Complete Game Notes (30-page PDF)
 
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The ninth ranked Slippery Rock University football team will host an undefeated showdown of ranked teams this Saturday for Homecoming when rival and 16th ranked Indiana University of Pennsylvania visits for a 2 p.m. kickoff with first place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division on the line.
 
Below you will find all pertinent information regarding Homecoming events, tickets, parking, tailgating and live coverage, along with complete game notes.
 
HOMECOMING SCHEDULE AND INFO
• Friday Night at 8 p.m. – Pep Rally (Old Thompson Field)
• Friday Night at 9 p.m. – Fireworks and Bonfire (Old Thompson Field)
• Saturday at 10 a.m. – Homecoming Parade (Main Street)
• Saturday at 11 a.m. – Homecoming Alumni Tent opens (Band Field near tailgating lots)
 - Food and beverages provided in the Alumni Tent at no cost for alumni
• Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – "Rock the Block" Homecoming Party (Scarnati Band Field)
• Complete Homecoming Weekend Schedule
 
LIVE INTERNET COVERAGE
• Live Stats  |  Provided by SRU athletic communication office.
• Live Streaming Video (FREE)  |  Provided by SRU athletic communication office.
• 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.
 
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 Noon.
• 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
• 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
 
IUP FAN PARKING
 • A new grass tailgating lot will be opened this week for IUP fans directly across Harmony Road from the stadium. The grass lot can be accessed directly off of Harmony Road.
 • All spaces are $5 and tailgating in accordance with the SRU tailgating policy below is allowed.
• IUP fans will be able to enter the stadium on the visitor side from that lot and will not need to walk around to the main gate.
• Map of Visitor Parking and Entry Gate
 
TAILGATING
• Tailgating is allowed in paid lots three hours before kickoff (lots open at 11 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.
 
PRESIDENT'S TENT
Rock Athletic Club members 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. The tent will open at 1 p.m. this week and food service will begin at 1:30 p.m.
 
NEW STUDENT GATE PROCEDURES
Students should still bring their valid ID to enter the game through the student gate, but will also need to use the CORE application on their cell phones. Login to your CORE account to access the event QR code that will be scanned at the gate. Only CURRENT students will be allowed to enter through the student gate. To speed up entry into the game, students should download the app in advance and be prepared to scan their code at the entry gate.

OFFICIALS APPRECIATION WEEK
In conjunction with the PSAC and a nationwide NCAA initiative, Slippery Rock will be thanking officials at all sporting events this week. The Rock athletic department, its coaches, administration and student-athletes would like to publicly thank the PSAC officials for their hard work and dedication to their craft. SRU will recognize all of the officials on campus this weekend during its eight home events.
 

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THE GAME
No. 9 Slippery Rock and No. 16 Indiana (Pa.) will meet in a battle of unbeaten teams that will decide which program moves into the driver's seat in the quest for the PSAC West title. This marks the fifth straight and 33rd overall meeting between these teams in which at least one program is ranked.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
Indiana owns a 51-40-2 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to 1907. The Rock earned a 30-27 win at No. 14 IUP last fall on the Crimson Hawks' Homecoming. SRU has won four of the last six and five of the last eight overall meetings and four of the last five games played at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. This marks the seventh meeting all-time in which both teams are ranked and the 20th meeting in which at least one team is ranked in the top 10.
 
• First Meeting: 1907 (SRU won 44-0)
• Last Meeting: 2018 (SRU won 30-27)
• Current Streak: Slippery Rock +1
• at IUP (since '59): IUP leads 16-13
• at SRU (since '59): IUP leads 18-14-1
• Most Points Scored (IUP): 62 ('90, '94)
• Biggest Win Margin (IUP): 54 (1912)
• Most Points Scored (SRU): 52 (1999)
• Biggest Win Margin (SRU): 44 (1907)
• Last SRU Win: 2018 at IUP (30-27)
 
COACHING MATCHUP
Slippery Rock head coach Shawn Lutz is in his 24th overall season at The Rock and his fourth as head coach, where he owns a 31-10 record. The 2018 PSAC West Coach of the Year, Lutz led SRU to the NCAA quarterfinals last fall. Prior to taking over the program, 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 10 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.
 
Paul Tortorella got his education from his employer's bitter rival, graduating with a physical education degree from Slippery Rock in 1985. He never played at The Rock. Tortorella, like Lutz, was a longtime assistant coach before taking over the reins of the program. He spent 22 years as an assistant before taking over in 2017 and leading the team to a 13-1 record and a trip to the NCAA semifinals. Now in his third season, Tortorella owns a 26-4 record as head coach.
 
LAST MEETING BETWEEN THESE TWO  |  Box Score
After No. 14 Indiana rallied back from a 20-6 halftime deficit and took a 27-23 lead in the fourth quarter, Slippery Rock put together a 14-play, 84-yard TD drive capped by a Wes Hills rushing TD that took 7:09 off the clock and accounted for the game-winning points in a 30-27 upset win on the road. The victory was sealed by an interception from Eric Glover-Williams on Indiana's final possession. The Rock put up 32 total first downs and outgained IUP 516-419 in total offense with 293 passing yards and 223 rushing yards. IUP threw for 350 yards and rushed for 69 yards. Roland Rivers III threw for 293 yards with one TD and two INTs while also rushing for 68 yards and one TD. Hills rushed for 126 yards and one score. Henry Litwin caught seven passes for 100 yards. IUP got 350 passing yards and three TDs from Lenny Williams, who also threw three INTs. Justice Evans ran for 39 yards and caught three passes for 117 yards and two TDs.
 
NATIONAL RANKINGS
SRU moved up one spot to No. 9 in this week's AFCA Division II national rankings, widely regarded as the official national poll that is used by the NCAA. SRU has been ranked no lower than 11th in any poll this season after beginning the year ranked 10th in the preseason poll. SRU also moved up two places to No. 11 in this week's D2football.com media poll. IUP moved up three places to No. 16 in this week's AFCA poll. The Crimson Hawks have climbed from No. 24 to No. 16 in the last four weeks. IUP stayed put at No. 21 in the D2football.com poll. The complete national polls are available on page nine of the PDF notes linked above.
 
PSAC WEST WIN STREAK
Slippery Rock posted a 7-0 record against the PSAC West on the way to winning the outright division title in 2018. The Rock also closed the 2017 season with a pair of PSAC West wins and won their first two divisional games this season to bring their current PSAC West winning streak to 11 consecutive games.
 
LOOKING FOR RARE 6-0 START
Slippery Rock is looking to improve to 6-0 to start the season for just the sixth time in program history. The Rock started the 2017 season 6-0, but before that the most recent 6-0 start came all the way back in 1962. Other teams to start 6-0 for The Rock were the 1939 team (8-0), the 1924 team (9-0) and the 1923 team (6-0). The 1974 (9-0-1), 1933 (7-0-1) and 1916 (6-0-1) teams all made it through six weeks without a loss, but had at least one tie in the first six weeks. The Rock's late 1990s dynasty never started 6-0 due to opening the year on the road at Division I opponents.
 
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
Rock football teams have compiled a 167-67 (.714) record the last 44+ seasons in games played at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium (formerly known as N. Kerr Thompson Stadium). The Rock own a 68-22 (.755) home record since artificial turf was installed in the summer of 2003 and are 64-15 (.810) in home games since 2005. The numbers get even better in recent years, as The Rock are 33-3 (.917) since 2013 and have posted a 46-7 (.868) record at home since the beginning of the 2010 season.
 
HOMECOMING HISTORY
Slippery Rock is 25-6 on Homecoming in the last 31 years and has won its Homecoming matchup in eight of the last 10 years. The most recent loss on Homecoming was two years ago when No. 3 Indiana (Pa.) defeated No. 9 SRU 34-17. The Rock have hosted Indiana 14 times on Homecoming dating back to 1936. The Crimson Hawks own a 7-6-1 advantage in the previous 14 meetings at SRU on Homecoming. This marks the third straight year these two teams will meet on their rival's Homecoming. SRU upset Indiana on its Homecoming last year after the Crimson Hawks defeated SRU on its Homecoming in 2017.
 
LAST WEEK FOR SLIPPERY ROCK
10th ranked Slippery Rock jumped out to a 24-0 lead and shut Mercyhurst out in the second half on the way to a 45-14 win on the road over the Lakers last week. The Rock held Mercyhurst to -12 rushing yards and just 162 total yards, while putting up 416 yards of offense with a balanced attack of 211 rushing yards and 205 passing yards. Roland Rivers III threw for four TDs and rushed for one. Jermaine Wynn Jr. returned a punt 70 yards for a TD and also caught seven passes for 82 yards and one TD. Henry Litwin, Qaadir Dixon and Colton Richards all caught TD passes and Charles Snorweah rushed for a season-high 79 yards. Dalton Holt, Tyree Spearman, Eric Glover-Williams and Aaron Morton all had one interception for the SRU defense and Chad Kuhn recorded 1.0 sack, marking his fifth straight game with at least one sack.
 
LAST WEEK FOR INDIANA
Indiana was shut out for nearly 39 minutes at home on Homecoming against Cal U, but scored 17 points in the final 21:04 to pull away for a 17-6 win over the Vulcans in the annual "Coal Bowl" rivalry game. The deciding plays were both long TD passes from Quinton Maxwell to Duane Brown with one coming from 60 yards and another from 34 yards. IUP went for 398 yards of offense with 313 passing and 85 rushing, while the defense held Cal to 135 rushing yards and just 95 passing yards. Maxwell completed 15-of-31 passes for 313 yards with two TDs and one INT. Brown caught four passes for 126 yards and two TDs and JoJo Gause caught six passes for 129 yards.
 
CHAPLA SETS SRU CAREER SCORING RECORD
With six PAT kicks and one field goal last week, SRU kicker Jake Chapla increased his career scoring total to 324 points, breaking running back Stan Kennedy's program scoring record of 318 points that was set in 2000. Chapla now has his sights set on the all-time PSAC field goal record of 57 set by Dan Fisher from Bloomsburg (he needs 13 more to tie) and the all-time PSAC scoring record for kickers, which is currently held by Fisher at 361 points (he needs 37 more points to tie.)
 
CHAPLA INCREASES HIS CAREER RECORDS
Rock kicker Jake Chapla booted six extra points and one field goal last week to extend his SRU career records to 192 made extra points and 44 made field goals. Chapla is 5-6 on field goals this year with his lone miss coming from 46 yards into the wind in week two. He is 34-of-36 on PAT kicks, with the two misses both being fourth quarter blocks.
 
CHAPLA AMONG THE BEST IN ALL OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Jake Chapla leads all active players in Division II and ranks second among all players at every level of NCAA football in made PAT kicks (192). The only NCAA football player with more PATs than Chapla is South Dakota State (FCS) kicker Chase Vinatieri (199). Chapla ranks first among all active players in Division II in scoring and ranks third among all players at any level of NCAA football in scoring (324 points). The only two active players in college football with more points than Chapla are Georgia (FBS) kicker Rodrigo Blankenship (371) and Vinatieri (334).
 
ROCK OFFENSE LEADS THE NATION
First-year offensive coordinator Adam Neugebauer and his offense have put up some eye-popping numbers through five weeks of the season. The Rock rank first in the nation in passing efficiency (216.3), second in scoring offense (53.0 points per game), third in completion percentage (73.9 percent), fourth in passing offense (339.8 yards per game), sixth in total offense (509.0 yards per game), ninth in fewest interceptions thrown (2) and 11th in 3rd down conversions (52.5 percent).
 
FIRST TURNOVERS
Slippery Rock entered week four of the season as the only team in the nation that had yet to turn the ball over, but fumbled with 2:09 to play for its first turnover of the season. The Rock entered week five as one of just five teams that had yet to throw an interception, but that streak came to an end when Mercyhurst intercepted the 11th pass attempt of the game last week. QB Roland Rivers III had a streak of 136 consecutive pass attempts without an interception. SRU enters this week with just three turnovers on 336 offensive plays this fall with one fumble lost and two interceptions. The Rock rank second in the nation in turnovers lost and seventh nationally in turnover margin at +1.8 per game.
 
BEST QB NUMBERS IN THE NATION
Rock QB Roland Rivers III has thrown for 1,620 yards with 23 touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 75.2 percent of his passes this year, all while not playing a full four quarters yet. He has also run for 286 yards and four touchdowns and is averaging 5.7 yards per carry. Rivers ranks first in the nation in passing efficiency (222.7), passing touchdowns (23), points responsible for (162 total, 32.4 per game) and passing yards per attempt (11.49). He also ranks second in total passing yards (1,620) and total offense (381.2 yards per game), while ranking third in completion percentage (75.2 percent).
 
MORE TD PASSES THAN ANY OTHER QB IN THE NATION
Roland Rivers III threw 19 touchdown passes in two years at Valdosta State before transferring into SRU prior to his junior year last fall. Those TD tosses combined with the 51 he has thrown in 17 games at Slippery Rock give Rivers 70 career TD passes at the DII level, more than any other active QB in the nation. His 70 career TD passes are the 15th most among all active QBs at any level of NCAA football.
 
Active Passing TD Leaders in DII

1.	Roland Rivers III	Slippery Rock	70
2.	Willie Chandler	West Georgia	63
3.	Preston Haire	Oklahoma Baptist	61
t4.	Bryce Witt	Chowan	60
t4.	Collin DiGalbo	Kutztown	60

 
RIVERS III ONE OF ONLY TWO QBS WITH 6,000 + 1,000
Roland Rivers III has thrown for 6,201 yards and rushed for 1,309 yards for 7,510 total offensive yards during his four-year collegiate career (including two seasons with limited reps at Valdosta State). There are only two active QBs in Division II that have thrown for at least 6,000 yards and rushed for 1,000 yards and they both come from the PSAC – Rivers and Kutztown's Collin DiGalbo (7,488 pass, 1,491 rush).
 
RIVERS III MOVING UP SRU LISTS
Despite playing just 17 games at Slippery Rock so far, Roland Rivers III is moving up numerous career lists at The Rock. His 51 TD passes (3.0 per game) rank third all-time at SRU, trailing only the 59 by Randy McKavish (1997-00) and the 60 by Nate Crookshank (2004-07). His 63.1 percent completion percentage is the best in program history and his 5,224 yards of total offense are the fourth most in program history. His 304 completions rank sixth all-time and he is on pace to climb all the way into the top three on that list. His 4,341 passing yards rank sixth all-time and he is on pace to climb into the top three in that category as well. His 23 TD passes this season are already the sixth most in a single-season in program history. He is well ahead of the record pace of 32, set by Tanner Garry in 2017.
 
RUNNING GAME GETS GOING
Roland Rivers III was The Rock's leading rusher in both weeks three and four as The Rock continued to go with a running back by committee approach. Last week, SRU's ground game came to life and for the first time this season put up more yards than the passing game with 211 rushing yards against Mercyhurst. SRU averaged 5.1 yards per carry on 41 total attempts last week with Charles Snorweah leading the way with 79 yards on 15 carries (5.3 YPC). Braden Fochtman rushed for 54 yards (7.7 YPC), Rivers rushed for 42 yards (4.7 YPC) and DeSean Dinkins rushed for 37 yards (4.1 YPC).  
 
TOP RECEIVING CORPS IN THE NATION
Slippery Rock is the only team in the nation that boasts two wide receivers that average 100.0 or more yards per game. SRU is also the only team in the nation with three wide receivers averaging at least 75.0 yards per game. Jermaine Wynn Jr. ranks 10th in the nation at 105.8 yards per game, Henry Litwin ranks 15th at 100.0 yards per game and Cinque Sweeting ranks 55th at 75.8 yards per game. Wynn and Litwin have each caught at least one TD pass in every game this season and rank tied for seventh in the nation in total TDs with eight. Litwin ranks third nationally with eight TD catches, while Wynn ranks eighth with seven TD grabs and Sweeting ranks 11th with six TD grabs. 
 
SPREADING THE LOVE
Entering last week's game, 19 of The Rock's 20 TD passes went to either Jermaine Wynn Jr., Henry Litwin or Cinque Sweeting. The only other player with a TD catch was Qaadir Dixon, who caught his TD pass from backup QB Andrew Koester. Last week, four different players caught TD passes with Litwin and Wynn each getting one and Dixon and blocking tight end Colton Richards also grabbing TD passes from Rivers. The TD catch by the 290-pound Richards was the freshman's first career catch.
 
WYNN JR.'S NUMBERS
Jermaine Wynn Jr. caught seven passes for 82 yards and one touchdown last week and now has 31 catches for 529 yards and seven touchdowns on the season. He also returned a punt 70 yards for a TD last week. This fall, he ranks eighth in the nation in receiving touchdowns (7), 10th in receiving yards (529) and yards per game (105.8) and 11th in total touchdowns (8). He also ranks seventh in punt returns (16.0 yards per return).
 
LITWIN'S NUMBERS
Henry Litwin caught four passes for 50 yards and one TD last week and now has 31 catches for 500 yards and eight touchdowns on the season. Through five weeks this fall, he ranks third in the nation in receiving touchdowns (8), seventh in total touchdowns (8), 11th in points scored (48), 15th in receiving yards (500) and receiving yards per game (100.0) and 19th in receptions per game (6.2).
 
LIT-WYNN COMBINED
Through 19 games in the same lineup, Henry Litwin and Jermaine Wynn Jr. have combined for 164 catches for 2,615 yards and 32 touchdowns. Since they stepped on the field together for the first time in 2018, the duo are collectively averaging 8.6 catches for 137.6 yards and 1.7 touchdowns per game.
 
KUHN LEADING PSAC IN SACKS
Defensive end Chad Kuhn had one sack and a forced fumble last week to bring his season total to 6.5 sacks on the year. Kuhn ranks fifth in the nation in sacks per game (1.3) and has 1.5 sacks more than any other defensive player in the PSAC through five weeks. Kuhn also ranks third in the PSAC in tackles for loss at 8.0 total and 1.6 per game.
 
PRESSURE ON THE QB
SRU ranks fourth in the nation in sacks as a team at 4.2 sacks per game. The Rock also rank fourth nationally in team tackles for loss at 10.2 per game. Chad Kuhn leads the team with 8.0 TFL and 6.5 sacks, while Brad Zaffram has 7.5 TFL. Kuhn and Zaffram rank third and fourth in the PSAC in tackles for loss. Wilford Clark, Zach Bader and Shane Schuback each have 4.0 TFL, Trysten McDonald has 3.5 TFL and Garrett de Bien has 3.0 TFL.
 
TURNOVERS BY THE DEFENSE
SRU came up with four turnovers last week and has 12 on the year now, averaging 2.4 per game. The Rock rank seventh in the nation in turnover margin at +1.8 per game thanks to turning the ball over just three times offensively. SRU has intercepted eight passes to rank 15th nationally in interceptions. Dalton Holt and Brad Zaffram lead the way with two picks, while Khadir Roberts, Eric Glover-Williams, Tyree Spearman and Aaron Morton each have one. Edgar Parrilla II, Wilford Clark, Garrett de Bien and Terrell Gabriel each have one fumble recovery.
 
LOOKING TO GET KEY PIECES BACK
Slippery Rock lost starting WR Victor Talley for the season in the opener, but got good news on the injury front this week with expectations that starting defensive lineman Trey Blandford and projected starting tight end Max Maciejewski will return to the lineup. Blandford missed the last three weeks after leaving week two with an injury, and Maciejewski has yet to play after being injured in the preseason. Blandford would be a welcomed addition to a defensive line that has been impressive even in his absence. The senior can play inside or on the edge and has 23.5 TFL in just 23 games of his SRU career. Maciejewski will give The Rock offense another weapon and its tallest (6-4) target in the passing game. 
 
DROUGHT WITHOUT A RETURN TD ENDS
Slippery Rock played 19 consecutive games without a kickoff or punt return touchdown until Jermaine Wynn Jr. took a punt 70 yards for a touchdown last week against Mercyhurst. The last return TD by a Rock player before that was a Milly Raye punt return TD against Seton Hill on Nov. 4, 2017. Wynn currently ranks seventh nationally in punt returns, averaging 16.0 yards per return. He leads all players in the PSAC in all-purpose yardage at 131.6 yards per game.
 
RUN DEFENSE HAS BEEN DOMINANT SINCE WEEK ONE
The Rock defense allowed 248 rushing yards and 5.2 yards per carry to Wayne State in the opener this season, ranking near the bottom of Division II in rushing defense after one week. Over the last four games, opponents have combined for just 92 total rushing yards as The Rock defense has allowed 23.0 rushing yards per game during that stretch. Last week, SRU held Mercyhurst to -12 rushing yards on 18 carries. Opponents are averaging just 0.9 yards per attempt on 103 carries over the last four weeks. SRU has dropped its rushing defense from 248 to 68.0 yards per game and has climbed to ninth nationally in that category.
 
SCORING STREAKS
Slippery Rock has scored points on at least four straight possessions in each of the first five games. The Rock scored touchdowns on their first eight offensive possessions against Wayne State in the opener, scored on five straight possessions in the middle of the Shippensburg game, scored touchdowns on four straight and six of seven drives in the first half against Millersville, scored points on their first five drives against Seton Hill and scored points on their first four drives against Mercyhurst last week.
 
DON'T NEED MUCH TIME TO SCORE
Of the 41 total scoring drives SRU has this season, the offense has used less than two minutes of game clock on 24 of those drives. The offense has taken less than two minutes to score touchdowns on 21 of its 36 TD drives and has used less than one minute of game clock on 11 of those 36 TD drives. The Rock have used five or less plays to score a touchdown on 21 drives so far this year and are averaging just 5.6 plays on their 36 TD drives this season.
 
LONG DRIVES
Slippery Rock has scored on 41 possessions this year, but has only run 10 or more plays on six of those drives. Last week, The Rock put together a 17-play, 80-yard drive that took 7:10 off the clock to start the third quarter. It was nearly three minutes longer than any of the nine scoring drives from week four against Seton Hill. SRU has driven 70 or more yards on 12 of its scoring drives this season.
 
NEARLY PERFECT IN THE RED ZONE
The Rock offense scored points on their first 10 red zone trips this year before taking a knee in the red zone at the end of week three to halt their perfect streak. SRU scored on all six of its red zone trips last week to improve to 22-of-24 (92 percent) in red zone scoring chances this season. The only two trips to the red zone that didn't end in points were a victory formation kneel down in week three and a fumble in garbage time in week four.
 
STRONG STARTS ON BOTH SIDES
Slippery Rock is outscoring opponents 80-10 in the first quarter and 176-38 in the first half this season. The Rock are averaging 16.0 first quarter points and 19.2 second quarter points, while allowing just 2.0 points per game in the first quarter and 5.6 points per game in the second quarter. SRU has not allowed a point in the second quarter in each of the last three weeks after Wayne State scored 14 points in the second quarter of the opener. The Rock haven't allowed a first quarter point the last three weeks and have allowed a total of 24 first half points the last four weeks (6.0 points per game).
 
PENALTIES
SRU took six penalties for just 43 yards in the opener at Wayne State, but has since racked up 59 penalties for 507 yards over the last four games and is averaging 14.8 flags for 126.8 yards per game over the four games against PSAC opponents. Those four games combined with the opener give SRU a total of 65 penalties for 550 yards in five games, ranking SRU tied for last in the nation in total penalties. IUP ranks tied for 141st with 43 penalties for 408 yards.
 
PUNTING CAN IMPROVE
SRU enters week six ranked 149th in the nation in net punting at just 29.2 yards per punt. The Rock have used both Jake Chapla and Jackson Gildea at the position and both have proved capable, but the results haven't shown on the field yet this season. The Rock are averaging just 32.4 yards per punt on 18 attempts with only one punt of 50 or more yards.
 
NEWCOMERS STACKING DEFENSIVE BOX SCORE
Four of the top eight tacklers on The Rock defense through five weeks are newcomers this fall. Dalton Holt and Tim Vernick lead the way with 25 and 24 tackles, followed by true freshman Selvin Haynes (24). Transfer Shane Schuback (23), redshirt freshman Peyton Remish (21) and true freshman Jalen Dangerfield (14) are also among the top eight tacklers.
 
FRESHMEN ON THE TWO-DEEP
There are 14 freshmen listed on the sixth two-deep of the season for SRU, including eight true freshmen and six redshirt freshmen. Five of those players expect to see significant minutes. True freshman safety Selvin Haynes has started every game this season. Redshirt freshman receiver Qaadir Dixon has started the last four games. Redshirt freshman tight end John Eakin has been the first tight end in each game this season. Redshirt kicker/punter Jackson Gildea is the starting holder and true freshman receiver Cohen Russell is one of the two starting kick returners.
 
STARTERS NOTES
Just five offensive players began this season with at least 10 career starts to their name. LT Chris Larsen has started a team-high 35 games. Larsen, LG Ryan Podgorski and C Austin Wayt have started the last 19 straight games. Roland Rivers III has started 17 straight games at QB and WR Henry Litwin has started 17 games. The defense returned nine players that had started at least 12 career games entering 2019. LB Trysten McDonald has started 28 games. LB Tim Vernick has started 26 games, while DE Chad Kuhn and DB Khadir Roberts have each started 25 games. DE Trey Blandford has started 22 games. NG Jeff Marx has started 19 straight games, while LB Brad Zaffram has started 18 straight games and SS Dalton Holt has started 17 straight.
 
INDIANA QUICK HITS
• Indiana enters the game with a 5-0 overall record and is coming off a 17-6 win at home last week over Cal U.
• Slippery Rock and IUP have played two common opponents and posted similar results. The Rock defeated Millersville 49-0 and Mercyhurst 45-14, while IUP defeated Millersville 54-0 and Mercyhurst 56-24.
• IUP has one of the top statistical defenses in the nation, ranking second in sacks (4.4 per game), fourth in total defense (231.2 yards per game), fifth in scoring defense (11.4 points per game), 15th in passing defense (144.2 yards per game) and 16th in rushing defense (87.0 yards per game).
• IUP's offense ranks 10th in the nation in scoring (45.6 points per game), seventh in passing offense (317.6 yards per game), ninth in third down conversions (54.4 percent) and 16th in total offense (473.2 yards per game).
• Ohio University transfer QB Quinton Maxwell ranks fourth in the nation in passing efficiency (189.9), fourth in yards per completion (17.1), 11th in passing TDs (13), 13th in points responsible for (90) and 22nd in passing yards (1,248).
• WR Duane Brown leads the nation in total touchdowns (12), total points scored (72) and receiving touchdowns (9). He ranks 19th nationally in receiving yards (485). JoJo Gause has 17 catches for 306 yards and Dom McNeil has 14 catches for 186 yards and three TDs. Running backs Justice Evans (5.8 YPC), Samir Bullock (5.2 YPC) and Malik Anderson (5.3 YPC) all average more than 5.0 yards per carry.
• LB Damon Lloyd is one of the best in the region and leads the team with 44 tackles. Dajour Fisher leads the defensive line with 6.0 TFL and 5.0 sacks.
 


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