Complete Game Notes (28-page PDF)
 
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University football team will host No. 9 West Chester University in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship game Saturday at 1 p.m. at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
 
Below you will find all pertinent information regarding tickets, parking, tailgating and live coverage, along with complete game notes.
 
LIVE INTERNET COVERAGE
• Live Stats  |  Provided by SRU athletic communication office.
• Live Streaming Video (FREE)  |  Provided by SRU athletic communication office.
(Our streaming provider recommends using the Google Chrome browser for desktop viewing)
• Live Audio (Online and Radio)  |  Provided by The Rock Station 97.7 FM (Butler).
• Twitter  |  All scoring information and in-game updates.
 
WATCH ON YOUR TV - "ROCK ATHLETICS DIGITAL NETWORK" APPS
• Fans can watch the game live and on-demand for free on the Rock Athletics Digital Network, created and operated by the SRU athletic communication office.
• Search for Rock Athletics Digital Network in the app stores on Amazon Fire TV, Apple RV, Roku and Android TV devices. The streaming web player linked above will also integrate with Chrome Cast devices to allow viewers to cast the game to those devices.
• Students and staff that are on campus can also watch the game through the campus cable system on channel 3. If channel 3 doesn't appear in your listings, simply rescan your TV's channel list and it should be available. Only TV's connected to the cable network on campus will be able to access this channel.
 
TELEVISION BROADCAST
• Fans in Pennsylvania can watch the game live on PCN. Check for your channel number here.
• This broadcast will be produced by the California University (Pa.) student television station, per an agreement with the PSAC office.
 
TICKETS (For advance tickets, Call 724-738-2021 or stop by the Athletic Office in Morrow Field House)
• Tickets can be purchased on game day. The stadium gates will open at 11 a.m.
• Chair-back Reserved Seat - $10
• Reserved Bench Seat - $10
• Adult General Admission - $8
• Students Ages 6-High School – $3
• Children Ages 6 and Under – FREE
• SRU Students – FREE with valid student ID
• WCU Students – FREE with valid student ID
• Students from other Colleges - $5 with valid student ID
 
PARKING
• Parking is available in the lots surrounding the stadium
• Parking spaces are $5 in all tailgating lots (directly below stadium)
• Campus Map  |  Stadium is #52 on Map
 
TAILGATING
• Tailgating is allowed in paid lots three hours before kickoff (lots open at 10 a.m.)
• No Tailgating at halftime
• All Tailgaters must enter game at kickoff
• Tailgating is open for two hours after game ends
• No hard liquor or glass bottles
• Adhere to all campus tailgating rules found HERE.
 
TOYS FOR TOTS DRIVE
The Slippery Rock Student-Athlete Advisory Committee is teaming up with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves to host a Toys for Tots drive at the game. The first 100 fans that bring a toy to donate will receive free admission to any men's and women's basketball doubleheader between Dec. 15 and January 21, excluding the Jan. 12 games against Indiana (Pa.). For more information on Toys for Tots, click HERE.

SENIOR DAY
Slippery Rock will honor 10 senior players and three interns during a pregame ceremony that will begin promptly at 12:30 p.m. Senior parents should be at the stadium by noon and should meet on the track near the end zone opposite the scoreboard at 12:15 p.m.

GAIL ROSE LODGE CLOSED - PRESIDENT'S TENT OPEN FOR MEMBERS
Due to renovation needs, the Gail Rose Stadium Lodge is closed for the 2018 football season. Rock Athletic Club members that had access to the lodge have been sent information about access to the "President's Tent" that is set up inside the stadium. Members will need to bring their passes to gain access to the stadium and to the tent, where food and beverages will be served throughout the game. For more information or questions, contact Erin Bryer in the SRU Foundation at ebryer@srufoundation.org or by phone at 724.738.4611.
 

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THE GAME
Slippery Rock (9-1) brings an eight-game winning streak into the 11th week of the season and looks to lock up its third PSAC Championship since 2014. Undefeated and ninth ranked West Chester (9-0) hopes to spoil that party and end an 0-for-8 drought in its last eight PSAC championship game appearances. These teams are meeting for the PSAC title for a record seventh time.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
Slippery Rock owns a 10-8 edge in the all-time series that dates all the way back to the 1929 season. These two teams are meeting for the fifth year in a row and for the fifth straight year, at least one of the two is nationally ranked. SRU has won the last three meetings, including regular season wins in each of the last two years and a 61-12 victory in the 2015 PSAC title game at West Chester. The Rock are 6-1 against West Chester at home with the lone loss coming by one-point back in 2006.
 
• First Meeting: 1929 (WCU won 13-6)
• Last Meeting: 2017 (SRU won 49-42)
• Current Streak: SRU +3
• at WCU: West Chester leads 7-4
• at SRU: Slippery Rock leads 6-1
• Most Points Scored by WCU: 46 (2014)
• Largest Win Margin by WCU: 30 points (1963)
• Most Points Scored by SRU: 61 (2015)
• Largest Win Margin by SRU: 49 points (2015)
• Last WCU Win: 2014 at WCU (46-20)
 
SRU AND WCU PSAC CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY  |  PSAC Preview
These teams are meeting in the PSAC championship game for a record seventh time. SRU has won the last four title games against West Chester (2015, 1974, 1973, 1972) after the Golden Rams won the first two meetings (1961, 1963). In the most recent championship meeting between the teams back in 2015 at WCU, Slippery Rock set conference records for the most points scored and the largest margin of victory with a 61-12 win, one year after West Chester rolled SRU in the first round of the 2014 NCAA playoffs by a 46-20 score. West Chester has won a PSAC-leading 18 total conference championships, while SRU has won 11 titles. The Rock have played in 10 championship games (game was played from 1960-87, was eliminated from 1987-07 and returned in 2008) and have a 6-4 record in those games, including wins in each of their last two appearances in 2014 and 2015. West Chester has appeared in 16 championship games and owns a 6-10 record in those games. The Golden Rams have come up short in their last eight appearances in the league title game, including last year at home against Indiana (Pa.), and are looking for their first championship game win since 1971.
 
TOP TWO PROGRAMS IN PSAC IN LAST DECADE
Since the PSAC reinstated the league championship game in 2008, no team has reached the title game more than Slippery Rock, which is set to make its fifth appearance. West Chester will be making its fourth appearance in that stretch, marking the second best number in the PSAC. Only California (Pa.) and Bloomsburg have reached three title games since the 2008 reinstatement, with no other program in the league playing in more than two games. The PSAC West has won seven of the 10 title games since it was reinstated, including the last four. Slippery Rock, Indiana (Pa.) and California (Pa.) have all won two titles in that stretch, while no other team has won more than one (Bloomsburg, Shippensburg, Merychurst, Kutztown each have one).
 
COACHING MATCHUP
Slippery Rock head coach Shawn Lutz is in his 23rd overall season at The Rock and his third as head coach, where he owns a 24-8 record after posting 7-4 and 8-3 records the last two years. Prior to that, he served four years as the associate head coach and eight as the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach. Lutz has been a member of the coaching staff for nine of SRU's PSAC West titles. He played tight end at West Virginia University, graduating in 1996, and earned a master's degree in sport management from SRU in 2003.
 
Bill Zwaan is in his 16th season as the head coach at West Chester, where he has put together a 134-58 overall record. He has led the Golden Rams to six PSAC East titles and has been named the PSAC East Coach of the Year four times. Prior to taking over at WCU, Zwaan served as the head coach and athletic director at Division III Widener, where he compiled a 54-14 record over six seasons to bring his collegiate head coaching record to a combined 188-72. He played quarterback at the University of Delaware, graduating in 1979.
 
NATIONAL RANKINGS
Slippery Rock enters the weekend knocking on the door of the Division II national poll and is the first team listed in the "others receiving votes" section for the third week in a row. The Rock have been listed in the receiving votes section seven times this season. West Chester has been ranked in every poll since the second week of the season and has climbed all the way up to a season-high ranking of No. 9 this week. The complete national poll is on page eight of the PDF notes linked above.
 
REGIONAL RANKINGS
The third set of official NCAA Super Region One rankings were released this week. Slippery Rock is ranked seventh in this week's poll, while West Chester is ranked third. Both teams control their own destiny as a win this week would guarantee an NCAA playoff spot and potentially at least one home playoff game. There are three matchups this weekend between teams ranked in the top 10 in the region. The NCAA playoff field will be announced Sunday night at 5 p.m.
 
NCAA DIVISION II SUPER REGION ONE RANKINGS
3rd Set of Rankings – Nov. 5, 2018

#	Team	DII W-L	In-Region W-L	Weighted SOS	Results vs. .500+
1	Notre Dame (Ohio)	10-0	10-0	.491	5-0
2	LIU Post	9-0	9-0	.467	3-0
3	WEST CHESTER	9-0	9-0	.428	3-0
4	New Haven	8-0	8-0	.453	2-0
5	Hillsdale	9-1	9-1	.509	3-0
6	Kutztown	8-1	8-1	.494	4-1
7	SLIPPERY ROCK	9-1	8-1	.447	3-1
8	Tiffin	9-1	9-1	.459	1-1
9	Ohio Dominican	8-2	8-2	.536	3-2
10	Fairmont State	8-2	8-2	.481	3-2

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
Rock football teams have compiled a 165-66 (.714) record the last 43+ seasons in games played at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium (formerly known as N. Kerr Thompson Stadium). The Rock own a 66-21 (.758) home record since artificial turf was installed in the summer of 2003 and are 62-14 (.816) in home games since 2005. The numbers get even better in recent years, as The Rock are 31-2 (.940) since 2013 and have posted a 44-6 (.880) record at home since the beginning of the 2010 season. The home team has won eight of the 10 PSAC title games since the championship was reinstated in 2008. The only road teams to win were Slippery Rock at West Chester in 2015 and Indiana (Pa.) at West Chester in 2017. No PSAC East team has won on the road in the 10 championship games since 2008.
 
LAST MEETING WITH WEST CHESTER – 9/9/17  |  Box Score
Slippery Rock handed No. 24 West Chester a 49-42 upset loss in the second week of the season last fall at SRU. The Rock scored 21 straight points to break a 21-21 tie and open up a 42-21 lead with 7:27 to play in the third quarter, but West Chester rallied with its own 21-point streak to tie the game at 42-42 with 6:42 to play. Tanner Garry connected with Milly Raye for a 23-yard TD pass with 2:53 to play to account for the winning points for The Rock and the SRU defense forced four straight incomplete passes on the next West Chester series to seal the win. West Chester put up 498 yards of offense to SRU's 394 and ran for 237 yards in the game, but took 17 penalties for 162 yards and struggled with SRU's big play abilities. The Rock got a 96-yard kickoff return for a TD and a 47-yard punt return for a TD from Marcus Johnson, a 90-yard passing TD to Milly Raye and a 43-yard TD run from Chacar Berry. Johnson finished with 274 all-purpose yards and three total TD, while Raye finished with 256 all-purpose yards and two TD. WCU was led by Jarel Elder with 156 rushing yards and three TD on the ground. Paul Dooley threw for 261 yards and three TD and Rasheem James caught seven passes for 95 yards and two scores.
 
LAST WEEK FOR SRU
Slippery Rock wrapped up its first sweep of the PSAC West since 1999 with a convincing 48-7 win over Gannon at home. The Rock put up 506 yards of offense and held Gannon to 203 yards, including just 49 yards on the ground. SRU's defense slammed the door on Marcus Jones, who had rushed for at least 133 yards in every game for five straight weeks, holding last year's Harlon Hill finalist to just 16 rushing yards on 15 carries. Wes Hills rushed for 207 yards and three TD in less than three quarters to lead the attack for SRU, which also got 181 passing yards and two TD from Roland Rivers III. The Rock defense tallied 15 tackles for loss, five sacks and came up with two turnovers.
 
LAST WEEK FOR WCU
West Chester was untested in a 48-14 home victory over 1-9 Lock Haven. The Golden Rams put up 34 total first downs, outgained LHU by a 564-288 margin with 197 rushing yards and 367 passing yards and didn't punt once in the game. Mike Class rushed for 71 yards and three TD on just 10 carries, while A.J. Long completed 18-of-21 passes for 245 yards and rushed for one TD before taking a seat. Paul Dooley completed 8-of-11 passes for 120 yards and two TD in relief. Lex Rosario caught seven passes for 121 yards and one TD and Gabe Schappell caught a 50-yard TD from Dooley.
 
MORE ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
Slippery Rock RB Wes Hills and kicker Jake Chapla were named PSAC West Athletes of the Week this week to become the 11th and 12th SRU players to be named PSAC Athletes of the Week this season. Hills picked up his first honor after rushing for 207 yards and three TD in less than three quarters of work, while Chapla picked up his fourth special teams award after booting a pair of field goals and six PAT to account for 12 points. 
 
HILLS ON A TEAR
After missing nearly three full games from weeks 2-4 with an injury, Wes Hills returned to the lineup for limited carries in week five against Mercyhurst. He started the next week at Indiana (Pa.) and has managed to get better every week, as evidenced by his last three outings. Over the last three weeks, Hills has rushed for 661 yards and eight TD to become the first SRU running back to go for more than 200 yards in three consecutive games and the only running back in the PSAC with three games over 200 yards this year. He has topped 100 yards in five of the six full games he played in and has scored at least one TD in all seven games in which he has played more than the two snaps he took at Shippensburg. Since returning to the starting lineup in week six at Indiana, Hills has rushed for 875 yards (175.0 yards per game) in wins over IUP, Edinboro, Clarion, California and Gannon.
 
HILLS MAKING CASE FOR BEST BACK IN PSAC
Wes Hills ranks third in the PSAC in total rushing yards (1,113), despite playing nearly three full games less than most of the rest of the league leaders. He had five yards in week two against Shippensburg before leaving the game after the second offensive play, which significantly drags his per game average down. Still, his average of 139.1 yards per game ranks second in the league. If you take out the Shippensburg game, Hills would be averaging a league-high 158.3 yards per game in the seven games he played more than two plays in. He is the only starting running back in the entire PSAC to average more than 6.5 yards per carry on the year and leads the league by a wide margin in that category at 7.6 yards per carry. Hills has 96 less carries on the year than Gannon's Marcus Jones (second in PSAC at 1,298 yards, 5.3 YPC) and 93 less carries than Edinboro's Walter Fletcher (PSAC leader at 1,504 yards, 6.3 YPC).
 
RIVERS III GOES UNDEFEATED IN PSAC WEST
SRU QB Roland Rivers III took over as the starter in week three at Millersville and hasn't lost since. He capped off the perfect sweep of the PSAC West with another clean game last week against Gannon in which the offense didn't turn the ball over once. Rivers is 8-0 as the starting QB and has thrown for 1,987 yards with 21 TD and six INT while also rushing for 437 yards and seven TD. In just eight games, Rivers has climbed to 11th in SRU history in single-season passing yards, sixth in single-season passing TD and ninth in single-season total offense (2,424 yards). He ranks 12th in the nation in total offense (303.0 yards per game), 16th in the points responsible for (168) and seventh in points responsible for per game (21.0).
 
OFFENSE AMONG NATION'S BEST
Slippery Rock enters week 11 of the season with the top ranked total offense and scoring offense in the PSAC and the second ranked rushing offense in the league. The Rock rank 11th nationally in scoring offense at 41.5 points per game and 12th nationally in total offense at 490.2 yards per game. What makes the offense so hard to defend is the balanced nature, as SRU averages 283.1 passing yards and 207.1 rushing yards per game, making it hard for defenses to key on shutting down one area of the offense.
 
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Slippery Rock's offense has had success by spreading the ball all over the field. The Rock have completed passes to at least seven different players in every game this season and are averaging 8.4 different receivers per game through 10 weeks. Since Roland Rivers III took over at the QB spot, he is hitting an average of 8.6 different players per game. SRU has eight players with double digit receptions on the year, led by 37 for Henry Litwin (617 yards, 6 TD), 36 for Jermaine Wynn Jr. (494 yards, 7 TD) and 18 for Austin Scott (376 yards, 2 TD). A total of 14 different SRU players have caught passes on the year, nine different players have caught at least one TD pass and seven different players have at least two TD catches.
 
MERHAUT'S STREAK HITS 20 GAMES
Despite dealing with a nagging injury this season, SRU slot receiver Mike Merhaut quietly continues to get it done in the passing game. Entering this week, Merhaut has caught at least one pass in 20 consecutive games dating back to the early stages of last fall. Merhaut grabbed three passes for 57 yards last week and now has 355 yards and three TD on the year. He leads all SRU players in average yards per catch at 22.2. He's also The Rock's placekicking holder, a role he has filled in every game the last two years, which included a streak of 77 consecutive made PATs for Rock kicker Jake Chapla.
 
KICK RETURN TD WAITING TO HAPPEN
Slippery Rock has had three punt return TD called back for penalties this year and enters week 11 without a single kickoff or punt return TD on the year. The Rock rank 19th in the nation in kick return average and Mark Carter ranks 10th in the nation in average kick return at 30.4 yards per return. Carter, Jermaine Wynn Jr. and Eric Glover-Williams all have punt returns of at least 36 yards and kickoff returns of at least 38 yards this year. It feels like a matter of when, not if, SRU will find its first special teams TD of the year. The Rock had four return touchdowns in 2017 (two punt, two kickoff), including two against West Chester (one punt, one kickoff).
 
RUN DEFENSE IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY
Slippery Rock ranked near the bottom of Division II in rushing defense in 2017, allowing 206.8 rushing yards per game. The defense allowed 267 rushing yards to Kentucky State in the opener this fall and it looked like that problem might continue in 2018. Since then, however, SRU has allowed only two teams to top the 100 rushing yard mark and has held teams to a total of 659 rushing yards over the last nine weeks, an average of just 73.2 rushing yards per game. That effort has lowered the season average to 92.6 yards per game and has SRU all the way up to 11th in the nation in rush defense.
 
DEFENSIVE NATIONAL RANKS
In addition to ranking 11th against the run, The Rock defense also ranks among the nation's leaders in a few other categories. SRU ranks 10th in the nation in red zone defense with opponents scoring any points on 65 percent of their trips to the red zone. The numbers are even better in red zone TD defense, as SRU opponents have found the end zone on just 41 percent of their trips to the red zone. The Rock have come up with 15 interceptions this season, which ranks 12th among all teams in the nation, and SRU also ranks 12th in total turnovers gained with 23 takeaways. The Rock have scored four defensive TD on the year, which ranks fifth in the country. Terrell Gabriel picked up his second defensive TD of the year when he returned a fumble 57 yards last week.
 
TEAM EFFORT ON DEFENSE
The Rock's defensive success has been a truly balanced approach this season, with no individual player standing out among the national rankings outside of Trysten McDonald ranking sixth in fumble recoveries with three. SRU has eight different players with at least 34 total tackles on the year and no players with more than 61. The Rock also have 14 different players with at least 2.0 tackles for loss, including seven players with at least 5.0 TFL and 12 players with at least 1.0 sack. Brad Zaffram leads the way with 61 total stops and 9.0 TFL, while Tim Vernick has 57 tackles and 8.0 TFL. Kyle Hall has 50 tackles and a team-high five INT, while McDonald has 53 tackles and 8.5 TFL and Dalton Holt has 43 tackles. Chad Kuhn has 7.5 sacks and 12.0 TFL and Trey Blandford has 12.5 TFL and 7.0 sacks.
 
NO PASSING TD ALLOWED
Slippery Rock was missing its top cover cornerback for a full month when Khadir Roberts missed four straight games. He returned to the lineup two weeks ago at California (Pa.) and has bolstered a secondary unit that has been dominant over the last three weeks. The Rock have not allowed a single TD pass in three straight games in wins over Clarion, California (top passing team in PSAC West) and Gannon. The last TD pass SRU allowed came in the third quarter against Edinboro back on Oct. 13, giving The Rock a streak of 13 straight quarters without allowing a TD pass. Roberts has been a big part of that, as he has allowed no passing TD in man coverage all year, just one passing TD in zone coverage and opponents have thrown just five TD passes with him even on the field.
 
HALL CLIMBING CAREER LISTS
Safety Kyle Hall recorded his career-high fifth interception of the season last week against Gannon to bring his career total to 10, moving him into a tie for 11th all-time at Slippery Rock. His five INT this season rank second in the PSAC while his 14 passes defended rank fifth in the league.
 
OFFENSIVE LINE WINNING THE BATTLE UP FRONT
The strength of the SRU offensive line was one of the question marks entering this season, but the men up front (LT Chris Larsen, LG Ryan Podgorski, C Austin Wayt, RG Colten Raabe, RT Steve Gaviglia and backups Jake Tecak and Dalton Beyer) have answered the call and gotten better as the season progresses. In the last five weeks in games against IUP, Edinboro, Clarion, California and Gannon, when the level of competition has increased significantly, SRU has rushed for 1,238 yards (247.6 per game) and put up 2,609 yards of total offense (521.8 yards per game). Roland Rivers III has been sacked six times in the five games combined.
 
MOST PENALIZED TEAM IN THE COUNTRY
Slippery Rock was hit with 11 penalties for 104 yards last week in the win over Gannon and enters the 11th week of the season ranked last in the nation in Division II in terms of total penalties (109), penalties per game (10.9), total penalty yards (1,151) and penalty yards per game (115.1). SRU has been whistled for 10 or more penalties in eight different games this year and has 104 or more yards in penalties in seven different games. Opponents have been whistled 23 fewer times for 267 fewer yards. West Chester enters this week ranked 134th in the country in penalties per game (8.4) and 125th in the country in penalty yards per game (76.2).
 
CHAPLA LEADING THE PSAC, CLIMBING SRU LISTS
Jake Chapla has the three longest field goals in the PSAC this year (46, 50, 51). He also has the longest punt in the PSAC this season (75). Chapla enters week 11 of the season with 34 career made field goals, just one shy of tying the SRU record of 35 that is shared by Morgan Anderson and CJ Bahr. He has made a career-high 12 field goals this year and is now two shy of the single-season SRU record of 14, set by Jason Katsaouni in 2003. Chapla has made 145 career PATs, including 84 of his last 85 attempts, to rank second at SRU. With another year left, Chapla is on pace to shatter the SRU record of 161 PATs, owned by Anderson. In fact, Chapla is on a pace that could see him set the all-time SRU scoring record. He currently ranks fifth all-time in scoring at SRU with 247 points. The program record for career scoring, set by Stan Kennedy in 2000, stands at 318 points.
 
MIDDLE OF GAMES
Slippery Rock has been explosive offensively in the middle stages of games this year, scoring 148 second quarter points, which is 49 more than the team has scored in any other quarter. Combined with the 99 third quarter points, SRU has scored 247 of its 415 total points in the second and third quarters (60 percent of total points). The Rock are outscoring opponents 99-37 in the third quarter, holding opponents to an average of 3.7 points in the third quarter on the year.
 
STARTERS NOTES
Only eight total players on the SRU roster entered the year with at least 10 career starts under their belts. RT Steve Gaviglia is the most experienced player with 31 career starts, including 21 straight. LT Chris Larsen has started 26 games and WR Mike Merhaut has started 15 as the most experienced offensive players. Defensively, LB Trysten McDonald has started 21 straight games and DB Kyle Hall has also started 21 games. LB Tim Vernick has started 17 games the last two years, while DL Chad Kuhn and Trey Blandford and CB Khadir Roberts have all started 16 games the last two years. A total of 19 different players have made their first start at SRU at some point during this season.
 
WEST CHESTER QUICK HITS
• West Chester enters this week riding a nine-game winning streak with a perfect 9-0 record. The Golden Rams played one less game than SRU this fall because of Cheyney's departure from the PSAC.
 
• WCU ranks first in the nation in rush defense (55.9 yards per game) and defensive sacks per game (4.56), second in 3rd down percentage defense (24.4%), fifth in total defense (244.9 yards per game) and eighth in scoring defense (15.2 points per game). The offense ranks third in total time of possession, third in passing efficiency, 16th in scoring (40.0 points per game) and 25th in total offense (450.2 yards per game).
 
• WCU has the top ranked rushing offense in the PSAC, averaging 10 more yards than Slippery Rock at 217 per game. Mark Dukes is the leading rusher at 636 yards and six TD, just ahead of QB A.J. Long, who has rushed for 557 yards and six TD. Mike Class has gotten a lot of red zone work and leads the team with eight rushing TD. Those three and Trael Seegars all average at least 31 rushing yards per game.
 
• A.J. Long has also been efficient through the air, completing 67 percent of his passes for 1,767 yards with 18 TD and six INT. WCU can also run out last year's starter Paul Dooley at the QB spot. Dooley missed a big chunk of time this year, but has thrown three TD passes in two appearances. Lex Rosario (44 catches, 640 yards, 3 TD) is the top target. Rasheem James has a team-high seven TD catches, but has not played since week five.
 
• Linebackers Nate Barnes and Tyler Morrissey lead one of the top defensive units in the nation with 64 tackles each. Morrissey has 10.0 TFL and 8.5 sacks. Diquan Gilbert leads the team with 9.5 sacks and 16.5 TFL, while Ch'aim Smith has 8.5 sacks and 10.0 TFL and Jarey Elder leads the secondary with five interceptions.
 
UP NEXT
The NCAA will announce the official playoff field Sunday night in a live webcast at 5 p.m. at www.ncaa.com. If Slippery Rock qualifies for the national playoffs, The Rock's first round game would be next Saturday, Nov. 17, at a location TBA. The top seed in the region gets a bye in week one, while seeds 2-4 host seeds 5-7 in first round games.
 
 
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