Complete Game Notes (28-page PDF)  |  Jump to Digital Program
 
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The 10th-ranked Slippery Rock University football team returns home Saturday for the annual Salute to Military and First Responders game, hosting Edinboro at 1 p.m. in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division game at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
 
Below you will find all pertinent information regarding the military and first responder events, game tickets, parking, tailgating and live coverage, along with complete game notes.
 
SALUTE TO MILITARY AND FIRST RESPONDERS
• All veterans and active duty military members and current and former first responders will be admitted FREE with proper ID or uniform/badge/etc. All individuals that meet that criteria should enter the game at the STUDENT GATE.
• A Stryker military vehicle, operated by the PA National Guard, will be parked inside the stadium gates and can be toured pregame.
• SRU cheerleaders and members of the ROTC program will display a massive American flag on the field during the National Anthem.
• Reed McGraw, son of late SRU women's basketball coach Bobby McGraw, will serve as honorary captain and will join The Rock captains for the coin toss.
 
LIVE INTERNET COVERAGE
• Live Stats  |  Provided by SRU Athletic Communication.
• Live Streaming Video  |  Provided by SRU Athletic Communication.
• 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, created and operated by the SRU Athletic Communication Office.
 • 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. All 11 regular season SRU football games will be available on the app.
• Students, faculty and staff on campus can watch all the SRU home football games on any television connected to the campus cable network. All games from the stadium air live on digital cable channel 3.
 
MOBILE APP
• Fans can also watch all PSAC football games on the PSAC Sports Digital Network mobile app that is available for free in the app stores on Apple and Android devices.
 
TICKETS (Buy in advance to avoid lines on game day!)
• Fans are encouraged to purchase advance tickets online HERE.
• Tickets can also be purchased on game day. The stadium gates will open at 11:30 a.m.
• Chair-Back Reserved Seat - $15
• Reserved Bench Seat - $15
• Adult General Admission - $10
• Students Ages 6-High School – $5
• Children Ages 6 and Under – FREE
• SRU Students – FREE with valid student ID
• Students from Other Colleges - $5 with valid student ID
 
SRU FAN PARKING
• Parking Map (PDF)
• Lots open at 9 a.m.
• Reserved Tailgate Parking in Lot A can be purchased online HERE
• Unsold Reserved Tailgate Parking in Lot A can be purchased on game day - $20 (CASH ONLY)
• General Parking in Lots B, C, G - $10 (CASH ONLY)
• Free Parking Available in other campus lots
• Shuttles will circle the paid parking lots to assist with transportation to the gates
• Campus Map  |  Stadium is #52 on Map
 
EDINBORO FAN PARKING
• Parking Map (PDF)
• Visiting fans can park together and tailgate in Lot E.
• $10 (CASH ONLY)
• Lot opens at 9 a.m.
• GPS Address: 246 Harmony Road, Slippery Rock, PA
• Visiting fans can enter the game through gate six, located at the field hockey/lacrosse building, which provides direct access to the visiting bleachers.
• Campus Map  |  Visitor parking is at building #51. Entry gate is at building #53.

TAILGATING
• Parking Map (PDF)
• Tailgating is allowed in paid lots A, B, C and E
• Tailgating is allowed four hours before kickoff (lots open at 9 a.m.)
• No Tailgating at halftime
• All Tailgaters must enter game at kickoff
• Tailgaters must vacate the lots 90 minutes after the game ends
• No hard liquor, glass bottles or kegs
• Adhere to all campus tailgating rules found HERE.
 
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.
 

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GAME PROGRAM INFO
Slippery Rock has moved away from printed game programs for all sports in 2022-23. This page will serve as the "Digital Game Program" for this week's game. To navigate to all game day info for any SRU home events this year, simply visit rockathletics.com/gameday or scan the QR code on the "GAMEDAY INFO" posters hanging in each facility.
 

Week 10: Slippery Rock vs. Edinboro
The Rock (8-1, 5-1)	Edinboro Fighting Scots (4-5, 2-4)
Game Notes	Game Notes
Depth Chart	Depth Chart
Roster	Roster
Schedule	Schedule
Statistics	Statistics
Coach: Shawn Lutz	Coach: Jake Nulph
Program Records	Program Records
PSAC Standings
PSAC Stats Leaders
PSAC Composite Schedule
Mihalik-Thompson Stadium  |  SRU Campus Map  |  Football Parking Map

THE GAME
No. 10 Slippery Rock will look to lock up at least a share of a fourth straight PSAC West title and will look to remain undefeated at home this fall when Edinboro visits for a 1 p.m. kickoff in the final PSAC West game of the season.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES  |  Game-by-Game Scores
Slippery Rock owns a 59-28-7 advantage in the all-time series that dates all the way back to 1913 when Slippery Rock posted a 101-0 win. The Rock have won each of the last three meetings and nine of the last 11 games. SRU is 35-11-4 all-time at home in the series. This will mark the third straight year SRU is ranked at the time of the meeting and the fifth time SRU is ranked in the top 10 at the time of the meeting. SRU is 4-0 when playing Edinboro as a top-10 ranked team.
 
• First Meeting: 1913 (SRU won 101-0)
• Last Meeting: 2021 (SRU won 49-13)
• Current Streak: Slippery Rock +3
• at BORO: SRU leads 24-17-3
• at SRU: SRU leads 35-11-4
• Most Points Scored (BORO): 62 (1989)
• Biggest Win Margin (BORO): 55 (1989)
• Most Points Scored (SRU): 101 (1913)
• Biggest Win Margin (SRU): 101 (1913)
• Last BORO Win: 2017 at BORO (49-39)

FUN EDINBORO SERIES NOTES
• Slippery Rock Normal School defeated Edinboro 101-0 in 1913. It's the largest recorded margin of victory in SRU football history.
• Edinboro was the last "home game" Slippery Rock played before the inauguration of the current stadium in 1974. The Edinboro game was the second home game of the 1974 season, but the stadium was not ready yet, so the game was played at Butler High School. The Rock then inaugurated the stadium with the third home game of the 1974 season, which was Homecoming against Waynesburg.
 
COACHING MATCHUP
Slippery Rock head coach Shawn Lutz is in his 27th overall year at The Rock and his seventh year (sixth season) as head coach, where he owns a 56-15 record with three PSAC West titles and three trips to the NCAA playoffs. Lutz was the PSAC West Coach of the Year in both 2018 and 2019 and was the Don Hansen Football Gazette Division II National Coach of the Year in 2019. The 56 wins are the most among all PSAC head coaches since the 2016 season. Lutz was an assistant at SRU for 20 years before taking over the program in 2016. He has been a member of the coaching staff for 11 of SRU's PSAC West titles. Lutz played tight end at West Virginia University, graduating in 1996, and earned a master's degree in sport management from SRU in 2003.
 
Jake Nulph is in his second season at Edinboro after taking over in 2020 and coaching the Fighting Scots to a 4-6 record in 2021 in his first season. He owns an overall record of 8-11 entering this week. The 2005 Robert Morris alumnus spent one season as a defensive backs coach at Indiana (Pa.) before accepting the job at Edinboro. Prior to that, he had stints as a defensive coach at Duquesne, Westminster, Allegheny, St. Francis and Robert Morris. In total, Nulph has coached at seven different western Pennsylvania colleges spanning three NCAA divisions.
 
NATIONAL RANKINGS
Slippery Rock moved up three places to No. 10 in this week's AFCA Division II national rankings. The Rock also moved up three spots to No. 10 in this week's D2football.com poll. Both polls are available on page 9 of the PDF notes linked above.
 
EDINBORO QUICK HITS
• Former All-PSAC SRU defensive tackle Tony Papley is the defensive coordinator at Edinboro.
• Edinboro owns a 4-5 overall record and a 2-4 mark in PSAC West games and is coming off a 45-14 home loss to Seton Hill. The Fighting Scots are just 1-3 at home this year, but have been better on the road and are 3-2 away from home.
• Edinboro averages 15.7 points per game on offense and 257.2 total yards per game with 194.4 passing yards and 62.8 rushing yards per game.
• The defense allows 29.8 points per game and 394.4 total yards per game with opponents throwing for 172.1 yards and rushing for 222.3 yards per game.
• QB Isaac Bernard is completing 55 percent of his passes for 1,721 yards with eight TDs and 15 INTs this year. His top target is WR Thaddeus Standfield, who has 53 catches for 692 yards and five TDs.
• RB Anfreenee Williams leads the ground game with 220 yards in five games, averaging 44.0 yards per game.
• Punter Reed Martin is among the best punters in the region and averages just shy of 43 yards per punt withs seven kicks over 50 yards. Martin has also rushed for 80 yards and ranks fourth on the team in total offense with 101 yards.
• LB Clay Cunningham leads the defense with 113 total tackles, including 62 assisted stops. He also has a team-high 11.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks.
 
250th GAME AT MIHALIK-THOMPSON STADIUM
Saturday's game will mark the 250th Slippery Rock game played at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium dating back to the inaugural game in 1974 at what was then N. Kerr Thompson Stadium. The stadium was renamed in 2011 to include the name of legendary head coach George Mihalik. Overall, SRU is 181-68 (.727) all-time at the stadium. Since the name change in 2011, The Rock are 55-7 (.887) at home. SRU has lost just five total home games in the last nine seasons.
 
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
Rock football teams have compiled a 181-68 (.727) record the last 47+ seasons in games played at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium (formerly known as N. Kerr Thompson Stadium). The Rock own an 81-23 (.779) home record since artificial turf was installed in the summer of 2003 and are 77-17 (.819) in home games since 2005. The numbers get even better in recent years, as The Rock are 59-8 (.881) at home since the beginning of the 2010 season and 46-5 (.902) since the beginning of the 2013 season.
 
BEST OF THE WEST
SRU has only lost two PSAC West games since October of 2017 and is 27-2 against the PSAC West over its last 29 divisional games, with both losses coming to IUP the last two seasons. The Rock have won three straight PSAC West titles and seven of the last 10 divisional crowns to easily distance themselves as the best in the West over the last decade.
 
BACK ON TOP IN THE PSAC WEST
After Gannon upset IUP last week, Slippery Rock moved back into a three-way tie atop the PSAC West standings as all three teams now have one loss with one week remaining in divisional play.
 
SHARE OF PSAC WEST TITLE ON THE LINE
Slippery Rock can clinch at least a share of a fourth straight PSAC West title and a share of a ninth title in the last 12 seasons with a win this week.
 
TIEBREAKER SCENARIOS FOR STATE GAME
If Slippery Rock, IUP (home vs. Clarion) and Gannon (at California) all win this week and finish with one loss, the three teams will officially be co-champions in the PSAC West for 2022. IUP will win the tiebreaker and represent the PSAC West in the title game because Gannon lost one of its crossover games (West Chester), knocking the Golden Knights out of the three-way tie and making it a head-to-head tiebreaker from there. The only way SRU can reach the state game is if Clarion beats IUP this week AND SRU beats Edinboro. Gannon needs to win its game AND have SRU lose to Edinboro for the Golden Knights to reach the title game.
 
REGIONAL RANKINGS  |  Full Breakdown
The first numerical order Super Region rankings were unveiled this week and saw SRU at No. 5 in Super Region One, despite owning the second-best record in the region. The Rock are the lowest ranked one-loss team due to a poor strength of schedule. The Super Region Rankings entering this week, including each team's record against DII competition, are: 1. Shepherd (9-0), 2. Ashland (7-1), 3. IUP (7-1), 4. Assumption (6-1), 5. SRU (8-1), 6. Notre Dame (7-2), 7. Gannon (7-2), 8. New Haven (6-2), 9. Bentley (6-2), 10. Concord (7-2).
 
TRYING TO MAKE FOURTH STRAIGHT PLAYOFF
Slippery Rock is aiming for a fourth straight NCAA Playoff appearance and a seventh trip to the NCAA tournament in the last nine seasons. The Rock have reached the NCAA quarterfinals three times since 2015 and reached the national semifinals in 2019.
 
LAST MEETING WITH EDINBORO – OCT. 9, 2021  |  Box Score
No. 6 Slippery Rock outscored Edinboro 27-3 in the second half to run away with a 49-13 win on the road in Edinboro in week six last fall. The Rock posted a 529-296 advantage in total offense with 266 passing yards and 263 rushing yards. Edinboro ran for 169 yards and threw for 127 yards. Cinque Sweeting rushed for 89 yards and two touchdowns and caught two passes for 47 yards and another TD to pace the SRU offense, which also got 95 rushing yards from Tim Smith, 53 rushing yards from Chris D'Or and one receiving TD from Max Maciejewseki. Isaac Bernard was 19-of-29 for 127 yards with one TD and one INT for Edinboro. Anfreenee Williams rushed for 80 yards.
 
LAST WEEK FOR SLIPPERY ROCK
Slippery Rock extended its shutout streak against Clarion to 10 full quarters with a 31-0 win on the road last week. The Rock put up a 533-202 advantage in total offense with a season-high 440 passing yards and 93 rushing yards. Clarion rushed for 117 yards and passed for just 85 yards. Noah Grover completed 27-of-34 passes for 440 yards with three TDs and no INT for his best outing of the season. Kyle Sheets caught a career-high nine passes to post career-highs of 206 yards and two TDs. Gavyn Barnes caught his first career TD and finished with 55 receiving yards and Jawon Hall and Cohen Russell both had at least 45 receiving yards. Isaiah Edwards rushed for 45 yards on just five carries and Chris D'Or scored one rushing TD. Brandon Tuck-Hayden led the defense with 11 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.
 
LAST WEEK FOR EDINBORO
Seton Hill scored 31 unanswered points to break a 14-14 halftime tie and posted a 31-0 advantage in the second half to pull away for a 45-14 win at Edinboro last week. The Griffins posted a 431-207 advantage in total offense with 252 rushing yards and 179 passing yards. Edinboro ran for 56 yards and threw for 151 yards with two interceptions. Isaac Bernard was 18-of-34 for 151 yards with one TD and two INTs. Thaddeus Standfield caught four passes for 73 yards and one TD. Keon Anderson rushed for one TD. Reed Martin had a 45-yard rush and averaged 48.9 yards on four punts with two kicks over 50 yards. Clay Cunningham led the defense with 16 tackles.
 
OPSATNIK EARNS PSAC WEEKLY HONOR
Placekicker DJ Opsatnik was named the PSAC West Special Teams Athlete of the Week after a perfect kicking day, scoring seven points with a 37-yard field goal and four made PAT kicks. The 37-yarder was the longest made field goal this season for Opsatnik, who is now 39-of-40 on PAT kicks and moved up to No. 8 all-time at SRU with 91 career made PATs.
 
NO TAKEAWAYS
Last week's win for SRU was the first win this season with no takeaways by the defense. It was only the second time all year that SRU has failed to come up with a turnover. The only other game was the IUP game, where SRU lost the turnover battle 2-0 and the game 20-12.
 
FIRST 300-YARD PASSING GAME THIS YEAR
Noah Grover threw for 440 yards last week, which was his third career 400-yard passing game, but was the first 300-yard passing game for Grover this season. Entering last week, he had thrown for 297 yards, 294 yards, 289 yards and 276 yards this year, but had not topped the 300-yard mark.
 
GROVER AMONG PSAC BEST
Noah Grover enters this week ranked first in the PSAC West with 2,488 passing yards and 23 touchdowns to go along with just six interceptions. Grover trails only reigning Harlon Hill Trophy winner Tyson Bagent from Shepherd for the most passing yards and TDs in the PSAC. Bagent has thrown for 2,873 yards and 28 TDs, but also has 54 more passing attempts on the season.
 
GROVER'S CAREER NUMBERS
Last week marked just the 13th career start at SRU for QB Noah Grover. In those 13 starts, Grover has thrown for 4,027 yards and 38 touchdowns while leading SRU to a 10-3 record. He is averaging 309.8 passing yards and 2.9 passing touchdowns per game in those 13 starts, three of which came against teams ranked in the top 16 nationally. All three of his losses have come on the road by one-possession scores against teams that were either ranked or receiving votes in the national poll. He is a perfect 5-0 at home as the SRU starting QB.
 
GROVER ON SRU CAREER LISTS ALREADY
In just 13 starts plus a few relief appearances, Noah Grover has already climbed to No. 5 on the all-time career passing TD list at SRU with 41 TD passes. He also ranks seventh all-time in completions (318) and eighth all-time in passing yards (4,248). Grover's 65.2 completion percentage is the highest in SRU history among all QBs with at least 10 starts and his 249.9 yards per game average ranks fourth. His 4,327 total yards of offense are No. 9 all-time at SRU.
 
SHEETS OVER 200 YARDS
WR Kyle Sheets had career-highs of nine catches, 206 yards and two TDs last week at Clarion. It marked the first 200-yard receiving game by an SRU player since Henry Litwin went for 203 yards in the NCAA playoffs in November of 2019 against Notre Dame (Ohio). Sheets was just shy of the all-time single-game receiving record at SRU, which belongs to Marcus Johnson with 237 yards against East Stroudsburg in 2016.
 
SHEETS EMERGING AS TOP TARGET
Kyle Sheets has become the top target for Noah Grover this season and now leads SRU with 45 catches for 770 yards and seven TDs. His 770 yards rank fifth among all receivers in the PSAC this fall, while his 17.1 yards per catch is the highest average among all receivers in the league with at least 35 catches this season. Sheets has topped 100 receiving yards in each of the last two weeks.
 
DOMINANT STARTS
Slippery Rock is outscoring opponents 80-12 in the first quarter of games this year and has only allowed offensive points on two first quarter possessions all year. The Rock have allowed only one first quarter touchdown – at Millersville – and just one first quarter field goal – at California after a muffed punt. The only other points SRU allowed in the first quarter this year was a safety against Seton Hill. The Rock are outscoring opponents 170-39 in the first half of games this year.
 
MACIEJEWSKI LEADS ALL DII TIGHT ENDS IN TDS
SRU tight end Max Maciejewski is ranked first among all Division II tight ends with five TD receptions in 2022. Maciejewski's five TD catches are tied with two other players in DII for the most in the nation and are tied for eighth among all Division I and Division II tight ends this season when combining all players from the FBS, FCS and DII levels.
 
BARNES GRABS FIRST TD
Slot receiver Gavyn Barnes was injured for much of the early portion of the season and is finally healthy and starting to get more reps. Last week, he caught three passes for 55 yards, including a beautiful TD grab in the back of the end zone that stood as his first career TD catch.
 
WEAPONS EVERYWHERE
Slippery Rock threw passes to nine different players last week and had at least six players finished with 28 receiving yards or more. The Rock are using a receiver rotation led by Kyle Sheets, but that also includes deep threats Jawon Hall and Bryce Profitt, slot receivers Cohen Russell, Gavyn Barnes and Kenyon Johnson and a tight end trio of Max Maciejewski, Nathan Waltman and Kam Kruzelyak, all of which have shown an ability to make key plays in recent weeks.
 
RUNNING GAME QUIET AGAIN
After rushing for at least 129 yards in each of the first seven weeks, including 200 yards against Mercyhurst in week six and 169 yards against Gannon in week seven, Slippery Rock has struggled with the running game in each of the last two weeks. The Rock rushed for just 42 yards on 29 attempts in a win at California (1.4 yards per carry) and ran for 93 yards on 25 carries last week against Clarion (3.7 yards per carry), marking the only two games all year with less than 100 total rushing yards for the team.
 
ROCK LEADS DII IN KICKOFF RETURNS
With Jawon Hall and Cohen Russell handling the kickoff returns, Slippery Rock has rocketed to No. 1 among all Division II programs in kickoff return average. The Rock are averaging a whopping 30.1 yards per kickoff return on 19 return attempts this fall with three returns over 50 yards. Hall averages 43.0 yards per return and has one TD on the year, while Russell averages 27.7 yards per return. Clarion did not give SRU a chance to return a single kickoff or punt last week.
 
DEFENSE AMONG PSAC AND DII LEADERS
SRU enters this week ranked near the top of the PSAC in just about every defensive metric that matters. The Rock lead the PSAC in scoring defense, passing efficiency defense and tackles for loss, while ranking second in the PSAC in total defense, sacks and passes intercepted and ranking third on third downs, in the red zone and against kickoffs. SRU ranks sixth in DII in scoring defense, allowing just 12.8 points per game. SRU also ranks ninth in tackles for loss at 8.8 per game, 11th in total defense allowing 260.2 yards per game, 12th in rushing defense allowing 75.6 yards per game and 16th in interceptions with 12.
 
RUN DEFENSE MAKING TEAMS ONE-DIMENSIONAL
The Rock have allowed just four rushing touchdowns total through nine weeks of the season and are allowing only 2.4 yards per carry on 285 attempts and 75.6 rushing yards per game by opponents. No team has managed to have an individual top the 100-yard mark against the SRU defense through nine weeks. That stingy run defense has forced teams to the air, where SRU has limited opponents to under 200 yards per game and has come up with 12 interceptions. The Rock lead the PSAC in pass efficiency defense with opposing offenses posting a 107.0 efficiency rating, despite SRU facing 284 pass attempts (31.6 per game).
 
DEFENSIVE LINE DOMINATING GAMES
The Rock's defensive line has caused problems for opposing offenses in all nine games. The starting rotation of D.J. Adediwura (9.0 sacks, 14.5 TFL), Jeff Marx (6.5 sacks, 9.5 TFL), Munchie Johnson (2.5 sacks, 8.5 TFL), Cottrell Hatchett (3.5 sacks, 6.5 TFL) and Daniel Tooson (2.0 TFL) have combined for 21.5 sacks and 41.0 tackles for loss while helping The Rock to totals of 28 sacks and a PSAC-leading 79 tackles for loss.  
 
TWO OF THE BEST DEFENSIVE LINEMEN IN THE NATION
Slippery Rock boasts one of the best defensive ends in the country in D.J. Adediwura and one of the best interior linemen in the country in Jeff Marx. The pair rank 1-2 in the PSAC West this season in sacks with Adediwura leading all PSAC West players with 9.0 sacks and Marx ranking second with 6.5 sacks. They have combined for 15.5 sacks and 24.0 tackles for loss.
 
ADEDIWURA NOMINATED FOR COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR
D.J. Adediwura's perseverance has paid big dividends for Slippery Rock this year. Adediwura transferred to Slippery Rock after the 2020 season was canceled by the pandemic, but then he suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice, forcing him to miss the entire 2021 season. After a year of rehab, he is back on the field this year for the first time since 2019 and is having arguably the best season by any defensive lineman in the region with 9.0 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss on top of 12 additional QB hurries in nine games. He has been nominated for the College Football Comeback Player of the Year award for his perseverance.
 
ADEDIWURA AMONG DII LEADERS
D.J. Adediwura enters this week ranked seventh in DII in sacks per game at 1.00. Counting his time at Fairmont State before transferring into Slippery Rock, he now has 21.5 career sacks and ranks fourth among all active players in Division II in career tackles for loss with 50.0.
 
MARX HAVING CAREER YEAR
Jeff Marx also returned from a season-ending injury this year and is having his best career season. Marx has rarely shown up in box scores in his career as a run-stuffing interior lineman, but his prowess is well-recognized by opposing coaches. He is a two-time first team All-PSAC selection and was a preseason All-American entering this fall. Marx has made the most of his final season and already has career-highs of 9.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks to go along with his first career interception.
 
TUCK-HAYDEN LEADS DEFENSE
Wayne State transfer LB Brandon Tuck-Hayden leads SRU with 76 total tackles to go along with 11.5 TFL, one sack, one interception, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Counting his time at Wayne State, Tuck-Hayden now has 294 career tackles and is just six shy of reaching 300 career tackles in Division II games. He ranks 11th among all active players in the country in total career tackles.
 
BISCHOF ON PACE FOR 50 GAMES
Akron transfer LB Brandon Bischof, who ranks second at SRU with 50 tackles this fall, is set to play in his 50th college game this weekend after playing in 40 games at Akron and nine at SRU. That number ranks 14th among all active DII players for the most collegiate games played in.
 
20 PLAYERS HAVE MADE FIRST SRU STARTS
Exactly half of The Rock's 22 starters in week one made their first SRU starts. Nine more players have joined that list since week one for a total of 19 players that have made their first start at The Rock this fall. That number is a bit misleading though, as most of the new defensive starters are experienced transfers, including former All-Conference selections D.J. Adediwura (DE, Fairmont State), Kevin Hyde (DB, Tiffin), Jacob Williams (DB, Ashland) and Dez Johnson (DE, Clarion), along with linebackers Brandon Bischof (Akron) and Brandon Tuck-Hayden (Wayne State), who both have more than 30 games of collegiate experience. Linebacker Jake Miller (Akron), WR Jawon Hall, DE Cottrell Hatchett (Lackawanna), WR Bryce Profitt (Akron) and OL Jeff Burkhart (Lock Haven) also have previous experience. Other first-time SRU starters include WR transfer Jacob Odom (North Dakota) and SRU returners Chris D'Or (RB), Sawyer Morgan (C), Kenyon Johnson (WR), Nathan Waltman (TE), Ali Abdul-Hakim (CB), Eddie Faulkner IV (DB) and Josh Stokes (DB). Daniel Tooson is the only true freshman to make a start this year.
 
WINNING SEASONS STREAK
Slippery Rock is already guaranteed to have a 13th straight winning season. The Rock ranked ninth among all Division II programs for the longest active winning seasons streak in the country entering the 2022 season. The only other program in the PSAC with more consecutive winning seasons entering 2022 was California (Pa.), which had strung together 17 winning seasons entering 2022. California needs one more win to extend that streak to 18 winning seasons.
 
SIX CAPTAINS FOR 2022
SRU has six captains this season: QB Noah Grover, OL Colton Rossi, DE D.J. Adediwura, DB Selvin Haynes, DB Kevin Hyde and DT Jeff Marx.
 
HEAVY ON THE TRANSFER PORTAL
SRU looks vastly different in 2022 than it did in 2021 with the departure of a highly decorated senior class. To fill most of those voids, Slippery Rock went heavy on the transfer portal and added 19 transfer students, many of which have slid immediately into starting roles. In total, Slippery Rock has 30 players on the current roster that also played at another college.
 
LUTZ FASTEST TO 50 WINS IN SRU HISTORY
SRU head coach Shawn Lutz won his 50th career game in week two this fall, becoming the fastest head coach to 50 wins in SRU program history by reaching the milestone in just 64 games. Lutz is already No. 4 on the all-time head coaching wins ledger at SRU.
 
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock will celebrate its senior class and close the regular season with a 1 p.m. home kickoff next Saturday against Kutztown on Senior Day. SRU will then learn its NCAA Playoff fate next Sunday, Nov. 13 when the NCAA Selection Show airs at 5 p.m. at www.ncaa.com.




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