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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Slippery Rock University scored points in five different fashions Saturday night en route to a 38-18 victory over visiting Gannon University in opening-week action of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division football schedule.

The Rock (2-1 overall, 1-0 PSAC-West) scored one touchdown on a routine pass plays, one on a fake-punt TD pass, one on a running play, one on an interception and one on a kickoff return.

Defensively, SRU withstood a 325-yard passing effort by Gannon quarterback Liam Nadler and kept the Golden Knights out of the end zone for the first 53 minutes of the game.

Behind Nadler's lead, Gannon won the total yardage battle by a 391-298 margin, while SRU had a 102-66 advantage in rushing yards.

Nadler completed 35 of 63 passes and threw one TD pass, but was intercepted four times and sacked three times.

His counterpart, Rock redshirt sophomore QB Jared Buck shook off a pair of first-half interceptions to finish with a 21-of-30 passing effort for 187 yards and one TD. He also led The Rock in rushing with 53 yards on 10 carries, including a one-yard run that accounted for SRU's fifth and final touchdown.

Buck completed passes to 10 different receivers, led by junior slot receiver LaQuinn Stephens-Howling's four catches for 51 yards. Junior wide receiver John Schademan had three catches for 19 yards, including an eight-yard TD toss from Buck.

Rock wide receiver and placekicking holder Michael Bongivengo threw a nine-yard TD to senior tight end Josh Gardner on a fake field goal attempt.


Matt Szczupakowski kicked four field goals to account for the first 12 Gannon points, while Justin Caliste caught 12 passes for 100 yards, had 133 yards on six kickoff returns and 22 yards on three punt returns.

The hosts giveth and The Rock taketh away in the opening quarter of action.

Gannon scored the first points of the game on a 32-yard field goal by Szczupakowski with 12:53 remaining in the first period, three plays after Buck was intercepted at the Rock 28-yard line on the second offensive play of the game.

The Golden Knights moved 73 yards in 11 plays on their second possession of the game but were again forced to settle for a field goal, this time a 35-yard Szczupakowski boot, at the 7:11 mark of the first quarter.

The guests' 6-0 lead lasted exactly 13 seconds as Dutrieuille returned the ensuing kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown. Brackman's first extra-point kick gave The Rock their first lead of the game, a 7-6 edge with 6:58 left in the first quarter.

The Rock never trailed from that point forward.

Ninety seconds after Dutrieuille's TD sprint, The Rock lead was 14-6 as Saunders stepped in front of a Nadler pass and returned the interception 42 yards for a touchdown and Brackman tacked on the extra point at the 5:28 mark of the first period.

The INT return for a TD was Saunders' second of the season. He had a 50-yarder in the season-opening win over Seton Hill and is the first Rock player to have a pair of INT TDs in the same season since All-American Brian Polk recorded the feat in 1998.

Following Saunders' score, the defenses reigned for the next five drives of the game before Brackman booted a 22-yard field goal to give The Rock a 17-6 lead with 9:47 left before halftime. The kick capped a nine-play, 68-yard drive.

Szczupakowski's 28-yard field goal with 1:41 left in the half capped a 10-play, 64-yard scoring drive by Gannon and set the score at 17-9 at the intermission.

SRU went to its book of tricks on its first second-half possession to push its lead to 24-9 with 9:55 left in the third quarter.

On a fourth-and-7 play from the Gannon 9-yard line, Bongivengo, a former quarterback, rolled out to his right on a fake field goal attempt and found Gardner wide open in back corner of the end zone for a touchdown catch.

Gannon took the ensuing kickoff and moved 44 yards but was again forced to settle for a field goal. Szcyzupakowski's 31-yard kick made the score 24-12 with 5:40 left in the third period.

Undaunted, The Rock offense answered with a four-play, 60-yard scoring drive to push the lead to 31-12 with 4:18 left in the third stanza. Buck hit junior wide receiver John Schademan on a fade route in the corner of the end zone to cap the drive.

Redshirt sophomore cornerback Admire Carter recorded The Rock's third interception of the game with one minute left to play in the third quarter to set up SRU's final scoring drive. Buck barged into the end zone from a yard out to cap the six-play, 18-yard drive with 13:03 left to play in the game.

Gannon finally found the end zone for the first time with 6:56 left to play in the game as Nadler threw a one-yard pass to Abraham Ocasio to cap a six-play, 81-yard drive and set the final score at 38-18.

The Rock travel to Mercyhurst for a 1 p.m. PSAC-West game next Saturday.

Notes:

Saturday's win snapped a three-game Rock losing streak against Gannon and narrowed the Golden Knights' advantage in the all-time series to 5-3 … The win also gave SRU some revenge for a 33-27 Gannon win last fall that denied The Rock the outright PSAC-West championship and a berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs … Saunders improved his career INT total to five with his pick Saturday … Sophomore free safety Isaiah Coleman picked off two passes Saturday … Schademan's TD catch was his third of the season and third in the last two weeks. He is the team's No. 2 scorer with 18 points … Brackman is now 17-for-17 on extra-point attempts and 2-for-2 on field goals for a team-high 23 points … With the win, The Rock remained unbeaten (7-0) since their home facility, formerly known as N. Kerr Thompson Stadium, was renamed Mihalik-Thompson Stadium Sept. 9, 2011, in honor current Rock head coach George Mihalik.