Final statistics

INDIANA, Pa. – Saturday afternoon's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division football game was one Slippery Rock University will soon want to forget.

The Rock (3-1, 0-1) generated only 143 yards in total offense, including 24 rushing yards, and committed three turnovers, one of which was returned for a touchdown, in suffering a 17-0 whitewashing at the hands of archrival Indiana U. of Pa. (3-1, 1-0).

Adding salt to the wound: The shutout was the first suffered by The Rock since the opening week of the 1996 season, when perennial NCAA Division I-AA (now FCS) power Youngstown State won a 22-0 decision on its home field.

Any bright spots for The Rock in Saturday's game were few and far between, particularly on offense.

Rock redshirt sophomore running back Akeem Satterfield, who rushed for 432 yards and seven touchdowns in his first two games this fall, was held to 56 yards on 27 carries.

Junior wide receiver Devin Goda, who averaged 94 receiving yards in the first three games this fall, caught five passes for 52 yards against the Crimson Hawks.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Ryan Sabo had his least productive passing effort of the season with a 10-for-30, 119-yard performance. He was also sacked four times for minus-29 yards and saw his only interception of the game returned 75 yards for a touchdown in the final minute of the game.

The Rock committed four fumbles, two of which they lost, and the one interception.

Defensively, The Rock allowed 314 yards in total offense. 168 passing and 158 rushing.

Junior linebacker Zach Sheridan tied for game-high honors in total tackles with 12  (5 solo, 7 assisted). Junior defensive tackle Scott Kachurik had eight total tackles (5+3) including one tackle for loss (-1 yard), junior cornerback Andre Freeman had seven total tackles (4+3), one tackle for loss (-1 yard) and one fumble recovery and junior defensive end Quintin Johnson had three tackles for loss (-9 yards).

The Rock frustrations started early as, after the defense had forced Indiana to punt on the game's opening drive, Sabo was unable to control the snap from All-America center Brandon Fusco on SRU's first offensive play.

The lost fumble set Indiana up first-and-10 at The Rock 24-yard line, but SRU's defense held the hosts right there and forced a 42-yard field by Craig Burgess, which sailed wide to the right with 10:22 left in the first period.

The Rock offense gained 23 yards in seven plays on the ensuing possession and was ultimately forced to punt the ball back to Indiana.

A 17-yard punt by Rock freshman James McCombie, who entered the game as the PSAC leader with a 42.5 yards per punt average, gave Indiana possession at its own 35. 11 plays later, the Crimson Hawks scored what would prove to be the winning points on a two-yard run by Teddy Brakeman.

The Rock almost gave the ball right back to the Crimson Hawks as senior return specialist Jermale Cromerdie muffed the catch on Burgess' kickoff. Disaster was averted when redshirt freshman linebacker Bob Westerlund pounced on the loose ball at The Rock 31.

The first of two fumbles lost by Indiana came on McCombie's second punt of the game as Cory Lanterman coughed up the football and Freeman recovered it at The Rock 46. Six plays and 13 yards later, though, The Rock punted the ball back to Indiana.

The Rock offense made its deepest penetration of the game on the ensuing drive but stalled at the Indiana 20. Senior kicking specialist #C.J. Bahr#'s 37-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left, though, with 4:48 left before halftime to leave The Rock down by a 7-0 count.

The score stayed that way until the early seconds of the fourth and final period, when a 25-yard field goal by Burgess increased the hosts' lead to 10-0. The kick capped a 13-play, 62-yard drive.

The Rock's second serious scoring threat of the game came in the final minutes when they moved 52 yards in six plays and had the ball at the Indiana 38. That rally was thwarted when Tobias Robinson picked off an errant Sabo pass at the Indiana 25 and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown.

The Rock will look to return to its winning ways next Saturday when it visits Clarion, coached by former SRU defensive coordinator Jay Foster, for a 2 p.m. PSAC-West game.

The Green and White then return home to entertain Edinboro in a 6 p.m. game Oct. 9 on Bob DiSpirito Field at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium.

Notes:

Saturday's loss marked the second straight season The Rock, after winning its first three games of the season, suffered a Week 4 loss. Edinboro scored a last-second touchdown last fall to hand The Rock a 28-24 setback in Edinboro ... The Rock has now lost 10 of the last 12 meetings with Indiana after winning three straight games from 19997-99 ... Satterfield's three-game rushing total of 488 yards is only 31 yards shy of the best mark recorded by a Rock running back. Lamonte Coleman rushed for 519 yards in his first three games in 1994 and finished the season with a school-record 1,601 rushing yards.