Slippery Rock University Athletics

KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University football team saw its playoff chances take a hit Saturday with a 42-34 loss at Kutztown University in the regular season finale from Andre Reed Stadium.
 
The Rock were ranked fifth in Super Region One entering the final week of the season and will now have to hope their 8-3 resume and strength of schedule is strong enough to keep the team in the top seven of the region. The NCAA will announce the official playoff field Sunday at 5 p.m. at www.ncaa.com.
 
Slippery Rock scored on a 35-yard pass from Tanner Garry to Marcus Johnson on the first play from scrimmage and got a 45-yard interception return for a TD by Delmar Henderson for 14 early points, but it was all Kutztown (8-3) from there in the rest of the opening half as the Golden Bears threw for 315 yards and four TDs to lead 35-17 at halftime. That deficit proved to be one score too many as The Rock put forth a valiant comeback attempt.
 
SRU threatened to get back into the game early in the second half after Trysten McDonald picked off a pass and returned it to the one-yard line to set up an Isiah Neely TD run to make it 35-24. Kyle Hall then blocked a pair of field goal attempts on back-to-back possessions, but The Rock offense couldn't do anything with it and turned the ball over three straight times with one lost fumble and two interceptions.
 
Kutztown scored what would prove to be the winning points with a 70-yard pass over the top to lead 42-24 at the end of the third. Slippery Rock didn't let down though, putting together a 96-yard drive to cut it to an 11-point game when Garry hit Austin Scott from 10 yards out. The Rock then came up with a fumble on the next KU possession, but settled for a field goal. Jake Chapla booted his second field goal of the game to make it 42-34 with just under eight minutes to play.
 
Kutztown looked poised to put the game out of reach, but a third straight field goal was blocked to give SRU life. The Rock marched down the field to the four-yard line for a first and goal with under one minute to play, but four straight incomplete passes turned the ball over on downs and Kutztown took a knee to end the game on their own one-yard line.
 
Garry set three school records to lead the offense, throwing for more than 300 yards for the eighth time this season to set a new record for 300+ yard games. He finished 34-of-55 for 307 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. His TD passes gave him 32 on the season, breaking the former record of 31 that was set by Dante Nania over 14 games in 2015 and his 34 completions gave him 268 on the season, breaking the former record of 250 set by Nania in 2015.
 
Slippery Rock put up 346 yards of offense with 307 passing yards and just 39 rushing yards after Garry was sacked three times for losses of 33 yards. Kutztown went for 616 yards of total offense, throwing for 469 and rushing for 147.
 
Johnson caught six passes for 99 yards and one touchdown to give him 1,993 all-purpose yards on the season, just seven yards shy of becoming the first SRU player to ever go for 2,000 all-purpose yards in a season. He go no chances to return kicks in the game, as Kutztown kicked short all day to avoid Johnson's return abilities. His receiving touchdown tied the all-time career record for TD catches as it was his 28th, matching Greg Hopkins, who has held the record since 1994.
 
Neely rushed for 71 yards and one touchdown to go over 2,000 career rushing yards. Milly Raye caught five passes for 54 yards, while Dylan Stapleton caught five passes for 57 yards and Mike Merhaut caught six passes for 50 yards.
 
The Rock defense was paced by Jacarri Cleckley with 11 total tackles and McDonald with 10 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and an interception. Marcus Martin recorded 1.5 sacks and recovered a fumble, brining his career NCAA sack record to 56.0 sacks and his Division II record to 92.5 tackles for loss.
 
Kutztown was led by backup quarterback Chris Kane, who threw for a career-high 469 yards and five touchdowns in just his second start. Jack Pilkerton caught seven passes for 135 yards and one touchdown and Abdul-Hassan Neblett caught three passes for 106 yards and one score to go along with 71 rushing yards and one score.
 
If Saturday's game was the final game of the year for Slippery Rock, it marks the end of one of the best careers in the history of the NCAA at all divisions for Martin. The Rock's four-year seniors have posted a 36-12 record and won at least seven games each season of their career.
 
 
NOTES: Slippery Rock lost a regular season game to a PSAC East opponent for the first time since 2012, breaking a stretch of 12 straight games … Marcus Martin increased his NCAA all-division sack record to 56.0 career sacks and his Division II career record to 92.5 tackles for loss … Tanner Garry set a new SRU record for single-season TD passes with 32, topping the former record of 31 set by Dante Nania in 2015 over 14 games … Garry also broke the program record for career 300-yard passing games with his eighth this season … his season stats stand at 3,522 yards, the second most in school history, just 214 yards off the school record … Garry also broke the school record for completions in a season and has 268 on the year, topping Nania's former record of 250 from 2015 … Marcus Johnson increased his SRU record to 1,993 all-purpose yards for the season and tied the all-time career record for TD catches with his 28th TD grab, tying the mark set by Greg Hopkins in 1994 … Johnson has 1,214 yards and 14 TD catches this year, ranking fourth and second in single-season history at SRU … Milly Raye caught at least one pass in his 37th straight game and now has 188 career catches for 2,437 yards, ranking second all-time in both categories … Jake Chapla made both of his FG attempts to get to 11 for the year and a total of 22 for his first two seasons, which is up to fifth all-time at SRU … Isiah Neely rushed for his 22nd career TD, moving him up to 11th all-time at SRU ... SRU's seniors own a record of 36-12 over the last four years and have won at least seven games in each season … The NCAA will announce the playoff field Sunday evening at 5 p.m. at www.NCAA.com.