Nov. 6, 2004

Final Stats

Slippery Rock, Pa. - Josh Kniess rushed for 111 yards and three touchdowns Saturday afternoon to lead The Rock to a 31-14 win over visiting Clarion in season-ending Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division football action on Bob DiSpirito Field at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium.

With the win, The Rock (4-7, 2-4) snapped a five-game win streak and avoided its first six-game losing skid since 1954.

The loss was the sixth straight for Clarion (3-8, 1-5).

Brandon Richardson, one of 15 Rock seniors who played their final collegiate game Saturday, caught four passes for 106 yards while Nate Crookshank was 9 of 15 passing for 141 yards.

Kniess scored on a four-yard run with 33 seconds left in the first half to give The Rock a 17-14 halftime advantage and to account for what turned out to be the winning points.

Kniess also scored on a nine-yard run with 4:45 left in the third period and added a one-yard TD run three minutes later for the game's final points.

The Rock's first touchdown came on an eight-yard return of a blocked punt by linebacker Jesse Kelley with 11:07 left in the first period. Ryan Daniel booted a 37-yard field goal with 12:48 left in the second quarter and was four for four on extra point kicks to round out The Rock's scoring.

Crookshank was The Rock's starting signal caller until Saturday, when an injured right (throwing) shoulder sustained in last week's game at Shippensburg, caused him to hand the reins to classmate A.J. Ruperto.

Ruperto was 1 of 6 for 13 yards passing and rushed five times for 35 yards before Crookshank relieved him early in the second quarter. The Rock was leading, 10-7, when Crookshank entered the contest.

The Rock finished the game with a 355-276 advantage in total offense.

The Rock and Clarion were called for a combined total of 27 penalties for 211 yards in the game.