EDINBORO, Pa. – The ninth ranked Slippery Rock University football team fought off a slow start to come away with a 41-30 victory on the road at Edinboro University Saturday to maintain its position atop the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division.
 
Slippery Rock improves to 7-0 overall and 4-0 in PSAC West games with the win, reaching the 7-0 mark for just the third time in program history and the first time since 1939. Edinboro drops to 1-6 overall and 1-3 in PSAC West games.
 
The Fighting Scots entered the game averaging just 15.5 points per game, but scored more than that in the first 19 minutes as SRU allowed a first half season-high 17 points. The hosts led 3-0, 10-7 and 17-14 during the opening half before The Rock offense took over with three touchdowns in the second quarter to lead 27-17 at the break.
 
SRU struggled through its worst quarter of the season in the third, throwing an interception on the first series and ultimately taking six penalties for 70 yards, including 25 yards on one play that negated a touchdown pass. SRU also had one player ejected in the quarter as Terrell Gabriel was called for targeting. That play was reviewed after the game and overturned, so Gabriel will not have to miss any time next week. Even with all the issues for SRU in the quarter, Edinboro couldn't find the end zone and settled for two field goals, cutting the deficit to 27-23 heading to the fourth.
 
The Rock put the game away with back-to-back touchdown drives to start the fourth quarter, extending the lead to 41-23 with 6:49 to play. Edinboro scored one final time with 2:46 to play to account for the final points.
 
Slippery Rock finished the game with 540 yards of total offense with 391 passing yards, 149 rushing yards and one turnover. The Rock were whistled for 16 penalties for 180 yards, including nine flags for 110 yards in the second half. Edinboro finished the game with 339 total yards with 232 passing yards and 107 rushing yards. The Scots were called for 10 penalties for 107 yards as the teams combined for 26 penalties for 287 yards.
 
Roland Rivers III completed 33-of-41 passes for 391 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also rushed for 24 yards and one score to account for more than 400 yards of total offense for the third time this season.
 
Henry Litwin caught a career-high 13 passes for 131 yards with one touchdown to lead the receivers. Jermaine Wynn Jr. added five catches for 69 yards, Cinque Sweeting had five catches for 57 yards and had one long TD brought back by a penalty and Qaadir Dixon caught five passes for 41 yards.
 
Charles Snorweah rushed for 73 yards and two touchdowns on just 12 carries, but left the game early in the third quarter and did not return. Sweeting rushed for 27 yards and one score while filling in at running back and DeSean Dinkins had one 10-yard TD rush.
 
The Rock defense finished with 14 tackles for loss, led by Brad Zaffram with career-highs of 11 tackles and 3.5 TFL. Zaffram also had one forced fumble for the lone turnover of the day, which was recovered by Zach Bader. Selvin Haynes and Arison Sanders both had nine total tackles with Sanders finishing with 1.5 TFL. Tim Vernick added eight total stops and one pass breakup and Garrett de Bien recorded 2.0 TFL and 1.0 sack.
 
Edinboro was led by QB Levi Becker, who completed 17-of-32 passes for 207 yards with two touchdowns in his first career start. Ta'Nauz Gregory caught 11 passes for 169 yards and one touchdown and became the all-time receptions leader in Edinboro history.
 
Slippery Rock will return home next Saturday to host Clarion University in a 1 p.m. game at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. The Rock will honor veterans and active duty military members, as well as former and current first responders at the game.
 
NOTES: Slippery Rock improved to 7-0 for the third time in program history and the first time since 1939 … The Rock won their 13th consecutive PSAC West game … SRU improved to 57-28-7 all-time against Edinboro, won their second straight game in the series and are 8-2 in the last 10 meetings with the Scots … Roland Rivers III threw for 391 yards with one TD and one INT and accounted for two total touchdowns and 415 yards of total offense … Rivers has 2,191 passing yards in seven games this season and already ranks eighth on the SRU single-season list … he has 25 TD passes to rank fifth on the single-season list and his 53 total TD passes in 19 games at SRU are seven shy of the career record of 60 … Henry Litwin caught a career-high 13 passes for 131 yards and one TD … it marked his fourth 100+ yard game of the season … Litwin now has a career-high nine TDs this season (8th on the single-season ledger) and moved up to eighth in career TD catches at SRU (17) … Jermaine Wynn Jr. was held without a TD catch in a game for the first time this season … Chad Kuhn was held without a sack for the first game this season … SRU was penalized 16 times for 180 yards and has now been penalized for more than 85 yards in six consecutive games … SRU has been penalized for more than 125 yards four times this season, including in each of its last three games … Shawn Lutz improved to 33-10 as SRU head coach.
 


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