Complete Game Notes (PDF)
 
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The 15th-ranked Slippery Rock University football team returns home to Mihalik-Thompson Stadium to host Kutztown University Saturday at noon in the NCAA Division II Quarterfinals with the Super Region One title on the line.

Below you will find all pertinent information regarding tickets, parking, tailgating and live coverage, along with complete game notes.
 

Week 14: Slippery Rock vs. Kutztown
The Rock (12-1)	Kutztown Golden Bears (11-2)
Complete Game Notes (PDF)	KU Game Preview
Depth Chart	Depth Chart
Roster	Roster
Schedule	Schedule
Statistics	Statistics
Coach: Shawn Lutz	Coach: Jim Clements
Program Records	Program Records
DII Bracket  |  DII Football Championship Game Program
Mihalik-Thompson Stadium  |  SRU Campus Map  |  Football Parking Map

 
PAY-PER-VIEW LIVE VIDEO UPDATE
There will be no free video broadcast available for NCAA Playoff games this year. The NCAA is requiring all schools to stream games behind a paywall beginning this year. Each game will cost $9.95 OR fans can get access to all Division II football playoff games in the first three rounds for $19.95 total. Fans can still access the game via the Rock Athletics Digital Network where you watched all year, but you will be prompted to create a login and pay to watch NCAA Playoff games. Fans can also watch all DII Playoff games at the Championships Pass Page or via the Championships Pass TV apps. You can click on the game HERE and purchase access. If you purchased the $19.95 package for the first or second round, you will not need to make another purchase.

LIVE INTERNET COVERAGE
• Live Stats  |  Provided by SRU Athletic Communication
• Live Streaming Video ($$)  |  Provided by SRU Athletic Communication
• Live Audio (Online and Radio (FREE)  |  Provided by The Rock Station 97.7 FM (Butler County)
• X (formerly Twitter)  |  In-game updates and highlights
 
WATCH ON YOUR TV
• Fans can watch the game live and on-demand 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.
• Fans can also download the "NCAA Championships Pass" app on those app stores to watch all Division II playoff games.

TICKETS AND ENTRY
All fans are encouraged to purchase tickets online in advance and use the mobile QR code for entry on game day. Visit the link below to purchase tickets in advance. All bags will be searched at the gate.
 
• BUY TICKETS HERE
• Stadium gates will open at 10:30 a.m.
• Chair-Back Reserved Seat - $15
• Reserved Bench Seat - $15
• Adult General Admission - $10
• Children and Students – $5
• Students from Other Colleges - $5 with valid student ID
• SRU Students – FREE (with valid current ID)
 
SRU STUDENT TICKETS WILL BE COVERED BY SGA
The Slippery Rock Student Government Association (SGA) will cover the cost of current SRU student tickets. Current students will RSVP to the game in the CORE app and use the QR code at the student gate Saturday for entry, just like the regular season. SGA will have the game available in the CORE app later this week to RSVP to. The Athletics Office would like to thank SGA for generously covering the cost of student tickets.
 
ROCK ATHLETIC CLUB - PRESIDENT'S TENT TICKET INFO
As of Wednesday afternoon, President's Tent tickets for this game have been SOLD OUT.
 
NO COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS
Because this is an NCAA Championship event and not an SRU event, there are no complimentary tickets allowed. This includes tickets for student-athlete parents, University staff and the family members of SRU staff. All fans wishing to attend the game must purchase tickets.
 
SRU FAN PARKING
Prime tailgating spots in Lot A will be available to individuals that had season parking passes Monday and Tuesday. Those individuals should log in to the ticket site Monday or Tuesday to secure your parking spot. Unsold tailgating spots in Lot A will go on sale to the general public Wednesday at 8 a.m.
 
• Reserved Tailgate Parking in Lot A is PRESALE ONLY AVAILABLE HERE
• Parking Map (PDF)
• Lots open at 8 a.m.
• 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 #49 on Map
 
KUTZTOWN FAN PARKING
• Parking Map (PDF)
• Visiting fans can park together and tailgate in Lot E ($10 Cash Only).
• Lot opens at 8 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 above building #50. Entry gate is at building #50.
 
TAILGATING
• Tailgating is allowed in paid lots four hours before kickoff (lots open at 8 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 or glass bottles
• Adhere to all campus tailgating rules found HERE.

STUDENT GATE PROCEDURES
SRU 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 add the event in advance and be prepared to scan their code at the entry gate.
 

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THE GAME
No. 15 Slippery Rock will host Kutztown in a rematch of the PSAC Championship game with a trip to the NCAA Division II Semifinals and a Super Region One title on the line. The Rock are looking to win their third regional title in program history, while Kutztown is in search of the first regional title in KU history.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES (Game-by-game scores on page six of PDF notes)
Slippery Rock owns an 11-6 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to 1984. The teams have met in four straight seasons and six times in the last six years and will be meeting for the second time in the same season for the first time ever. Kutztown has won three straight in the series, including a 31-7 beating of SRU in the PSAC title game just three weeks ago. That win marked the only time Kutztown has ever beaten SRU by more than a one-possession score.
 
• First Meeting: 1984 (SRU won 21-6)
• Last Meeting: 2023 (KU won 31-7)
• Current Streak: Kutztown +3
• at KU: SRU leads 6-4
• at SRU: SRU leads 5-2
• Most Points Scored (KU): 56 (2012)
• Biggest Win Margin (KU): 24 (2023)
• Most Points Scored (SRU): 68 (1999)
• Biggest Win Margin (SRU): 48 (2013)
• Last SRU Win: 2019 at KU (37-35)
 
COACHING MATCHUP
Slippery Rock head coach Shawn Lutz is in his 28th overall year at The Rock and his eighth year (seventh season) as head coach, where he owns a 70-18 record with five PSAC West titles and five trips to the NCAA playoffs. Lutz was named PSAC West Coach of the Year in 2018, 2019 and 2023 and was the Don Hansen Football Gazette Division II National Coach of the Year in 2019. The 70 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 13 of SRU's 20 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.
 
Jim Clements is in his 10th year (ninth season) as the head coach at Kutztown, where he has posted a winning record in every season and has become the winningest coach in program history. He has led the Golden Bears to four PSAC East titles, two PSAC championships and four trips to the NCAA Division II playoffs. Clements owns a record of 78-27 in his nine seasons at Kutztown and also posted a record of 66-24 in eight seasons as the head coach at Division III Delaware Valley. He is a 1996 graduate of Widener.
 
NATIONAL RANKINGS
Slippery Rock entered the postseason ranked No. 15 in the AFCA poll and No. 13 in the D2football poll. Kutztown is No. 23 in the D2football poll. SRU has been ranked in every AFCA poll since the final poll of 2018. Both final regular season polls are available on page nine of the PDF notes linked above.
 
KUTZTOWN QUICK NOTES
• Kutztown is making its second-ever appearance in the NCAA Quarterfinals (2021) and is looking for its first Super Region title.
• Kutztown opened the year 0-2 but has since rattled off 11 straight wins to get to 11-2 on the year.
• For much of the year, Kutzown leaned on its stifling defense for success. The Golden Bears rank ninth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 15.3 points per game. KU ranks 16th in the nation in rushing defense, giving up just 95.6 yards per game on the ground and ranks 13th in the nation in total defense, allowing just 266.1 total yards per game.
• KU scored a total of just 33 combined points over three games weeks 7-9 and was struggling on offense, but has since flipped a switch. Over the last three weeks, the Golden Bears have scored at least 31 points against three nationally ranked teams to increase their season scoring average to 25.1 points per game. KU averages 342 toal yards of offense per game with 168 rushing yards and 174 passing yards per game.
• Running back Darryl Davis-McNeil is among the best SRU will face this year and leads the team with 865 rushing yards and nine TD. He was the PSAC Championship game MVP when he ran for more than 140 yards and two TD against SRU three weeks ago.
• The second leading rusher on the team is QB Judd Novak, who has carried the ball 103 times for 533 yards and four touchdowns. His ability to keep drives alive with his legs has been crucial to the KU offense exploding the last three weeks. Novak is also completing 51% of his passes for 1,984 yards with 19 TD and eight INT in the pass game.
• PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Year Tyler Whary leads the defense from the linebacker spot. He ranks first on the team with 78 tackles, including 8.5 TFL and 4.5 sacks.
• KU did not allow more than 17 points in a stretch of seven straight games between weeks 6-12 before No. 2 seed Charleston scored 31 in a losing effort last week. The 31 points matched the same score posted by Assumption and Cal (Pa.) in the first two weeks to tie for the most points allowed by the KU defense this season.

SUPER REGION ONE BRACKET  |  Full Bracket
Super Region One is one of two regions in the bracket that will see the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds playing this week for a chance to reach the national semifinals. Kutztown is the No. 3 seed and advanced to this stage with a 38-14 win over unseeded Virginia Union in the first round and a 32-31 win at No. 2 seed Charleston last week. Slippery Rock is the No. 4 seed and reached this stage with a 45-14 win over unseeded East Stroudsburg in the first round and a 45-35 win at No. 1 seed Tiffin last week.
 
PSAC GUARANTEED A SPOT IN SEMIFINAL
The PSAC is the only conference in the country that is guaranteed a spot in the semifinals this year as all three of the other regional finals will feature two teams from different conferences. This will be the fourth straight season that the Super Region One representative in the semifinals has come from the PSAC. Slippery Rock earned that spot in 2019 and Shepherd reached the semifinals in 2021 and 2022.
 
ACTIVE PLAYOFF STREAKS
Slippery Rock is making its fifth straight appearance in the national playoffs. The five straight trips to the playoffs are tied with Colorado School of Mines for the second longest active streak among all Division II teams in the country, trailing only the nine straight appearances by Ferris State.
 
SRU'S NCAA PLAYOFF HISTORY  |  SRU Playoff Record Book
Slippery Rock is making its 11th overall appearance in the Division II Playoffs, including its fifth straight and eighth postseason trip in the last 10 seasons. The Rock own a 12-10 record all-time in Division II Playoff games and have advanced to at least the second round in four of the last five years. SRU reached the quarterfinals in 2018, the national semifinals in 2019 and the second round a year ago in 2022. In total, SRU has reached the quarterfinals six times (1997, 1998, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2023) and the Division II semifinals twice (1998, 2019).
 
12-WIN TEAMS IN DIVISION II
Slippery Rock enters this week as one of just five teams in Division II with 12 wins this year. Colorado School of Mines and Harding lead the way at 12-0, while Slippery Rock, Valdosta State and Lenoir-Rhyne are all 12-1 on the year. Kutztown has won 11 straight games after opening the year at 0-2 and is in a group of seven Division II teams with 11 wins this season.
 
ANOTHER 10-WIN SEASON FOR SRU
Slippery Rock has won at least 10 games in each of the last two seasons, four of the last five seasons and five times since the 2015 season. SRU has had a total of eight seasons in program history with 10 or more wins, all of them coming since 1997. The 12 wins this year is tied for the second most in a single-season in program history and trails the 2019 team (13-1) by one victory for the school record. The Rock were 12-2 in 1998 and 2015.
 
THIRD QUARTERFINALS APPEARANCE IN FIVE YEARS
Slippery Rock is in a familiar place and will be playing for the Super Region title for the sixth time in program history and the third time in the last five seasons. The Rock lost by four points on the road in the 2018 regional title game at Notre Dame (Ohio) and bounced back to win the 2019 regional title at home by beating Notre Dame.
 
KUTZTOWN BACK IN REGIONAL TITLE GAME
Kutztown will be playing in its second NCAA Quarterfinal in program history and its first on the road. The Golden Bears played in the 2021 regional title game at home and lost in heartbreaking fashion on a Hail Mary on the last play of the game by current Chicago Bears' quarterback Tyson Bagent, which lifted his Shepherd team into the national semifinals.
 
KUTZTOWN ON A ROLL AGAINST SRU
Kutztown has accomplished the rare feat of beating Slippery Rock three times in a row. The last team to beat SRU three games in a row was Gannon when it first joined the PSAC and beat SRU in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Since then, The Rock are 10-1 against Gannon. If Kutztown were to win again this week, it would be the first team to beat SRU four straight times since California (Pa.) strung together five straight wins against SRU from 2006-10.
 
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
Rock football teams have compiled a 189-69 (.733) record the last 49 seasons in games played at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium (formerly known as N. Kerr Thompson Stadium). The Rock own an 89-24 (.788) home record since artificial turf was installed in the summer of 2003 and are 85-18 (.825) in home games since 2005. The numbers get even better in recent years, as The Rock are 67-9 (.882) at home since the beginning of the 2010 season and 54-6 (.900) since the beginning of the 2013 season.
 
HOME PLAYOFF GAMES
Slippery Rock has hosted 10 NCAA Division II Playoff games and is 8-2 in those home playoff games. The Rock are 1-0 this season and went 2-1 in 2019 with the loss coming in the national semifinals. SRU was 2-0 at home in 2015 and before that had not played a home playoff game since 1999. The Rock went 3-1 at home between 1997-99 in three straight playoff appearances. SRU has not lost a home playoff game before the semifinal round since 1999.
 
PLAYOFF HISTORY AGAINST PSAC TEAMS
Of Slippery Rock's 22 NCAA Division II Playoff games, only seven have come against current PSAC institutions and only five of those seven were against teams that were in the PSAC at the time of the meeting. The Rock are 2-2 all-time against Shepherd with two of those meetings coming since the Rams joined the PSAC in 2019. SRU is 1-1 in those two games with a win in 2019 and a loss in 2022. SRU is 1-0 against East Stroudsburg after the round one win this year. Other than that, SRU is 0-2 against the rest of the PSAC in the postseason with a loss to IUP and a loss to West Chester for an overall record of 3-4 against current PSAC schools in the postseason.
 
LAST MEETING – THREE WEEKS AGO
Simply put, Kutztown dominated SRU in Kutztown three weeks ago to win the PSAC title with a 31-7 win. The Rock came out flat, turned the ball over a season-high three times and never got anything going offensively while struggling to get off the field on defense. The Rock were held under 300 yards for the first time all season and were limited to just 229 yards of offense, the lowest output in a game since Oct. 28, 2017. The seven points scored were the fewest points in a game since Oct. 16, 2010 when SRU scored three against Cal (Pa.). It was the first game all season with no takeaways and the first game all season with three or more turnovers. SRU more than doubled its season total for interceptions with three picks thrown, allowed a season-high 275 rushing yards, rushed for a season-low 47 yards and had the ball for 17 minutes less than Kutztown in the time of possession battle. KU had more first downs rushing (17) than SRU had total (16). Darryl Davis-McNeil was named the MVP after rushing for 146 yards and two TD while QB Judd Novak threw for 137 yards and two scores and ran for 80 yards.
 
LAST WEEK FOR SRU
Slippery Rock used a 24-0 run in the second and third quarters to break the game open and came away with a 45-35 win on the road at No. 1 seed Tiffin, which entered the game at 11-0. The Dragons had the No. 5 scoring defense in the country, allowing just over 13 points per game, but could not solve the SRU offense as The Rock put together a balanced attack with 219 rushing yards and 239 passing yards with no turnovers. Brayden Long was 16-of-23 for 191 yards with one TD. Kyle Sheets had seven catches for 82 yards with one TD while also throwing a 48-yard pass and intercepting a pass on defense. Cohen Russell had 85 receiving yards. Chris D'Or (89 yards, 2 TD), Khalid Dorsey (70 yards, 1 TD) and Isaiah Edwards (46 yards, 1 TD) all found the end zone in the rushing game. Josh Stokes led the defense with 10 total tackle and two pass breakups.
 
 
LAST WEEK FOR KUTZTOWN
Kutztown erased a 14-point deficit in the final 4:38 and scored 15 points in that stretch to shock No. 2 seed Charleston with a 32-31 comeback win on the road. The Bears returned a kickoff 76 yards to the one to set up a touchdown with 4:38 to play and rather than kicking the PAT to make it a 7-point game, elected to go for a 2-point conversion. They ran the "Philly Special" pass to the QB to convert the 2-point try and then intercepted Charleston on the next possession and marched down the field to score the game-winning TD with a QB draw from Judd Novak with 1:21 to play. Charleston got close enough to attempt a 51-yard field goal on the final play for the win, but the kick fell short.  Charleston outgained Kutztown 388-314 with KU rushing for 208 yards and throwing for 106 yards and UC rushing for 175 yards and throwing for 213 yards. Novak tossed two TD and one INT and ran for 68 yards and one TD. Darryl Davis-McNeil ran for 102 yards and one TD.
 
HRYCKOWIAN NATIONAL FINALIST FOR UPSHAW AWARD  |  Full Release
SRU left tackle Yuriy Hryckowian was named this week as one of the eight national finalists for the 2023 Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year award.  SRU has now had a national finalist for the Upshaw Trophy in four straight years and eight of the last nine seasons. The Rock won the award twice with Brandon Fusco in 2010 and Marcus Martin in 2017. Hryckowian has started every game this season at left tackle and is the highest graded offensive lineman on a team with four All-PSAC linemen. In 13 games this season, he has not allowed a single sack while helping SRU rank fifth in the nation in fewest tackles for loss allowed. The other finalists this year are Shane Bumgardner (C, Tiffin), Ty Cobb (OT, Bemidji State), Loobert Denelus (De, Benedict), Marquise Fleming (DE, Wingate), Levi Johnson (OT, Colorado Mines), Chrisian McCarroll (DE, Grand Valley State) and Dakari Streeter (DE, Missouri Western). Hryckowian, Johnson and McCarroll are all still playing.
 
LONG NAMED FINALIST FOR HARLON HILL TROPHY  |  Full Release
QB Brayden Long was named as one of the nine national finalists for the 2023 Harlon Hill Trophy, which is presented to the Division II Football Player of the Year. Long becomes the sixth finalist in SRU history, which is tied for the eighth-most finalists among all schools in the country. He ranks fifth in Division II in most points responsible for (240), fifth in touchdown passes (35), sixth in passing yards (3,486), sixth in completion percentage (68.6%) and seventh in passing efficiency rating (166.4). The other finalists are RB Michael Herzog from Hillsdale, QB Patrick Shegog from Delta State, QB Sammy Edwards from Valdosta State, QB Zach Zebrowski from Central Missouri, QB Gage Porter from Southern Nazarene, QB Braden Gleason from Emporia State, QB John Matocha from Colorado School of Mines (2022 winner) and DB Tanner Volk from Central Washington. Long, Matocha, Edwards and Volk are the only four finalists still playing.
 
LONG HEADLINES SEVEN ALL-REGION SELECTIONS  |  Full Release
Slippery Rock led all teams in Super Region One with seven All-Region selections to the DIvision II Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA) All-Region team that was annoucned this week, headlined by QB Brayden Long being named the SR1 Offensive Player of the Year and the first team QB. Long was joined in earning first team All-Region honors by WR Kyle Sheets, OL Yuriy Hryckowian, DB Josh Stokes and DB Eddie Faulkner IV. SRU also landed TE Kam Kruzelyak and OL Colton Rossi on the second team. Tiffin ranked second in the region with five All-Region selections, folllowed by Charleston with four and Kutztown, Bentley and Findlay with three each.
 
LONG, LUTZ WIN PSAC MAJOR AWARDS
Slippery Rock QB Brayden Long was named the PSAC West Offensive Athlete of the Year and head coach Shawn Lutz was named the PSAC West Coach of the Year when the league announced the All-PSAC teams. Long led the PSAC in every passing category this year on his way to becoming the second SRU QB in the last four seasons to be named Athlete of the Year. He joins Roland Rivers III (2019), Nigel Barksdale (2013) and Randy McKavish (1997, 1998, 2000) as SRU QBs that were named PSAC Athletes of the Year. Shawn Lutz picked up his third Coach of the Year award since 2018.
 
LONG IS ONLY PSAC PLAYER TO BE CHAMPION SCHOLAR & AOY
Brayden Long is the only PSAC football player to ever be named the PSAC Champion Scholar Award winner (highest GPA in PSAC title game) and be named as one of the conference's Athletes of the Year in the same season. Long owns a perfect 4.0 GPA after 102 credits in the SRU sport management major.
 
53RD STRAIGHT RANKED GAME
Slippery Rock will play its 53rd consecutive game as a ranked team this week. The Rock have appeared in every AFCA national poll since the final poll of the 2018 season. The last poll released that did not include SRU in the top 25 was Nov. 13, 2018.
 
PSAC WEST CHAMPIONS AGAIN
Slippery Rock won a fifth straight PSAC West title this year after posting a 7-0 record in the division and has lost just two PSAC Western Division games since Oct. 21, 2017. The Rock are 35-2 against the Division since then, including 33-2 since the beginning of 2018. The last time SRU didn't claim at least a share of the PSAC West title was 2017. The Rock have won or at least shared nine of the 12 PSAC West titles dating back to 2011, easily leading all programs in the Division.
 
NO CLOSE GAMES
Every game SRU has played in this year has been decided by at least two possessions. The closest final score all year was last week's 10-point win at Tiffin, which was one point closer than the season opening 28-17 win over Wayne State. After that, The Rock won nine straight games by at least 21 points before losing in the PSAC title game by 24 points and bouncing back to beat ESU by 31 points in the first round of the playoffs. SRU has scored at least 42 points in 10 of 13 games this season.
 
THIRD QUARTERS HAVE BEEN KEY
Slippery Rock is outscoring opponents 153-20 in the third quarter this year, scoring an average of 11.8 points per game in the third period and limiting opponents to just 1.5 points.
 
MIDDLE OF GAMES BELONG TO SRU
Slippery Rock is outscoring opponents 181-82 in the second quarter and 153-20 in the third quarter for a combined advantage of 334-102 over the second and third quarters this season. 
 
TWO FIELD GOALS IN A ROW!
Entering the playoffs, Slippery Rock was one of only two total Division II teams and the only playoff team that had not made a single field goal all season. The Rock had only attempted three field goals the first 11 weeks and had two of those blocked. SRU made a switch at kicker and inserted Mason Yohn as the placekicker entering the playoffs. Yohn knocked home a 28-yarder against ESU and a 21-yarder last week at Tiffin and is now 2-for-2 on field goals and 12-for-12 on PAT kicks the last two weeks.
 
PAT RECORD IN JEOPARDY
SRU has made 77 PAT kicks this year and is just two shy of the program's single-season record of 79 made PAT kicks, which was set during the 2019 season when The Rock scored a program record 87 touchdowns. This year's team enters the quarterfinals with 79 touchdowns on the year.
 
HUGE POINT SWINGS FOR 11 STRAIGHT GAMES
Each of the last 11 games SRU has played in have featured a scoring run of at least 24-0. SRU put together runs of at least 25-0 in eight consecutive games on the way to a 10-0 start to the season before Kutztown opened week 11 on a 31-0 run. The Rock responded from that by going on 24-0 runs in each round of the playoffs so far.  
 
THIRD DOWN OFFENSE
Slippery Rock enters this week ranked No. 3 in all of Division II in terms of third down offense, converting on 57 percent of its third down attempts on the season. The Rock are 87-of-153 on third down this year. SRU also ranks third nationally in total first downs with 309.
 
ROCK OFFENSE IN THE NATIONAL RANKS
Slippery Rock enters this week with one of the highest-ranked offensive units in the nation. The Rock rank third in Division II in third down conversions (57%), third in first downs (309), fourth in completion percentage (69%), fifth in passing efficiency (169.0), fifth in fewest tackles for loss allowed (3.69 per game), eighth in scoring offense (42.8 ppg), ninth in total offense (463.6 ypg), ninth in red zone offense (89%), 10th in fewest passes intercepted (5) and 10th in passing offense (278.2 ypg).
 
SCORING DRIVE FACTS AND FIGURES
The Rock have scored 35 touchdowns this season on drives that lasted 2:04 or less, including 25 touchdown drives that took 80 seconds or less. SRU has scored touchdowns on 31 different drives that were at least 75 yards and six different drives that went more than 90 yards.
 
LONG'S NUMBERS AMONG BEST QBS IN NATION
QB Brayden Long leads Super Region One in every notable passing category and ranks fifth in Division II in points responsible for (240), fifth in touchdown passes (35), sixth in passing yards (3,486), sixth in completion percentage (68.6%) and seventh in passing efficiency (166.4).
 
LONG MOVING UP SINGLE-SEASON RECORD BOOK
Brayden Long's numbers this season rank second in SRU single-season history in TD passes (35), second in completions (279), fourth in passing yards (3,486) and third in total offense (3,544). He is the sixth SRU QB in program history to throw for more than 3,000 yards in a season, the fifth QB in program history to throw 30 or more TD passes in a season and the third player in SRU history to go for more than 3,500 total offensive yards in a season.
 
LONG IN CAREER RECORD BOOK ALREADY
Brayden Long has only started 14 games at SRU and already has his sights set on the career top 10 lists at SRU. He enters this week ranked 10th all-time at The Rock in passing yards (3,735) and seventh in passing touchdowns (36). Long is also the most accurate passer in SRU history among any players with at least 10 starts at the QB position, completing 67.5 percent (305-of-452) of his passes with just five interceptions on 452 career attempts.
 
SHEETS AND RUSSELL BOTH OVER 1,000 YARDS
Kyle Sheets has 1,158 receiving yards this season to rank sixth in Division II and Cohen Russell has 1,031 receiving yards to rank 10th in the nation. They are the second duo of SRU receivers to top 1,000 yards in the same season, joining Henry Litwin (1,509) and Jermaine Wynn Jr. (1,339) from 2019.
 
SHEETS AMONG BEST RECEIVERS IN NATION
Kyle Sheets was injured on the third play in week one and did not return, finishing with no catches and missing the entire game. He returned in week two and since then has caught 73 passes for 1,158 yards and 17 touchdowns in 12 games. His 17 TD catches are the third most among all players in Division II and rank second all-time at SRU, behind only the 21 by his former high school teammate Henry Litwin in 2019. Despite missing that first game, he still ranks third in the nation in TD catches (17), sixth in receiving yards (1,158), 10th in total touchdowns scored (17) and 14th in receiving yards per game (89.1), even with his per-game averages reflecting the first game.
 
SHEETS CLIMBING SRU RECORD BOOKS
Kyle Sheets enters this week ranked third all-time at SRU in touchdown catches (29), fifth in receiving yards (2,412) and seventh in receptions (151). His numbers this fall, all of which came in the last 12 games, already rank No. 2 in single-season history at SRU in TD catches (17) and No. 7 in yards (1,158).
 
RUSSELL WITH CATCHES IN 26 STRAIGHT GAMES
Slot receiver Cohen Russell has at least one catch in every game since the opener in 2022 for a streak of 26 straight games with a catch entering this week. He enters this week ranked ninth in single-season history at SRU with 1,031 yards this fall. His 1,728 career receiving yards rank 12th all-time at SRU.
 
KUDLA OVER 300 CAREER TACKLES
LB Kyle Kudla enters this week ranked No. 8 among all active players in Division II with 310 career tackles. That number is the most among all active players in Super Region One. He currently leads SRU with 92 total tackles, including 8.5 TFL.
 
DORSEY AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS
RB Khalid Dorsey enters this week ranked eighth in Division II in average yards per carry at 6.80 yards per rush. Dorsey leads SRU with 931 rushing yards and 11 TD on just 137 carries. His 6.8 yards per carry are the highest average in the PSAC of any runners with at least 100 carries on the year. He is 69 yards shy of becoming the first SRU running back to hit 1,000 yards in a season since Wes Hills in 2018.
 
THREE-HEADED MONSTER IN BACKFIELD
Slippery Rock has one of the deepest running back stables in the region with Khalid Dorsey, Chris D'Or and Isaiah Edwards. The three running backs all average at least 5.8 yards per carry. Dorsey has 931 yards and averages 6.8 yards per touch, while D'Or has 688 yards and averages 6.2 yards per touch and Edwards has 506 yards and averages 5.8 yards per touch. The trio have combined for 2,125 rushing yards and 35 total touchdowns this fall.
 
EXPERIENCED OFFENSIVE LINE
All five of Slippery Rock's starting offensive linemen, Yuriy Hryckowian, Colton Rossi, Jeff Burkhart, Nick Stazer and Joe Cooper, have been honored as All-PSAC selections in their career, including four of them being named to this year's team. That unit has combined for a total of 133 career starts.
 
KICK IT TO KYLON
True freshman Kylon Wilson took a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown last week for the first kick return TD by an SRU player this season. Wilson now has two returns of 88 yards or longer and has vaulted all the way up to No. 5 in SRU single-season history with 623 kickoff return yards this season on just 22 return attempts. His 28.3 yards per return average ranks eighth among all players in Division II.
 
WE'VE PLAYED A LOT OF FOOTBALL
Slippery Rock will play its 67th game since the start of the 2018 season this week, which is more than any other Super Region One school. The Rock are averaging an impressive 11.0 wins per year over the last five seasons, all of which have resulted in trips to the NCAA Playoffs.
 
WINNING SEASONS STREAK
Slippery Rock has put together a winning season in each of the last 14 years, which ranks ninth among all Division II programs for the longest active winning seasons streak in the country. California (Pa.) (19) is the only Super Region One team with a longer active streak.
 
UP NEXT
The winner of this week's game will advance to the national semifinals where the four regional winners will be reseeded with seeding expected to be announced Saturday night. Provided the top seeds submitted hosting bids, the semifinal games will be hosted by the two highest seeded teams next Saturday, Dec. 9.
 




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