Traditional Box Score (HTML)  |  Complete Game Video  |  Photo Gallery

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The nationally ranked Slippery Rock University football team took over sole possession of first place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division with a 31-28 victory over previously unbeaten Gannon University Saturday night at MIhalik-Thompson Stadium.
 
The Rock, ranked No. 14 by D2football.com and No. 20 by the American Football Coaches Association, and Gannon both entered the game with unbeaten 4-0 overall and 3-0 PSAC-West records. Slippery Rock emerges as the only team in the division with an unblemished record and a one-game lead over Gannon, California and Indiana, which are all 4-1 overall and 3-1 in league games.
 
Saturday night's game was drastically different from the first four of the season for Slippery Rock, which entered the game with the No. 1 offense in the nation, as The Rock needed to rely on stout defense and special teams in the second half to come away with the win.
 
For the first time this season, Slippery Rock was outgained in total offense and the opposing team ran more total offensive plays. Gannon finished with an advantage of 519-380 in total yardage and ran 86 plays to The Rock's 71. The Golden Knights ran for 149 yards and threw for 370, but turned the ball over twice in crucial moments in the second half and had a punt blocked and returned for a touchdown. Slippery Rock managed 161 rushing yards and 219 yards through the air. The Rock also turned the ball over twice, but Gannon was unable to convert either turnover into points.
 
Trailing 20-17 early in the second half, Slippery Rock flipped the momentum in the game when Sam Funk blocked a punt deep in Gannon territory that was scooped up by Nick Davis and returned six yards for a touchdown to put The Rock up 24-20 with 11:17 to play in the third.
 
The next possession, Austin Miele recovered a fumbled snap near midfield to give The Rock the ball back with good field position. Zack Newsock hit Taishan Tucker for 38 yards on a flea flicker that set up a Shamar Greene touchdown run that gave Slippery Rock a 31-20 lead with 6:05 to play in the third.
 
From there, the defense managed to hold Gannon to just eight points the rest of the way. It looked like the Golden Knights would score to get back into the game late in the third quarter, but Admire Carter came up with a big interception on the four-yard line to end a drive and keep The Rock up 11 points heading to the fourth.
 
Newsock finished the game 17-of-25 for 219 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Melvin German caught the TD, a 48-yard pass as he continues to develop deep strike chemistry with Newsock. German finished the game with two catches for 90 yards.
 
Shamar Greene was held to under 100 yards for the first time this season. Gannon entered the game allowing just 58 rushing yards per game. Greene finished with 22 carries for 85 yards and one touchdown. He also caught four passes for 38 yards.
 
Teddy Blakeman added 14 carries for 54 yards and one touchdown, his 22nd touchdown in 17 games as a member of The Rock.
 
Isaiah Coleman recorded nine tackles, including seven solo. Marcus Martin recorded two half-sacks to bring his season total to 6.0 sacks in five games. He finished with nine total tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. Avery Anderson recorded seven stops and two half-sacks and Derrick Fulmore recorded six tackles.
 
The Rock recorded 4.0 sacks, 8.0 tackles for loss and six pass breakups. Austin Miele recorded six tackles and one fumble recovery and Coleman and Devin Ghafoor each forced one fumble.
 
Gannon quarterback Liam Nadler finished the game 30-of-50 for 370 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Quad Law caught nine passes for 127 yards. Brock Jones added seven catches for 81 yards and ran for 83 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries.
 
Mike Zanders led the Gannon defense with 13 tackles and one fumble recovery, while Mike Phillips recorded 12 tackles and Joshua Wiechelt recorded one interception.
 
Gannon struck first in the game, marking the fourth time in five games Slippery Rock has recorded a win after giving up the first points in the game. Jesstin Hamm caught a seven yard TD pass with 9:04 to play in the first quarter to cap a 12-play, 85 yard drive. The PAT was wide right, giving Gannon a 6-0 lead.
 
Slippery Rock responded with an 11-play, 60 yard drive that was capped by a 26-yard Mike Wainauskis field goal to cut it to 6-3 with 5:56 to play in the opening period.
 
Gannon pushed the lead out to 13-3 when Jones burst through the line for a 27 yard TD run to cap a two-play, 51 yard drive with 1:07 left in the first.
 
Blakeman brought it back to 13-10 just 54 seconds into the second quarter when he rushed in from three yards out to cap a six-play, 73 yard drive.
 
Gannon increased the lead to 20-13 with 3:45 to play before the break on another long TD run from Jones, this time from 24 yards out.
 
Neither team could capitalize on chances from there to close out the half with Gannon leading 20-13, setting up the third quarter comeback from The Rock.
 
Davis' punt return TD made it 24-20 with 11:17 left in the third and Greene's TD run made it 31-20 with 6:05 to play in the quarter.
 
Gannon scored its last points of the night with 5:23 to play in the fourth on an 11 yard pass to Hamm. Nadler hit Justin Caliste for the two-point conversion to make it 31-28.
 
Slippery Rock came up with a big defensive stand after a three and out, forcing Gannon to turn the ball over on downs with just over two minutes to play. The Rock put the game away with two big first down runs from Greene and Blakeman before taking a knee for the final three plays.
 
Slippery Rock will look to keep the momentum going and remain atop the division with a road trip to California (Pa.) next Saturday, Oct. 11. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on the Vulcans' Homecoming.
 
 
 
Notes: Slippery Rock ran less plays than its opponent for the first time this season … The Rock was outgained by the opposition for the first time this season … SRU finished with less than 400 yards of offense for the first time this season (previous low was 493 against Kutztown) … Slippery Rock improved to 4-0 on the year when the opponent scores first … SRU ran less than 80 offensive plays for the first time this season … Shamar Greene was held under 100 yards for the first time this year, but still managed 88 yards against the PSAC's top rushing defense … Slippery Rock entered the game with the No. 1 offense in Division II (568 yards per game) … Teddy Blakeman has now run for a touchdown in 12 of 17 games at SRU … He now has 20 rushing TD in 17 games … George Mihalik earned career win No. 181, moving to one win shy of No. 4 on the all-time PSAC wins chart … Mihalik owns a 181-106-4 overall record … SRU is now 23-9 at home in night games since lights were installed in 2003.