SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Clarion University scored the final 20 points of the game Thursday night to hand hosting Slippery Rock a 27-10 loss in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division football action on Bob DiSpirito Field at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium.

Junior running back Alfonso Hoggard led the Golden Eagles attack with 205 rushing yards on 33 carries, including touchdown runs of 19 and 84 yards.

Behind his lead, the guests rushed for 248 yards and outgained SRU by a 347-230 margin in total yards.
The loss was only the second in seven games this fall for The Rock, but it hurt the Green and White's chances for the PSAC-West title and/or a berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs.

The Rock, which entered the game tied with Clarion and Mercyhurst for third place in the division, fell to 2-2 in division action.

The Green and White were ranked fourth in the initial Super Region 1 poll of the season released last Monday.

SRU returns to action Oct. 17 with a 1 p.m. road game at Gannon University in Erie.

With the win Thursday, Clarion improved its season record to 4-3 overall, 3-1 against division rivals. The Golden Eagles host Mercyhurst in an Oct. 17 division game.

Clarion got a 36-yard field goal by Robert Mamula on the last play of the first half Thursday night to tie the score at 10-10 and then added two third-period TDs and another field goal.

Daily Whitten returned an interception 41 yards for the first second-half TD to account for what proved to be the winning points before Hoggard sprinted 84 yards to the end zone to give the guests a 14-point lead, 24-10, with just less than seven minutes left in the third period.

A 30-yard Mamula field goal with 5:25 left in the game accounted for the final three points of the game.

Redshirt sophomore H-Back Devin Goda caught seven passes for 105 yards and the only Rock TD to lead the hosts' offensive attack. The reception and yardage totals were both career highs.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Rocco Colavecchia completed seven of 19 passes for 128 yards and the TD to Goda. Colavecchia was picked off twice, both times by Whitten.

True freshman Ryan O'Rourke relieved Colavecchia midway through the third period and completed five of eight passes for 69 yards. He was sacked four times.

Freshman Jeff Jackson had 150 yards on five kickoff returns to lead The Rock special teams' effort.

Defensively, redshirt sophomore linebacker Zach Sheridan tied his career high with 14 total tackles (six solo, eight assisted) and redshirt freshman linebacker Jeff Thompson had a season-high 11 tackles (three solo, eight assisted). Both Sheridan and Thompson had a tackle for loss.

The Rock held 3-0 and 10-7 leads in the first 28 minutes of action, but could generate only 52 yards in the final two periods. Clarion, on the other hand, had 186 yards in offense in the final 30 minutes.

After The Rock defense forced Clarion into a three-and-out on the opening drive of the game, hosts' offensive unit moved 31 yards in six plays to set up a 25-yard field goal by junior kicking specialist #C.J. Bahr# with 10:38 left in the first period

The Rock offense was back in business six plays later after SRU junior cornerback Robert Doiley picked off a Tyler Huether pass in the end zone. But SRU was unable to convert the turnover into points.

The pick was the third of the season for Doiley and moved him into a tie with redshirt sophomore free safety Brandon Watters for the team lead.

The hosts advanced to the Clarion 27 following Doiley's INT, only to be pushed back by an offensive holding penalty followed by back-to-back, negative yardage plays and was forced to punt.

Midway through the second period, Clarion took advantage of excellent field position to go 30 yards in three plays and take a 7-3 lead with 8:52 left in the first half. Hoggard sprinted 19 yards to cap the drive.

The Rock threatened to answer that scoring drive with one of its own on the ensuing possession, but the drive ended when Whitten picked off a Colavecchia pass at the Golden Eagles' 12.

On their next possession, The Rock marched 62 yards in only three plays to take a 10-7 lead with 2:53 left before halftime. Colavecchia connected with Goda for a 44-yard TD to cap the drive.

Clarion came right back to go 46 yards in 10 plays to set up Mamula's 36-yard field goal, which sent the teams into the intermission deadlocked at 10-10.

Halftime statistics showed The Rock on the short end of a 161-148 comparison in total yards. Colavecchia was four of nine passing for 111 yards and one TD and had one pass picked off.

Hoggard had 90 yds rushing on 19 carries in the opening two periods while Huether was 5 of 17 passing for 60 yards with one INT.

Huether, who entered the game ranked third in the PSAC in passing at 225.7 yards per game, finished the game with only 108 passing yards on a 9-of-24 effort with one INT.

Clarion junior wide receiver Robinson, the leading receiver in the PSAC at 7.7 catches and 82.5 yards per game, was held without a reception.

NOTES: 
Bahr extended his string of successful extra-point kicks to 62 with the point after the Colavecchia-to-Goda TD toss … Thursday's loss snapped a five-game win streak in games against Clarion and was only the second setback suffered by the Green and White in the last 13 games … The Rock is now 17-5 against Clarion in George Mihalik's 22 seasons as SRU's head coach … Thursday's win was the first in four games against The Rock for former SRU defensive coordinator Jay Foster.