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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The 25th-ranked Slippery Rock University football team scored 20 points in the second half to rally for a 30-27 Homecoming win over rival Indiana University (Pa.) Saturday in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division game from Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
 
The Rock pick up their third straight win in the series against IUP and improve to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the PSAC West with the win, while IUP slips to 4-2 overall and picks up their first divisional loss to drop to 2-1 in the PSAC West.
 
It looked like the game was headed for a shootout after both teams scored with ease on their opening drives with IUP putting together a long drive to go up 7-0 and The Rock responding with a 75-yard touchdown run from JayJay Jordan on their first offensive play, but the defenses settled in and delivered another classic slugfest in the 99th meeting of one of the top rivalries in Division II.
 
Indiana used stellar defense and timely third down conversions on offense to score 10 points in the last 2:20 of the second quarter to open up a 20-10 lead at halftime.
 
The Rock cut into the deficit late in the third quarter after DaOne Owens connected with John Sabo on a 37-yard completion that set up a one-yard TD plunge from Owens that made it 20-16 with 4:55 to play in the third.
 
Slippery Rock took its first lead of the game less than two minutes later after Carmen Metcalfe pulled down his first career interception to set up a short field. Owens broke free for a 24-yard touchdown run on the next play to put SRU up 23-20 with 3:21 to play in the third.
 
IUP responded less than two minutes later after taking advantage of a missed opportunity by the SRU defense. On second and long, a pass over the middle went in and out of the hands of an SRU linebacker for what looked like a sure-thing interception. On the next play, IUP hit a 65-yard pass over the middle to set up a short TD run to retake the lead, 27-23 with 1:34 to play in the third.
 
Slippery Rock regained the lead on its next series after a 61-yard drive that was capped by a 24-yard touchdown pass from Owens to Xander McClure that put The Rock up 30-27 with 12:48 to play.
 
The Crimson Hawks moved down into SRU territory on their next series before a drive stalled out near midfield and forced a punt, which was downed at the six-yard line with 8:21 to play. The visitors would never get the ball back after The Rock offense ate up the final 8:21 with a 15-play drive to seal the win.
 
IUP committed numerous costly errors on the final SRU drive, taking three personal foul penalties for 45 yards and an offside call for 50 penalty yards on the drive. Two of the personal fouls were facemask penalties on tackles and the third was a roughing the kicker call when a defender hit punter Kevin Roberts with under two minutes to play on a punt that would have given the ball back to IUP with a chance at a game-tying or game-winning drive. Instead, the penalty gave SRU a first down and allowed The Rock to run out the clock for the win.
 
IUP finished the game with a 349-326 advantage in total offense after throwing for 233 yards and rushing for 116 yards. The Rock ran for 143 yards and threw for 183 yards against the nation's top-ranked total defense. Slippery Rock limited IUP QB Matthew Rueve to 15-of-33 for 233 yards with no touchdowns and one interception after Rueve entered the game ranked No. 1 among all NCAA quarterbacks from any level in passer rating while completing 76 percent of his passes. The Rock also held pro prospect wide receiver Maurice Massey to three catches for 62 yards and no touchdowns on 12 targets.
 
Owens ran for two touchdowns and completed 11-of-19 passes for 183 yards with one TD and no interceptions. The Rock offense did not turn the ball over once with the only giveaway of the day coming on a muffed punt in the first half.
 
Jordan finished the game with 99 rushing yards and one TD on 20 carries to go along with two catches for 34 yards. Quentin Harrison rushed for 31 yards on five carries as both of SRU's backs averaged 5.0 yards per carry or better.
 
Sabo caught three passes for 58 yards, Latrell Sutton grabbed three passes for 50 yards and McClure snagged the 24-yard touchdown pass that stood as the game-winner.
 
Michael Henwood led the SRU defense with seven tackles, while Teddy Gregory Jr., Elijah Halley, Nick Frisco and Tyler Cain were all credited with five stops. Cain, Kanye Thompson and Evan Harper each had one sack and Halley and Frisco combined for a sack. Halley finished with a team-high 1.5 tackles for loss, while Thompson broke up two passes and forced one fumble. Henwood, Gregory and Ben Lane also broke up two passes each as The Rock finished with 10 pass breakups to go along with Metcalfe's interception.
 
IUP's running back tandem of Leon Parson and Tavion Banks were both productive with Parson rushing for 54 yards and one TD and Banks running for 37 yards and one score. Rueve also ran for 18 yards and one TD on top of his passing efforts. Connor Shamany led the receivers with four grabs for 96 yards.
 
Slippery Rock will now get a much-needed bye week to nurse a lengthy list of injuries that have stacked up over the last four games. The Rock return to action at home Nov. 1 against Clarion with a 1 p.m. kickoff in the final regular season home game of the year.
 
GAME NOTES: Slippery Rock won its third straight game in the series against IUP and has now won five of the last seven and eight of the last 12 games in the series … The Rock improve to 9-8-1 in Homecoming games when IUP is the opponent … IUP's 18 Homecoming games at SRU make it the most frequent Homecoming opponent for The Rock … SRU won its fourth straight Homecoming game and improved to 18-4 in its last 22 Homecoming games … SRU is now 42-5 against the PSAC West dating back to October of 2017 … Shawn Lutz improves to 87-23 as SRU head coach … Slippery Rock's first quarter touchdown marked the first points IUP had allowed in the first quarter all year … SRU held IUP to 233 passing yards when the Hawks entered the game averaging 353 passing yards ... The Rock defense held IUP QB Matthew Rueve to under 50 percent completions (15-of-33) after Rueve entered the day completing 76 percent of his passes on the season. 
 
  


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