SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University football team broke the single-game program record for interceptions and held off a late rally to defeat Seton Hill University 33-21 Saturday at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
 
The Rock defense intercepted six passes in the game with Bob Vernick and Roman Denson coming down with two each and Anthony Zappone and Derrick Fulmore each recording one. Slippery Rock also broke up nine additional passes, had seven tackles for loss, three sacks and nine additional quarterback hurries in the game.
 
The victory snaps the program's first three-game losing skid since the 2012 season and guarantees Slippery Rock of an eighth consecutive winning season. The Rock are now 6-4 overall and 3-4 in PSAC West action with one game remaining. Seton Hill dropped to 5-5 overall and 2-5 in PSAC games with the loss.
 
The six interceptions weren't the only record to fall Saturday as Drew Scales also broke the all-time career record for kick return yards. His 65 return yards in the game bring his career total to 1,716, topping the former program record of 1,654 that was set by Paul Favers in 2007. Scales caught eight passes for 42 yards and had 84 punt return yards in the game as well to finish with a team-high 191 yards of total offense.
 
Seton Hill scored all 21 of its points in the final quarter, but never led in the game. Slippery Rock opened up a 14-0 halftime lead and increased the edge to 19-0 after three quarters before the Griffins struck twice in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter to make it 19-14.
 
Slippery Rock responded with a 75-yard drive that was capped when Don King III connected with Marcus Johnson from 15 yards out to make it 26-14 with 9:55 to play.
 
Seton Hill answered the call one more time with a 66-yard passing TD to make it a one-possession game again, 26-21 with 5:10 to play. The Griffins got the ball back twice in the last four minutes of the game, but Denson came down with interceptions on both possessions and Isiah Neely rushed in from 28 yards out after the final pick to provide the last points of the game.
 
Seton Hill finished the game with a 517-390 edge in total offense after running 99 plays, including 66 pass attempts. The Griffins threw for 342 yards and rushed for 175. Slippery Rock struggled on the ground most of the game before Neely broke through late and finished with just 68 rushing yards to go along with 322 passing yards.
 
King III, who didn't practice for the last two weeks after suffering a concussion two weeks ago, was cleared the play Thursday and started at QB for The Rock. He finished the game completing 33-of-54 passes for 322 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Five different players caught at least four passes for The Rock, led by Johnson with seven catches for 78 yards and one score. Scales caught eight balls for 42 yards and one TD and Cornelius Raye added six catches for 69 yards. Leroy McClain caught five balls for 36 yards and Carnel Harley pulled down four passes for 72 yards. Neely finished with 62 rushing yards and one touchdown and Dontez Rash also scored from one-yard out on his only carry of the game.
 
Vernick led the defense with the best game of his career, finishing with 18 total tackles, two interceptions, one tackle for loss and two pass breakups. John Conglose also had a career day, recording 13 tackles. Marcus Martin tallied 10 total tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks to increase his SRU career records to 40.5 sacks and 65.0 tackles for loss. He and Mike Kope combined on a sack in the end zone for a safety in the third quarter. Fulmore finished with six tackles and his 14th career interception and Cody Conway had six total tackles and one solo sack for a loss of nine yards. He nearly recorded a second solo sack, but the QB was ruled back to the line of scrimmage on the play for a rush for no yards. 
 
Seton Hill was forced to rely on backup quarterback Cory Cavanaugh after starter Christian Strong was injured in the first quarter after going 3-for-3 for 19 yards. Cavanaugh struggled for much of the first three quarters, but found his groove and moved the offense well in the final period. He finished 32-of-63 for 323 yards with three touchdowns and six interceptions.
 
Ardell Brown caught six passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Khalil Howard broke a 64-yard rush in the fourth quarter and had multiple big gains on the ground to finish with 194 rushing yards, the most SRU has allowed to a single player in a game all season.
 
Slippery Rock will close the 2016 season next Saturday at home against East Stroudsburg with a 1 p.m. kickoff. The Rock were originally set to play Kutztown, but the Golden Bears won the PSAC Eastern Division and will play at California (Pa.) for the title next week.
 
 
NOTES: SRU is now guaranteed of an eighth straight winning season … Drew Scales broke the all-time career record for kick return yards and now has 1,716 career kickoff return yards … Marcus Martin increased his SRU career records to 40.5 sacks, now just 6.0 off the all-time NCAA Division II record, and 65.0 tackles for loss, now just 12.0 off the Division II record … The Rock intercepted six passes in the game to set a new single-game school record … the previous record of five interceptions was accomplished four times before, including this year against Edinboro … SRU has 11 interceptions in its last two home games … Derrick Fulmore intercepted his 14th career pass to move up to fifth all-time at SRU … Don King III has now completed 199 passes to move up to fourth in single-season history at SRU … his 334 attempts are also fourth most in a single-season … His 17 TD passes rank 10th in a single-season … Marcus Johnson caught his ninth TD pass of the season, moving him up to a tie for sixth on the single-season ledger at SRU … Jake Chapla kicked his 11th field goal of the year, moving him up to fifth on the single-season ledger ... Cody Conway recorded one sack to bring his career total to 18.0, moving him up to 10th on the career list at SRU.