SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University football team opened Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division play with a 49-26 victory over Seton Hill University Saturday night at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
 
The Rock (3-1, 1-0 PSAC) opened the scoring with a 60-yard drive on their first possession and never trailed on the way to posting their 14th straight home night game victory. Seton Hill (0-4, 0-1 PSAC) kept the game close throughout the first half and trailed by just nine points at halftime, but SRU opened the second half with 21 unanswered points to pull away.
 
Slippery Rock finished the night with 503 yards of total offense on just 63 plays for an average of 8.0 yards per play. The Rock threw for 340 yards and rushed for 163 yards. Seton Hill ate up big chunks of yardage late in the game and finished with 467 total yards on 85 plays, which included 409 passing yards and just 58 rushing yards.
 

The Rock offense was under the direction of Roland Rivers at the quarterback position for the second week in a row after both Andrew Koester and Taylor King did not dress with injuries. Rivers was in total control of the offense and finished the night with 407 total yards and six touchdowns. He threw for 327 yards and five touchdowns with one interception, which came after a dropped pass went through his receiver's hands to a Seton Hill defensive back. He also ran the ball 12 times for 80 yards and one touchdown, averaging 6.7 yards per carry. His night was done early in the fourth quarter. Kameron Patterson closed out the game completing both of his passes, including a 13-yard TD strike to Aramis Alexander for his first career TD pass.
 
Nine different receivers had at least one catch in the game, six different players caught a touchdown pass and no player had more than three catches for SRU. Mike Merhaut led the way with three grabs for 85 yards and one score. Henry Litwin had three catches for 38 yards and one score, Dakota Clanagan caught three passes for 35 yards and one TD, Austin Scott caught two passes for 43 yards and one TD, Jermaine Wynn Jr. caught two passes for 37 yards and one TD, Carnel Harley caught one 57-yard pass and Alexander caught a 13-yard TD pass.
 
SRU finished the night with 222 total return yards, highlighted by a 69-yard kickoff return from Mark Carter, a 44-yard punt return from Wynn Jr. and a 34-yard punt return from Eric Glover-Williams.
 
Braden Fochtman made his second straight start at running back and finished the night with 55 yards on just seven carries for 7.9 yards per touch.
 
The SRU defense was led by Trysten McDonald with eight total tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one interception. His fumble recovery came on the SRU one-yard line to stop a drive and his interception came at the SRU 11-yard line to stop another scoring threat. Brad Zaffram finished with a game-high 10 tackles and a half-sack. Kyle Hall added six tackles and two pass breakups and Garrett de Bien and Trey Blandford each finished with one sack.
 
Seton Hill was paced by freshman QB Colton Mitchell, who completed 33-of-55 pass attempts for 399 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Ardell Brown caught 12 passes for 145 yards and one touchdown and added 40 punt return yards to finish with 185 all-purpose yards. Uriah Rajkumar caught nine passes for 89 yards and Kinan Humphrey and Travis Crummy each caught a TD.
 
Slippery Rock will look to continue its momentum into a second straight home night game next week when Mercyhurst University visits Saturday night for a 6 p.m. kickoff. The game will serve as the annual Salute to Military and First Responders, with all past and present military personnel and first responders admitted free. SRU will also honor its 2018 Hall of Fame induction class at halftime.
 
 
NOTES: Slippery Rock improved to 28-2 at home since the beginning of the 2013 season and 59-14 at home since turf was installed in 2003 … The Rock won their 14th consecutive home night game, have won 21 of their last 22 home night games and improved to 32-9 in home night games since lights were installed in 2003 … SRU improved to 8-2 all-time against Seton Hill and 5-0 at home in the series … Roland Rivers' five TD passes are tied for the third most in a single-game in program history, trailing only the 7 from Don King III against East Stroudsburg in 2016 and the six from Nigel Barksdale against Northwood in 2013 … Rivers was third on the depth chart through the first two weeks, but has started the last two games after injuries to the 1-2 QBs … he is 2-0, has thrown for 453 yards and seven TD and has rushed for 120 yards and three TD … Henry Litwin caught a TD pass for the fourth straight week and has a team-high five TD grabs on the year … Aramis Alexander, and Jermaine Wynn Jr. both caught their first career TD passes … Jake Chapla was 7-for-7 in extra points and is now 22-for-22 on the year … he ranks fourth all-time at SRU with 114 career PATs.


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