Photo Gallery (more photos will be added at a later date)

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University football team wrapped up spring practices Friday evening with the annual Green vs. White Spring Game, where the defense jumped out to a hot start and rolled to a 48-21 win.
 
The defense scored two fumble recovery touchdowns and returned a blocked punt for a touchdown to tally three total touchdowns in the game. The defense also earned three points for each three-and-out, two points for each sack and one point for each forced punt and missed field goal.
 
Both fumble recovery touchdowns were unforced errors by the offense with one dropped ball and one bad snap. Tyler Cain recovered one and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown and Brian Young Jr. picked up the other one and returned it 20 yards for a score.
 
The defense also blocked one punt with Brandon Ross blocking a punt and Tyree Johnson scooping it up and returning it 25 yards for a touchdown.
 
Elijah Halley led the defensive line with six total tackles, four tackles for loss and three sacks. Ben Lane finished with a game-high seven total tackles. Johnson added five stops and 1.5 tackles for loss and Nick Frisco tallied four tackles and one TFL. Mark Williams and Mehki Twillie each came up with one sack and Kanye Thompson blocked two kicks, one field goal attempt and one extra point.
 
The offense put up 284 total yards in a shortened game that featured 10-minute quarters, a running clock in the second half and a fourth quarter that was halted with about eight minutes left due to a brief thunderstorm. The offense ran for 153 yards and threw for 131 yards.
 
JayJay Jordan led the way on the ground with five carries for 93 yards and a touchdown, which was a 65-yard scamper on the first play of the second half. Quentin Harrison added five rushes for 50 yards and one TD to go along with one catch for 32 yards to finish with 82 total yards of offense. Eryck Moore-Watkins rushed for 30 yards on three carries and quarterback Anthony Vespo ran for 16 yards on three carries.

Vespo took most of the first team snaps and finished 6-of-12 for 51 yards with one TD and no interceptions in his SRU debut. David Bahm completed the lone pass he attempted for 32 yards. Brad Hoffman was 2-of-6 for 32 yards and DaOne Owens was 2-of-4 for 16 yards.
 
Carson Heckathorn caught the lone passing TD of the game with 14-yard score from Vespo in the first half. Fellow tight end Nas Jones grabbed a 26-yard pass, while Brandon Ross caught three passes for 22 yards and Xander McClure grabbed one 20-yard pass. Logan Ramper caught three passes for 14 yards to cap the top efforts of the receivers.
 
Nathan Pfennigwerth had the best numbers of the three kickers, averaging 39.5 yards per punt on two kicks and going 2-for-2 on PAT kicks.
 
Slippery Rock will now shift focus to the summer training period, where the incoming freshman class and a handful of transfers will join the team heading into preseason camp in August. The Rock will open the 2025 season on the road at the University of New Haven Thursday evening, Sept. 4.





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