Complete Game Notes (28-page PDF)
 
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The sixth-ranked Slippery Rock University football team will open defense of its back-to-back Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division titles with a 6 p.m. kickoff Saturday night against Seton Hill in the PSAC West opener at Offutt Field in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
 
Below you will find all pertinent information regarding tickets, parking and live coverage, along with complete game notes.
 
LIVE INTERNET COVERAGE
• Live Stats  |  Provided by Seton Hill Athletic Communication.
• Live Streaming Video  |  Provided by Westmoreland Sports
• Live Audio (Online and Radio)  |  Provided by The Rock Station 97.7 FM (Butler County).
• Twitter  |  All scoring information and in-game updates.
 
WATCH ON YOUR TV
• Fans can watch the game live and on-demand for free on the Rock Athletics Digital Network.
 • Search for "Rock Athletics Digital Network" in the app stores on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku and Android TV devices to download the app. Each of the football games against PSAC opponents this season will be available on the app through the PSAC Digital Network.
 
TICKETS
• Tickets can be purchased at the gates.
• General Admission - $10
• Students - $5
• Senior Citizens - $5
 
PARKING AND DIRECTIONS
• Offutt Field is located at 109 Laird Street in Greensburg, PA
• Limited parking is available inside the stadium for $10 and fans are encouraged to utilize the map linked below to find approved parking on E. Pittsburgh Street, off South Urania Avenue or in the lots located on South Maple Avenue.
•  Parking Information: LINK  |  Parking Map: LINK
 

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THE GAME
No. 6 Slippery Rock will look to improve to 4-0 and pick up its 17th straight PSAC West victory when divisional play begins Saturday against an upstart Seton Hill team that has already matched is 2019 win total through three weeks this season.
 
LAST MEETING  |  Box Score
No. 10 Slippery Rock led 27-0 at halftime and cruised to a 4-0 start to the season with a 55-14 win on the road at Seton Hill in week four of the 2019 season. The Rock put up 500 yards of offense with 301 passing yards and 199 rushing yards and held Seton Hill to 222 yards with 186 passing and just 36 on the ground. Roland Rivers III threw for 301 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 122 yards and two more scores to lead SRU. Jermaine Wynn Jr. and Henry Litwin both went over 100 yards receiving and had one touchdown catch. The Rock defense had five sacks and 12 tackles for loss, led by 2.0 sacks and one forced fumble from Chad Kuhn. Seton Hill got 179 passing yards from Chris Jones, who also caught a TD pass on a trick play. Kinan Humphrey caught eight passes for 90 yards.
 
KINGS OF THE PSAC WEST
This week marks the first week of PSAC West play and Slippery Rock will look to defend its back-to-back titles in the division. The Rock have gone unbeaten in the PSAC West in each of the last two seasons and have won 16 straight PSAC Western Division games dating back to Oct. 21, 2017. The Rock are 20-2 against the PSAC West in their last 22 divisional games and have won six of the nine PSAC West titles dating back to 2011.
 
DEFENDING PSAC CHAMPIONS
Slippery Rock is the reigning PSAC champion after defeating Kutztown in a battle of 10-0 teams in the 2019 PSAC title game played at Kutztown. That title marked the 12th overall PSAC championship for SRU and its third since 2014. SRU is attempting to win the PSAC West and advance to the state title game for the third straight year, a feat it also accomplished from 2013-15.
 
BACK ON THE ROAD
Slippery Rock opened the season with a 24-21 win on the road at Wayne State before playing back-to-back home games the last two weeks. The Rock return to the road this week and will take a seven-game road winning streak to Greensburg. SRU was a perfect 6-0 on the road in 2019 and has not lost a game away from Mihalik-Thompson Stadium since a 21-17 road loss in the 2018 NCAA quarterfinals at Notre Dame (Ohio). The Rock are 17-4 in their last 21 road games dating back to the start of the 2017 season and are 9-0 in their last nine road games in PSAC West play. The last time SRU lost a PSAC West divisional game on the road was Oct. 21, 2017.
 
WE LOVE NIGHT GAMES
Slippery Rock will play its fourth straight of five night games to open the season this weekend with a fourth straight 6 p.m. kickoff. SRU will then host Clarion next Saturday at 6 p.m. to mark five straight night games to open the year, which is just fine with The Rock. SRU has won its last 23 consecutive games that started at 4 p.m. or later. The Rock have not lost an evening game since Sept. 29, 2012 against Kutztown. SRU will not play a day game until Oct. 9 with a 2 p.m. game at Edinboro.
 
SRU GETS THROUGH CROSSOVERS UNBEATEN
Slippery Rock is one of only two teams from the PSAC West to make it through the two weeks of mandated PSAC crossover games against the Eastern Division without a loss. The Rock and Cal U both benefitted from the schedule makers and emerged from the last two weeks with 3-0 overall records while every other PSAC West team lost at least one of their two crossover games against the Eastern Division.
 
EARLY SEASON PSAC CROSSOVER SUCCESS
SRU is 16-1 against PSAC East opponents over the last seven seasons in the two mandated regular season crossover contests that take place early in the season. The only loss in those games, which are typically played in weeks two and three, during that stretch came on the road at Shippensburg in 2018 when SRU fumbled in their own end zone to hand the Red Raiders a late 25-21 win. SRU has scored at least 45 points in 11 of the last 17 early season PSAC crossover games, has tallied 50 or more points eight times, has posted two shutouts and has allowed 10 or fewer points in seven games during that stretch, including both crossovers this year against East Stroudsburg and Lock Haven.  
 
LAST WEEK FOR SLIPPERY ROCK
Slippery Rock scored on its first offensive play from scrimmage and jumped out to a 30-0 halftime lead over Lock Haven. The Rock would extend the lead to 57-0 before LHU broke a shutout streak that lasted nearly eight quarters with a late touchdown in a 57-7 SRU win. The Rock went for 575 yards of offense and held LHU to just 182 total yards, 95 of which came on the Bald Eagles' only touchdown play with just over five minutes left. SRU played a majority of its players that dressed for the game and go contributions up and down the lineup with eight different players scoring touchdowns. Andrew Koester threw for 331 yards with three touchdowns and ran for another score. SRU did not turn the ball over for the first time this season. Watch highlights from the game below.
 


LAST WEEK FOR SETON HILL
The Griffins put a scare into defending PSAC East champion Kutztown on the road last week before falling 14-3. The defense kept Seton Hill in the game all day, but the offense struggled to put points on the board, reaching the red zone just twice and converting only one field goal. Kutztown posted a 339-181 edge in total offense with 196 passing yards and 143 rushing yards. SHU threw for 97 yards with 14 completions on 32 attempts and ran for 84 yards. Chris Jones threw for 97 yards with two interceptions. Logan Wiland ran for 72 yards on 12 carries and Taro Gaither caught six passes for 48 yards. Jaylen McDuffie paced the defense with 14 tackles.
 
ROCK OFFENSE BREAKS OUT
Slippery Rock was averaging just 23.0 points per game over the first two weeks, which was a far cry from the 2019 season when SRU had the best offense in the nation and averaged more than 46 points per game over a 14-game season. That changed last week when SRU's offense found its stride to the tune of 57 points and 575 yards of total offense. The Rock soared all the way up to 13th in the nation in total offense and are now averaging 476.0 offensive yards per game. SRU also ranks 13th nationally in passing offense, averaging 325.0 passing yards per game.
 
SLOW STARTS
After scoring just seven total points in the first quarter of its first two games combined, SRU got off to a much faster start last week, scoring 20 first quarter points and 30 first half points after combining for just 19 first half points through the first two weeks.
 
DEFENSE NOT GIVING UP MUCH EARLY
The Rock defense has allowed a total of 14 points in the first half through three weeks this season, including just six total points in the first quarters of games for an average of 2.0 points allowed in the first quarter. SRU has only allowed eight total points in the second quarter and seven in the third quarter as opponents are averaging just 7.0 points through three quarters.
 
THIRD QUARTER HAS BEEN STRONG
On the offensive side, SRU has been much stronger out of halftime than any other quarter. The Rock have scored 47 points in the third quarter already this fall, averaging 15.7 points in the third quarter. SRU has scored 27 first quarter points, 22 points in the second quarter and just seven points in the fourth quarter.
 
EIGHT DIFFERENT TOUCHDOWN SCORERS
Slippery Rock got touchdowns from eight different players in last week's win, including four different players that scored on the ground and four that caught TD passes. That list included names you expect to see on the scoresheet – Henry Litwin, Cinque Sweeting, Andrew Koester, Tim Smith, Chris D'Or – but also included three players that scored their first career touchdown – Chris Mohra on the ground and Kyle Sheets and Tyler Settle in the air. Noah Grover also threw his first career TD pass at SRU.
 
10 PASS CATCHERS – 3 BALL CARRIERS
Slippery Rock threw for 384 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions last week. Those yards went to 10 different players, including six players that had multiple catches. The Rock also had three players record at least 10 carries in the game and all three rushed for at least 30 yards with Chris D'Or (31), Chris Mohra (47) and Tim Smith (67) all finding the end zone as well.
 
DEFENSE LOSES SHUTOUT LATE AGAIN
Take nothing away from the SRU defense, as it has been outstanding the last two weeks in giving up just seven points each week, but The Rock are itching to close out a shutout. SRU led 22-0 against East Stroudsburg two weeks ago before the Warriors scored in the fourth quarter to erase the shutout bid. The Rock then led 57-0 last week before Lock Haven broke off a 95-yard touchdown run to erase a second straight shutout bid.
 
LOOKING FOR MORE TURNOVERS
Slippery Rock ranked in the top 10 in the nation in 2019 in takeaways and finished the year with 17 interceptions. This fall, SRU has just one total takeaway through three games, an interception from Selvin Haynes. On the flip side, SRU has turned it over four times with three interceptions and one lost fumble.
 
MISSING A LOT OF KEY PIECES
Slippery Rock has yet to play a game this season with its full complement of players. The Rock have played each of the last three weeks without the services of a significant number of players that entered the season as projected starters. For varying reasons for at least one game so far this season, Slippery Rock has been without the services of LB Tim Vernick, LB Trysten McDonald, CB Khadir Roberts, TE Max Maciejewski, RT Jake Tecak, WR Jermaine Wynn Jr., RB Evyn Holtz, WR Izzy Adeoti, WR Qaadir Dixon and K/P Kyle Butts. SRU also played most of last week without DT Jeff Marx. While all of the players listed here are expected to return to the lineup at some point, the impact on consistency and efficiency has been noticeable through three weeks as SRU looks to get back into a groove after not playing for almost two years.
 
DEFENSE PLAYING WELL
Slippery Rock enters this week ranked seventh in the county in passing defense, allowing 97 passing yards per game. The Rock rank 15th in scoring defense, allowing just 11.7 points per game, and rank 17th in total defense, allowing 257.0 yards of total offense per game.
 
PASSING DEFENSE HAS BEEN GREAT
Slippery Rock has yet to play an elite passing team, but the secondary has done its job through three weeks and has The Rock ranked seventh nationally, allowing just 97 passing yards per game. SRU has allowed less than 100 passing yards in two of three games this season. That's even more impressive considering All-PSAC cornerback Khadir Roberts has missed the last two weeks with an injury. Freshman Savion Harrison has started in his spot, while De'Vijan Franklin, Dalton Holt and Selvin Haynes have rounded out the secondary.
 
SWEETING HEADS "HOME" ONE MORE TIME
Slippery Rock starting slot receiver Cinque Sweeting will return to his former home stadium for the last time when The Rock visits Seton Hill this week. Sweeting played two years at Seton Hill before transferring to Slippery Rock prior to the 2019 season. He led the Griffins in rushing yards in 2017 while serving as a running back and finished his time at SHU with 922 rushing yards and 356 receiving yards. Since moving to SRU and his natural position in the slot, Sweeting has shined and has 985 receiving yards, 13 total touchdowns and 1,651 all-purpose yards in 17 games. Counting his two seasons at Seton Hill before transferring to SRU, Sweeting has now racked up 1,341 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns while also rushing for 1,180 yards and five scores and compiling 982 combined return yards.
 
KOESTER IMPROVES TO 4-1 AS STARTER
Andrew Koester improved to 4-1 as the SRU starting QB last week and 4-0 in games he has started and finished. His only loss as a starter was week two of the 2018 season at Shippensburg, when he left the game at halftime with an injury that kept him sidelined for the rest of the season. Koester has completed 60 percent of his passes for 922 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions so far this season. He has also rushed for 49 yards and three touchdowns with one score on the ground in each of the first three weeks.
 
KOESTER PUTTING UP NUMBERS
Andrew Koester enters this week ranked ninth in the nation in total offense at 324.0 yards per game. He trails only Harlon Hill candidate Tyson Bagent (399.3 yards per game) from Shepherd for the PSAC lead in total offense per game and he leads all players from the PSAC Western Division. Koester's 16.2 yards per completion rank eighth in the country and his 922 passing yards are the 13th most in Division II this fall.
 
LITWIN GOES OVER 100 AGAIN
After being held to just 60 yards in week two against East Stroudsburg, Henry Litwin went over 100 receiving yards again last week to mark his second 100+ yard game this season and the 13th of his career. He caught four passes for 130 yards and one score, which was his longest career reception at 72 yards.
 
LITWIN LEADING THE OFFENSE
Henry Litwin leads The Rock receivers with 17 catches for 349 yards and two touchdowns through three weeks. He is averaging 116.3 yards per game and 20.5 yards per catch. Litwin ranks 11th in the nation in receiving yards.
 
LITWIN BY THE NUMBERS
Henry Litwin played primarily on special teams in his freshman season in 2017, finishing the year with no catches. After moving into a starting role in 2018, Litwin has racked up 171 catches for 2,699 yards with 31 touchdowns over his last 31 games. His 31 TD grabs are already a career record at SRU. He set single-season records at SRU last fall for catches (103), yards (1,509), touchdowns (21) and scoring (128 points). Litiwn needs 45 catches and 684 yards to break Greg Hopkins' career records at The Rock.
 
LITWIN SHINES IN THE CLASSROOM TOO
Henry Litwin is also one of only four players in Division II to be named a first team CoSIDA Academic All-American in each of the last two years. He is SRU's nominee for the 2021 Campbell Trophy, known in college football as the Academic Heisman. He graduated from Slippery Rock with his undergrad degree in safety management already and is currently enrolled in the master's of business administration degree program.
 
WYNN JR. BY THE NUMBERS
In 30 games in the SRU lineup, Jermaine Wynn Jr. has pulled down 158 passes for 2,198 yards and 24 touchdowns. He needs 58 catches to break Greg Hopkins' SRU career record. Wynn grabbed 95 passes for 1,339 yards and 15 touchdowns last year, ranking him second behind only Litwin on the SRU single-season ledger in catches and touchdowns and third in yards. He also caught 26 passes for 562 yards and six touchdowns as a freshman at Alderson Broaddus in 2017 to bring his collegiate career totals to 184 catches for 2,759 yards and 30 touchdowns at the Division II level.
 
LIT-WYNN COMBINED
Through 31 games in the same lineup, Henry Litwin and Jermaine Wynn Jr. have put up almost identical numbers. They have combined for 329 catches for 4,897 yards and 55 touchdowns. Since they stepped on the field together for the first time in 2018, the duo are collectively averaging 10.6 catches for 158.0 yards and 1.8 touchdowns per game. They are on pace to become the second and third SRU players to ever top 2,500 receiving yards in a career and already are the first SRU teammates to ever top 2,000 yards during the same seasons.
 
MORE LITWIN AND WYNN
Jermaine Wynn Jr. and Henry Litwin currently rank third and fourth among all active Division II players in career receiving yards. Wynn ranks third with 2,761 yards when also counting his one year at Alderson Broaddus. Litwin is close behind in fourth with 2,699 yards. They trail Chad Gailliard from Saginaw Valley (2,875 yards) and Jermaine Russell from Shaw (2,795 yards) for the most receiving yards among all active players in Division II.
 
KUHN'S STORY STILL BEING WRITTEN
All-American DE Chad Kuhn played quarterback in high school at Kiski Area. He didn't play a single defensive snap in his football career before coming to Slippery Rock and accepting the challenge of moving to the defensive side of the ball. Since then, Kuhn has racked up 23.0 career sacks and 37.5 tackles for loss. He ranks fourth among all active players in Division II in career sacks and has moved up to eighth all-time at SRU in sacks and 10th all-time at SRU in tackles for loss.
 
KUHN SECOND IN NATION IN FORCED FUMBLES
In three games this fall, Chad Kuhn has forced three fumbles and enters this week ranked second in the nation averaging 1.0 forced fumble per game. Kuhn has six career forced fumbles in his time at SRU, which ranks sixth all-time.
 
FIRST STARTS
SRU has had a total of 10 players make their first career start this season with five in week one: RB Tim Smith, LT Yuriy Hryckowian, DT Munchie Johnson, LB Isaiah Manning and LB Cody Ross, three more in week two: OL Anthony Rebar, WR Gavyn Barnes, CB Savion Harrison and two more in week three: OL Nick Stazer and WR Kyle Sheets.
 
FRESHMEN EVERYWHERE
Counting the players that redshirted in 2019, the recruits that joined the program for 2020 but had their season canceled and the true freshmen that joined the program in the fall of 2021, Slippery Rock has three classes of players that are listed as freshmen in terms of their football eligibility. All of those classes add up to a total of 21 freshmen that are listed on this week's depth chart as a starter or backup.
 
FIRST ZERO IN PROGRAM HISTORY
Middle linebacker and team captain Tim Vernick will be wearing the number zero on his jersey this year to become the first SRU player to ever wear the zero in an NCAA competition. The number was not previously allowed as a jersey number in football, but the NCAA changed that rule this year and will now allow the number zero.
 
THE END OF THE VERNICK ERA
This fall will mark linebacker and captain Tim Vernick's final season at SRU and with that the end of a streak of eight consecutive years where a member of the Vernick family has been the middle linebacker at SRU. Tim's older brother, Bob Vernick, was an All-Region selection and also served as team captain while playing from 2013-16.
 
PLAYOFF STAPLES
Slippery Rock has reached at least the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Playoffs in each of the last two seasons with a trip to the Super Region One final in 2018 and a Super Region title and a trip to the NCAA semifinals in 2019. The Rock have reached the NCAA Playoffs in five of the seven seasons dating back to 2013.
 
CAPTAINS
Slippery Rock named its four team captains for the 2021 season back in April: Receiver Henry Litwin, center Austin Wayt, linebacker Tim Vernick and defensive end Chad Kuhn are the team captains.
 
GRADUATES PLAYING ONE MORE SEASON
With the 2020 season being canceled and players retaining their eligibility, this fall will see a large number of student-athletes that have already graduated playing collegiate football. Slippery Rock is no exception, as a total of 13 of The Rock's players have already earned their undergraduate degrees: D.J. Adediwura, Kyle Butts, Garrett de Bien, Andrew Koester, Chad Kuhn, Henry Litwin, Trysten McDonald, Hunter Merritt, Cinque Sweeting, Jake Tecak, Tim Vernick, Austin Wayt, Jahmal Wynter.
 
FEATURED EVENTS ON THE SCHEDULE
Slippery Rock will host five home games during the regular season in 2021 and all of those dates will feature special events or be part of larger campus and community events. The opener Sept. 11 against East Stroudsburg was the annual Hall of Fame game with the Rock Athletics Hall of Fame class of 2021 being inducted in a ceremony before kickoff. The Sept. 18 game against Lock Haven was the cap to the annual Slippery Rock VillageFest and Friends and Family Weekend. The Oct. 2 game against Clarion will be the annual Salute to Military and First Responders game, where all former and current military and first responders will be admitted free. The Oct. 16 game against Indiana (Pa.) will be the annual Homecoming game and the Nov. 6 game against Cal U will serve as The Rock's Senior Day game.
 
WINNING SEASONS STREAK
Slippery Rock has put together a winning season in each of the last 11 years, which ranks tied for the ninth best active streak in Division II. The only other program in the PSAC with more consecutive winning seasons (not counting teams that played 4-5 games in 2020) currently is Cal U, which has strung together 16 winning seasons entering 2021.
 
SETON HILL QUICK HITS
• Seton Hill is 2-1 overall and 2-0 at home after opening the year with a 16-14 win over Wheeling and a 13-7 win over Bloomsburg. The Griffins lost their first game last week with a 14-3 defeat at defending PSAC East champion Kutztown.
• SHU has already matched its 2019 win total (2-8) through three weeks this fall. The Griffins won a combined three games over three seasons from 2017-19 and look like they are poised for a program turnaround under new head coach Daniel Day, who took over prior to the 2019 season.
• Seton Hill has not played in a game where a single point has been scored in the first quarter yet this year. The Griffins have not scored in the opening period and neither have their opponents.
• Seton Hill has been exceptional defensively, holding opponents to 35 total points in three games for an average of 11.7 points per game. Opponents are passing for 147.7 yards per game and rushing for just 81.3 yards per game.
• The issue for SHU so far has been turnovers. The Griffins rank second to last in the nation in total turnovers with 12 giveaways, including seven interceptions and five lost fumbles. Those miscues have hindered an offense that has scored two total touchdowns in three games and is averaging 10.7 points per game.
• Chris Jones is completing 51 percent of his passes for 514 yards with one touchdown and seven interceptions. Taro Gaither is the only player on the roster with more than six catches and leads the way with 14 grabs for 179 yards.
• RB Logan Willard is averaging 5.4 yards per carry and has rushed for 226 yards. JaiQuawn McGriff has rushed for 180 yards as that duo has combined for 135.3 rushing yards per game.
• Kicker Luke Hauger is 6-for-7 on field goal attempts this season with a long of 36.
• Jaylen McDuffie paces the defense with 35 total tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss. The Griffins have combined for 10 sacks and 30 tackles for loss.

UP NEXT
Slippery Rock will play its fifth straight 6 p.m. game next Saturday at home against Clarion for the annual Salute to Military and First Responders game. All former and current members of the military and first responders will be admitted free for that Oct. 2 game.


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