SALISBURY, Md. -- Sophomore wide receiver Gerrod Gainer caught 14 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns, but Albright fell to Salisbury 48-27 in the ECAC South Atlantic Bowl on Saturday at Sea Gull Stadium.
Gainer's 243 yards ranks second alltime in Albright single-game history. He fell just one yard shy of tying the school record of 244 yards set by Nick Cushman in 2003 versus Juniata. His 14 catches ranks as the seventh-best single-game performance in Lion history as Ryan Ditze and Eric Nemec hold the school record of 17 catches.
Albright, which saw its five-game winning streak halted, also got a career-high 365 yards passing from junior quarterback Patrick Wise. Wise finished the game 29-47 for 365 yards and three touchdowns.
Wise and Gainer also connected on the Lions longest scoring play of the season as they hooked up for a 77-yard touchdown in the second quarter. The duo also accounted for a 16-yard scoring strike in the third quarter.
The Lions were unable to slow down the vaunted Salisbury rushing attack as the Sea Gulls rushed for 484 yards on the afternoon. Connor Cannonico rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown, while Jerome Johnson added 128 yards and three scores.
Salisbury, which finished the season with a 7-4 mark, jumped out to a 27-7 lead in the first half.
The Sea Gulls got on the board on their second drive of the game as Johnson scored from 20 yards out to give Salisbury a 7-0 lead with 9:04 to play in the opening quarter.
Salisbury extended the lead to 14-0 on its next drive when it went 89 yards in five plays highlighted by a 47-yard hookup between quarterback Ryan Jones and Josh McClain. Jones capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run with 4:37 remaining in the first quarter.
John Dunbar gave the Sea Gulls a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter when he capped a 5-play, 67-yard march with a 16-yard touchdown run at the 14:52 mark of the second quarter.
It only took Albright one play to answer the score as Wise connected with Gainer for 77 yards and a touchdown to bring the Lions to within 21-7 with 14:35 remaining in the first half.
After a promising Albright drive ended with a punt, Salisbury went 98 yards in seven plays to extend the lead to 27-7. Canonico finished the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run with 4:36 to play before halftime.
Salisbury made it 34-7 on the opening drive of the second half when Johnson scored on a 29-yard run with 11:34 left in the third quarter.
The Sea Gulls pushed the lead to 41-7 midway through the third quarter when Johnson scored from 31 yards out with 7:47 remaining in the quarter.
Albright scored its second touchdown of the game on its next drive. Wise connected with Gainer for 26 yards on 3-and-7 and then completed the drive by finding Gainer from 16 yards out to cut the lead to 41-14 with 4:27 to play in the third.
After stopping Salisbury on its next possession, Albright marched 34 yards in four plays and Wise hit Malik Gilmore for a 23-yard scoring pass to trim the lead to 41-21 with 24 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Salisbury marched 47 yards in nine plays on its opening drive of the fourth quarter and Johnson scored on a 20-yard run to extend the lead to 48-21 with 11:22 left in the game.
Albright put together a 15-play, 88-yard scoring drive midway through the fourth quarter. Chris Dawson capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to bring the Lions to within 48-27.
The Lions made their fourth consecutive ECAC Bowl appearance and finished the season with a 6-5 overall record. Albright finished with a winning record for the seventh time in the eight years that John Marzka has been the head coach. The Lions have never finished below .500 during his tenure as head coach.
Gainer Posts 243 Receiving Yards in ECAC South Atlantic Bowl
/seasons/2014/boxscores/20141122_tkqi.xml
2014
Albright
27
Salisbury
48
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albright (6-5) | 0 | 7 | 14 | 6 | 27 |
| Salisbury (7-4) | 14 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 48 |
Nov 22, 2014