Highlights  |  Postgame Interview

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The 12th-ranked Slippery Rock University football team raced out to a 28-0 lead and never looked back on the way to a 42-21 win over rival Indiana University (Pa.) in a crucial early season Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division game Saturday night at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
 
The Rock improve to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in PSAC West action and move into the early driver's seat in the division after taking down preseason favorite IUP. The Crimson Hawks, which entered the game receiving votes in the coaches poll and ranked No. 18 in the D2football.com national poll, drop to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in division games.

Slippery Rock scored touchdowns on each of its first four offensive possessions, using a balanced attack on the ground and through the air. The Rock went 63 yards in nine plays on the opening drive with Isaiah Edwards rushing in from the one-yard line to make it 7-0 with 10:24 to play. Khalid Dorsey added to the tally with a two-yard run to cap an 81-yard drive that made it 14-0 with 2:13 to play in the first.
 
The Rock defense limited IUP's offense to just three total yards in the first quarter. SRU added to the lead early in the second when Brayden Long rushed in from the one-yard line to cap a 53-yard drive and make it 21-0 with 14:33 to play in the half.
 
It looked like IUP would stop the rally later in the quarter, but quarterback Karst Hunter was intercepted in the end zone by Selvin Haynes to stop a scoring threat. The Rock offense responded with an 80-yard scoring drive capped by a second rushing TD from Edwards to make it 28-0 with 7:53 to play in the first half.
 
The Crimson Hawks put together their first successful offensive drive late in the half and scored with a short TD run from Dayjure Stewart to make it 28-6 after the point after missed wide left.
 
Slippery Rock marched down the field with its fifth possession of the half and tried a 47-yard field goal with 10 seconds left, but the kick was blocked and recovered by IUP. A 22-yard return set up a hail mary attempt by the Hawks on the final play of the half, which was unsuccessful.
 
The Rock put up more than 300 yards of total offense in the first half against an IUP defense that entered the game allowing just 249.0 yards per game to rank first in the PSAC. SRU put the game out of reach in the third quarter after Josh Stokes picked off his fourth pass of the year and returned it near midfield. Dorsey broke free for a 45-yard TD on the next play to make it 35-6 with 13:30 to play in the third.
 
IUP rallied late in the game, recording 164 of its 348 total yards in the fourth quarter and tallying touchdowns on back-to-back drives to make it 35-21 with 7:05 to play, but Slippery Rock slammed the door on the next series.
 
After IUP tried an onside kick that SRU recovered, Brayden Long connected with Kyle Sheets on a deep ball over the top that put The Rock in the red zone and set up a third rushing TD from Dorsey to make it 42-21 with 6:09 to play.
 
Hunter was picked off by Eddie Faulkner IV for the third interception of the game late in the quarter to seal the victory.
 
The Rock finished the night with a 485-348 advantage in total offense after throwing for 277 yards and rushing for 208 yards. IUP ran for 217 yards, but threw for just 131 yards and was limited to 11 completions on 23 attempts with no TD passes and three interceptions.
 
Long was nearly flawless for SRU, completing 18-of-23 passes for 277 yards with no interceptions while also rushing for one TD. Sheets caught five passes for 131 yards and Cohen Russell grabbed five passes for 86 yards.
 
Dorsey racked up 123 rushing yards and three touchdowns on just 15 carries. Edwards added 31 yards and two TDs and Chris D'Or ran for 54 yards on 11 carries. As a team, The Rock averaged 5.0 yards per carry against the league's top-ranked defense.
 
Jalen Dangerfield led the SRU defense with 12 total tackles and a half-sack. Kyle Kudla added 10 tackles and Cottrell Hatchett recorded seven tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Stokes added six tackles and one interception, Jake Miller had five tackles and a half-TFL and Haynes added five tackles and one pick. Munchie Johnson only tallied two tackles, but was impactful all night and finished with three QB hurries.
 
Hunter completed 11-of-23 passes for 131 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions. He also rushed for 88 yards and two touchdowns. Stewart finished with 89 rushing yards and one TD. Quinn Zinobile was the leading receiver for IUP with four catches for 64 yards.
 
Slippery Rock won its 32nd consecutive night game after going 4-0 at home in night games in the month of September. The Rock will now turn their focus to back-to-back road games in Erie with trips to Mercyhurst Oct. 7 and Gannon Oct. 14.
 
GAME NOTES: Slippery Rock improved to 5-0 for the third time in the last four seasons … SRU won its 32nd straight night game and has not lost a game that kicked at 4 p.m. or later since Sept. 29, 2012 … SRU won its 26th straight home night game and improved to 34-1 in home night games since 2010 … SRU snapped a two-game skid in the series against IUP and is now 6-5 in the last 11 and 9-8 in the last 17 meetings with the Crimson Hawks … SRU played its 44th straight game as a ranked opponent … SRU improved to 30-2 against the PSAC West in its last 32 divisional games … IUP entered the game as preseason favorites in the PSAC West preseason coaches poll, while SRU was picked second … the 21-point margin of victory was SRU's largest over IUP since a 42-16 win in 2013 … Kyle Sheets had his third 100+ yard receiving game in the last four weeks and now has 549 receiving yards in the last four weeks … Khalid Dorsey rushed for an SRU career-high 123 yards and 3 TDs … Dorsey is the first SRU running back with three TDs in a game since Wes Hills had three at New Haven in the NCAA playoffs in 2018 … Dorsey and Isaiah Edwards (2 TD) became the first SRU duo to rush for at least two TDs in a game since Roland Rivers III and Braden Fochtman ran for two each against Millersville in week three of the 2018 season … SRU rushed for more than 200 yards for the third time this season … Jalen Dangerfield had a career-high 12 tackles … Josh Stokes intercepted his fourth pass of the season … Shawn Lutz improved to 63-17 as SRU head coach … SRU entered the game ranked 153rd out of 161 teams in Division II in total penalty yards, but took just four penalties for 40 yards against IUP … IUP took only two penalties for 24 yards … SRU wore new all-black uniforms for the first time ever.
 
 

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