the Golden Knight drive with an interception in the endzone to keep the Northwood advantage at 21-0.
• GU earned its first touchdown at the 10:13 mark of the fourth. A 61-yard TD pass finished off a 95-yard drive to make the score 21-7.
• The Timberwolves responded right away, putting together a 65-yard, six-play drive that took 2:16. Barlage found Brendan Teal for a 30-yard touchdown that made the score 28-7 with 7:57 remaining.
• Gannon's offense responded with a long drive to get within 14. GU went 75-yards in 11 plays over the span of 4:20. The 17-yard TD pass made the score 28-14 with 3:37 left in the game.
• After recovering Gannon's attempted onside kick, Northwood earned a pair of first downs to run out the clock and close out the victory.

GAME STATS

• FIRST DOWNS: Northwood 25, Gannon 16
• RUSHES-YARDS: Northwood 50-141, Gannon 25-36
• PASSING YARDS: Northwood 289 (17-26, 2 TDs, 0 INT), Gannon 231 (18-32, 2 TDs, INT)
• TOTAL OFFENSE, PLAYS-YARDS: Northwood 54-190, Gannon 79-348
• TIME OF POSSESSION: Northwood 32:24, Gannon 27:36

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

• Barlage: 17-23, 289 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INT
• Brown: 17 carries, 88 yards, 2 TDs
• Braylon Gardner: 4 catches, 98 yards, TD
• Mark Tocco: 4 catches, 74 yards
• Mbaimba Tunkara: Seven tackles, tackle for loss
• Brandon Ross: Four tackles, two tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks
• Brock Cook: Six tackles, tackle for loss
• Price: Four tackles, interception
• Gavin Myers: Six punts, 45.0 average

UP NEXT

• The Timberwolves will host rival Saginaw Valley next Saturday (September 14). Game time is set for 1 p.m.