WORCESTER, Mass. – The unseeded Slippery Rock University football team traveled 530 miles to Worcester, Massachusetts and knocked off No. 3 seed Assumption University in the opening round of the NCAA Playoffs with a 17-14 victory Saturday at Brian Kelly Stadium.
 
The Rock improve to 10-2 on the year and advance to the second round of the playoffs, where they will travel to No. 2 seed Shepherd University next Saturday, Nov. 26. Assumption closes its 2022 season with an 8-3 record.
 
Slippery Rock opened the game with a methodical 82-yard drive using 21 plays and eating up more than 10 minutes off the game clock before Chris D'Or rushed in for a touchdown to give SRU a lead it would never relinquish.
 
After a quick three-and-out by Assumption, Slippery Rock marched right back down the field and had a first and goal at the five-yard line, but had to settle for a short field goal from DJ Opsatnik to make it 10-0 with 14:09 to play in the second quarter.
 
Assumption put together its only long sustained drive of the game on the next series, going 72 yards in 10 plays and scoring on a short touchdown pass from Jake Cady to Quinn Sieger that made it 10-7 with 8:17 to play in the half.
 
Slippery Rock continued its dominant first half with a third straight scoring drive, this time going 75 yards in 15 plays before Noah Grover hit Cohen Russell for a short touchdown pass that made it 17-7 with 1:49 to play in the half.
 
Slippery Rock outgained Assumption 219-87 in the first half and held the ball for more than 20 minutes.
 
The tide changed in the second half when Assumption's highly ranked defense locked up the SRU offense and posted a shutout over the final 30 minutes. The hosts cut into the lead after a shanked punt by SRU from its own end zone led to a short field. Berrell Neal rushed in from the two-yard line to cap a 35-yard scoring drive and make it 17-14 with 8:52 to play in the third quarter.
 
Neither team would score again the rest of the way.
 
Slippery Rock's defense came up with two huge fourth down stops late in the game, including the most important play of the second half. In the closing minute of the third quarter, Assumption took advantage of a pair of 15-yard penalties and marched down inside the SRU five-yard line. Rather than kicking a chip-shot field goal to tie the game, the Greyhounds elected to go for it on fourth and one from the three-yard line. Cottrell Hatchett shot the gap and tackled Neal for a one-yard loss that gave the ball back to The Rock and kept SRU out front.
 
The SRU defense limited Assumption to just one first down and 23 total yards in the fourth quarter to preserve the win.

Slippery Rock finished the game with a 279-226 advantage in total offense in a game that featured two of the best statistical defenses in the country. The Rock threw for 188 yards and ran for 91 yards while finishing the game with no turnovers. Assumption ran for 134 yards and was limited to 92 passing yards while also not turning the ball over.
 
Noah Grover returned to the lineup after missing last week with an injury and led SRU by completing 17-of-28 passes for 188 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.
 
The Rock struggled with offensive injuries around Grover for the second week in a row. D'Or looked electric on the opening drive of the game, but was forced to leave the game with an injury in the first quarter. Leading receiver Kyle Sheets played a few snaps on the opening series, but did not play again after that. SRU also played without first team All-Conference tight end Max Maciejewski, who was injured last week.
 
Russell stepped up to lead the SRU receivers with seven catches for 98 yards and one touchdown. He nearly put the game away in the fourth quarter when he broke free over the middle, but he lost the ball in the sun and couldn't come up with the catch. Gavyn Barnes added three catches for 35 yards and Jawon Hall caught two passes for 24 yards.
 
Tim Smith rushed for 41 yards on 13 carries and Isaiah Edwards rushed for 35 yards on 12 carries. D'Or ran for 30 yards and one TD on eight carries before leaving the game.
 
D.J. Adediwura and Hatchett each had 2.0 tackles for loss and Jeff Marx added 1.0 tackle for loss. Brandon Tuck-Hayden tallied seven tackles and one pass breakup. Michael Henwood and Kevin Hyde each had one pass breakup as well.
 
Assumption got 63 rushing yards from QB Jake Cady, who also completed 9-of-13 passes for 92 yards and one score. Berrell Neal rushed for 46 yards and one score on 16 carries.
 
Saturday marked the first time Slippery Rock has played in the state of Massachusetts since playing Boston University at Fenway Park in 1937. The Rock have now played Assumption just twice, both in the playoffs, and are now 2-0 against the Greyhounds.
 
Slippery Rock will turn its focus to the second round of the NCAA Playoffs and a road trip to Shepherdstown, West Virginia next Saturday to face No. 11 ranked Shepherd, the No. 2 seed in Super Region One. Ashland (Ohio) will travel to Indiana (Pa.) next week in the other Super Region One game.
 

GAME NOTES: Slippery Rock picked up its 10th win of the season and has reached 10 wins in a season for the seventh time in program history and the fourth time since 2015 … SRU improved to 10-9 in Division II Playoff games … Shawn Lutz improved to 58-16 as SRU head coach … SRU won its sixth straight game against a team from the Northeast 10 Conference … SRU won its first game in the state of Massachusetts after previously only playing in 1937 against Boston University at Fenway Park … SRU had under 300 yards of total offense for the second straight week after not being held under 300 yards for four years dating back to week 11 of 2018 … Cohen Russell had career-highs of seven catches and 98 yards … Brandon Tuck-Hayden's seven tackles lifted him over 300 career tackles in his DII career and he now has 306 career tackles ... SRU advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the fourth time since 2015 … the PSAC has three of the remaining four teams from Super Region One in the playoffs (Slippery Rock, Shepherd, Indiana (Pa.).




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