For the second straight season, Slippery Rock does not control its destiny in terms of earning a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship and coveted berth in the NCAA Division II postseason.
And, like a year ago, coach Shawn Lutz is hoping the Rock’s current second-half surge will lead to a long national postseason run.
Freshman quarterback DaOne Owens completed 19 of 34 passes for 229 yard and two scores, while running back JayJay Jordan carried the football 19 times for 176 yards and a 67-yard rushing touchdown on his team’s first play from scrimmage to lead No. 22 Slippery Rock to a 42-23 victory over Clarion in a critical PSAC West Division game Saturday afternoon at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
It is the third consecutive win for the Rock (6-2, 3-2), which outscored the Golden Eagles (6-3, 2-3) in the second half, 21-6, and racked up 481 yards of offense on the game.
Prior to its current winning streak, Slippery Rock suffered upset losses in consecutive weeks at the hands of California University of Pennsylvania and Gannon.
“I’m just proud of the guys and the way they fought and the way they keep coming back,” said Lutz, now in his 10th season leading the Butler County university’s football program.
Lutz’s team may just be facing its toughest battle to date next week.
Slippery Rock will wrap up PSAC West play when it travels to face second-place Edinboro (5-4, 4-1) at noon Nov. 8 at Sox Harrison Stadium.
A victory over the Fighting Scots — paired with a Clarion win over first-place Indiana University of Pennsylvania (6-2, 4-1) next week — would hand the Rock a PSAC West title and a date with the nation’s third-ranked team, Kutztown (9-0, 5-0), in the conference title game at noon Nov. 15 at Andre Reed Stadium in Kutztown.
“Play every game like it’s your last,” said redshirt senior defensive back Michael Henwood, whose 53-yard fourth-quarter interception return for a touchdown sealed Saturday’s win over Clarion. “That’s how we always do it, that’s what we always preach, but it really is the truth right now. If we lose one more game, we’re out of the playoffs. If we get in the playoffs, we lose — it’s done.
“Honestly, it just never changes here,” he added. “We love winning. It’s all we know. We’ll die out there if we have to. We’re going to win that game.”
If the stars fail to align for the Rock to play in the PSAC championship game, they will have to hope for an at-large bid into the NCAA playoffs. A season ago, Slippery Rock earned an at-large bid after losing a midseason game to California and advanced as far as the NCAA semifinals where it blew a second-half lead before falling to eventual national champion Ferris State.
“It’s in the back of our mind, but we’re a national-playoff team,” Jordan said. “We want to get to the big stage, that’s what we’ve got our eyes on. Whatever happens, happens. It’s another fight in our book.”
Slippery Rock got plenty of fight from Clarion early on.
The teams traded two touchdown drives apiece and combined for 310 yards of total offense during a fast-placed first quarter.
Clarion quarterback Jase Ferguson threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Ray Jackson before connecting with Dominick Thomas for an 11-yard scoring strike in the first quarter.
After Jordan’s touchdown run highlighted a one-play opening drive, Cory Butts rushed for a 6-yard touchdown on a fake field goal for the Rock to tie the score at 14-14 with 1:09 left in a wild opening quarter.
“Everything was hitting on all cylinders,” said Clarion coach Raymond Monica after his team dropped its eighth straight game to Slippery Rock. “Jase did a nice job.”
Although Clarion kicker Andrew Kurtas would convert on a 44-yard field goal to hand the Golden Eagles a 17-14 lead with 7:54 left in the second quarter, Slippery Rock would then take control of the contest.
Owens led the Rock on an 18-play 80-yard drive, which took 6:57 off the clock. The drive culminated with left tackle Joe Cooper lining up in the backfield to take a hand off in a short-yardage formation before plunging into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown run with 51 seconds left in the first half.
“I just think we played really good situational football,” Lutz said.
And that continued in the second half, as Owens connected with wide receiver Xander McClure for a 13-yard touchdown pass to make the Rock lead 28-17 with 8:57 left in the third quarter following a 10-play 76-yard drive.
When Clarion then cut its deficit to 28-23 with 9:06 left in the game, Slippery Rock responded with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Owens to Latrell Sutton before Henwood iced the game with his pick-six.
McClure finished with six catches for 85 yards, while Sutton chipped in five receptions for 73 yards.
Monica said his defense had trouble matching Slippery Rock’s athleticism on offense.
“I think it’s more at the skill level with the running back and quarterback,” Monica said. “You’ve got a horse, right? He’s faster than the other horse, right? Who wins? I’m just asking. [Jordan is] faster than most people in this league.”
Lutz said he feels like his offense is beginning to hit its stride.
“If we have balance like that, that’s a killer,” Lutz said. “When it gets late in the year like this, the weather changes, it’s going to get cold, you’ve got to be able to run the football. I like that. I thought we hit some big third downs.”
IUP passing attack rolls to comfortable win over Gannon
Quarterback Matthew Rueve threw for 356 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, while also rushing for another score, as IUP never trailed en route to earning a comfortable 26-6 victory over Gannon in a PSAC West Division contest Saturday afternoon at George P. Miller Stadium in Indiana.
The Crimson Hawks outgained the Golden Knights (1-8, 1-4), 356-176, led by wide receiver Maurice Massey, who amassed eight catches for 119 yards.
Wide receiver Devin Whitlock, a Belle Vernon native and Pitt transfer, caught nine passes for 78 yards and a touchdown for IUP, while Jeremiah Coleman also caught four passes for 52 yards and a score.
California knocks off No. 24 Frostburg State
California University of Pennsylvania scored touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams Saturday afternoon before hanging on to knock off visiting No. 24 Frostburg State, 31-26, at Adamson Stadium for its third win over a nationally ranked opponent this season.
The Vulcans (6-3, 2-3), who are looking to earn a second straight trip to the NCAA postseason, earned a critical win over the Mountain East Conference power Bobcats (7-2, 5-1) to go along with victories over Slippery Rock and Charleston, West Virginia, earlier this season. The Rock was the fourth-ranked team in the nation when it lost to the Vulcans, while Charleston was No. 12.
Running back Kendrick Agenor rushed for 99 yards and two touchdowns for California, which also got a 42-yard interception return for a score from sophomore linebacker Malachi Thomas and an 87-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from Woodland Hills product Deontae Williams.
Freshman quarterback Tanner Pfeuffer, a Bethel Park product, threw for 117 yards and two interceptions for Frostburg State but also rushed for a 20-yard fourth-quarter touchdown to make the Bobcats’ deficit just five points with 2:02 left in the game.
Seton Hill struggles to find end zone despite outgaining Edinboro in loss
Seton Hill outgained Edinboro by 163 yards of total offense but found the end zone only once Saturday afternoon to suffer a 22-6 loss in its final home game of the season at Offutt Field in Greensburg.
The Griffins (4-6, 2-4) racked up 336 yards of offense in the PSAC West Division game against the Fighting Scots, led by quarterbacks Boden St. Marie and Darrian Carter.
St. Marie threw for 124 yards, while Carter threw for 114 yards and a 63-yard touchdown pass to Julian Jordan midway through the fourth quarter.
Seton Hill running back Ky’Ron Craggette, a Connellsville native, rushed for 69 yards, while Carter added 28 on the ground.
The Griffins defense held Edinboro to just 173 yards of offense, 19 yards through the air, but running back Caron Robinson rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown, while quarterback Nico Marchitelli rushed for 16 yards and a score.
Carnegie Mellon bounces back on the road with rout of Dickinson
Joey McGinnis IV completed 25 of 32 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for a team-high 121 yards and a score to lead Carnegie Mellon to a 70-29 rout of host Dickinson in a Centennial Conference contest at Biddie Field Complex Saturday afternoon in Carlisle.
Quarterback Mark Wamhoff also rushed for 9 yards and four touchdowns on just six carries for the Tartans (5-3, 3-2), operating out of coach Ryan Larsen’s short-yardage package, against the Red Devils (4-4, 2-3).
Running backs Shadrack Agyei and Jake Langdon also turned in identical 41-yard one-touchdown showings for Carnegie Mellon, while David Fred added 13 yards and a score on the ground.
Freshman wide receiver Carter Sheets caught nine passes for 118 yards and a touchdown for the Tartans, who played without leading receiver Brendan McCullough, who is a Peters Township product.
Carnegie Mellon will next host Franklin & Marshall (7-1, 5-0) in a critical conference game at Gesling Stadium in Oakland at noon Saturday.
Balanced W&J effort leads to coach Mike Sirianni’s 200th career victory
Quarterback Kellan Stahl threw for 184 yards and a touchdown, while running back Kobe Derosa racked up 107 yards and two scores to lead Washington & Jefferson to a 28-17 victory over Case Western Reserve in a Presidents’ Athletic Conference game Saturday night at Cameron Stadium in Washington.
Presidents coach Mike Sirianni earned his 200th career victory with the win over the Spartans. He is now the sixth active coach across all NCAA divisions with 200 wins.
Wide receiver John Peduzzi caught eight passes for 87 yards and a touchdown for W&J (6-2, 6-0), while running back Andrew Sharp, a Baldwin product, rushed for 73 yards and a score against Case Western (4-3, 4-2).
Grove City pounds Saint Vincent for fifth straight win
Running back Ian Demeri, a Penn-Trafford graduate, rushed for 37 yards and four touchdowns, while Chase Rankin chipped in 87 yards and a score and Eli Jones added 32 yards and a touchdown to lead Grove City to a 59-14 victory over visiting Saint Vincent Saturday afternoon at Robert E. Thorn Field.
It was the fifth straight PAC win for the Wolverines (6-2, 5-1), which racked up 375 yards of total offense against the Bearcats (2-6, 1-5) in their final home game of the season.
Grove City quarterback Ethan Wiley threw for 189 yards and two touchdowns. His favorite target was Seth McGroerty, who caught four passes for 70 yards and a touchdown, while Derrick Lambert also caught a 13-yard scoring strike.
Westminster offense rebounds from tough one-score loss with rout of Allegheny
Freshman quarterback Quentin Goode, an Aliquippa product, led Westminster to 562 yards of offense and a 57-21 win over Allegheny Saturday afternoon in a PAC contest at Harold Burry Stadium in New Wilmington.
The victory over the Gators (3-6, 3-4) came after the Titans (5-3, 4-2) offense was held to just one score in a 14-7 loss at Grove City a week ago.
Goode completed 15 of 25 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns and Clayton Cannon Jr. rushed for 105 yards and two scores for the Westminster offense, which rolled to 251 yards on the ground.
De’Mere White also rushed for 80 yards and a score for the Titans, while Jaxon Covell chipped in 33 rushing yards and a touchdown and Jake Miller grounded out 14 yards and a score.
Wide receiver Brite Cannon caught eight passes for 136 yards and a touchdown for Westminster, while Kristian Bailey racked up three catches for 60 yards and a score.
Waynesburg breaks up four-game losing skid with win over Bethany
Junior running back Carson Shriver carried the football 24 times for 228 yards and a touchdown as Waynesburg rushed for 355 yards and four scores en route to dispatching of host Bethany, W.Va., 48-28, Saturday afternoon in a PAC game at Bison Stadium.
Mutwali Stewart also rushed for 43 yards and two touchdowns against the Bisons (0-8, 0-6) to help the Yellow Jackets (3-6, 3-4) break up their four-game losing streak. Sophomore wide receiver Elija Jackson also rushed for 34 yards and a score for Waynesburg.
Thomas Burke III threw for 167 yards and two touchdowns for the Yellow Jackets. He completed three passes for 86 yards and a touchdown to Carmichaels product Tyler Richmond, while Isaiah Field made four catches for 36 yards and a score.
Robert Morris upsets Stonehill for second straight win
Robert Morris held host Stonehill scoreless in the second half and rallied for 10 points over the game’s final two quarters Saturday afternoon to emerge with a 20-17 Northeast Conference victory at W.B. Mason Stadium in Easton, Massachusetts.
Running back Ethan Shine rushed for a game-high 122 yards on 28 carries, but quarterback Zach Tanner came on strong in the second half lead the Colonials (3-6, 2-2) past the Skyhawks (3-6, 2-2) and to their second consecutive victory.
Tanner threw for 111 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. His 18-yard scoring strike to Richard Ransom with 9:41 left in the contest capped an 11-play 80-yard drive and held up as the game-winning score.
Chaz Middleton also caught three passes for 57 yards and a touchdown for Robert Morris.
Pitt travels across the country for ACC win at Stanford
Freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel threw for 304 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, while running back Ja’Kyrian Turner turned in a 127-yard showing on the ground, as Pitt cruised past Stanford, 35-20, Saturday in an Atlantic Coast Conference game at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California.
Wide receiver Kenny Johnson caught four passes for 71 yards and a touchdown for the Panthers (7-2, 5-1) against the Cardinal (3-6, 2-4), while Raphael Williams Jr. caught four passes for 37 yards and a score. Senior Jake Overman also caught a 14-yard touchdown pass for Pitt, which will follow its bye week with a Nov. 15 showdown against No. 10 Notre Dame (6-2) at Acrisure Stadium on the North Shore.
John is a copy editor and page designer at the Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at jsanta@unionprogress.com.