SLIPPERY ROCK — Make no mistake.

After a rough start to this season, Slippery Rock University quarterback Don King III is playing like royalty.

The senior transfer from Sam Houston State — who had never started a collegiate football game before this year — completed 34 of 49 passes for 370 yards and three touchdowns Saturday night. The performance led to No. 10 SRU's 34-13 victory over Gannon in a mutual PSAC West opener at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.

King completed 40 percent of his passes — 27 of 63 — for only 272 yards in The Rock's first two games. He tossed four touchdown passes and five interceptions.

In his last two games, he has completed 67 of 98 passes — approximately 70 percent — for 781 yards, six TDs and no picks.

“You bring in any new quarterback, it takes a little while before he gets the offense down and feels comfortable with the guys he's playing with,” SRU coach Shawn Lutz said. “Don could always extend the play with his feet and I like that about him.

“Now he's settling in and making things work.”

And he's enjoying the job while doing so.

“I'm confident in every single guy I'm throwing the ball to,” King said. “For me, it's a matter of making my reads and finding the open receiver.

“We got off to a great start tonight, then I think we got a little complacent. We had a few three-and-outs and that's on me.”

King's 34 completions were one shy of tying SRU's single-game record of 35, set by John Linhart in 1992. He completed passes to 10 different players.

“We dropped a few passes tonight, too,” Lutz admitted.

After a turnover on the first series — Gannon's Mike Zanders returning a fumble 25 yards to the SRU 5-yard line — The Rock held the Golden Knights to a 27-yard Karch Holland field goal. Linebacker Anthony Zappone sacked quarterback Zach Phillips on third down to force the kick.

SRU (4-0, 1-0) scored on its next four possessions, netting three touchdowns and a field goal for a 24-3 lead with 11:125 left in the first half.

The Golden Knights trimmed the gap to 24-13 by halftime, but Holland missed field goal attempts of 36 yards twice. But Gannon squandered a possession near midfield in the second half and struggled in the passing game all night.

“We left a lot of points out there when we had a chance to get back in the game,” Gannon coach Brad Rzyczycki said.

The night was a study in frustration for the Gannon coach, who lost safeties Christian Carpenter and Dorian Jones to targeting violations and lost Phillips to a hard hit early in the third quarter.

When asked if he had any comment about the targeting calls, Rzyczycki hung his head and said: “Nope.”

SRU put the game away late in the fourth quarter when King found Marcus Johnson deep down theleft sideline for 36 yards, setting up a 16-yard TD toss to tight end Brian McNally.

McNally caught two touchdown passes on the night and Johnson had nine catches for 123 yards.

“Both teams struggled to run the ball,” Lutz said. “We were able to hit some passes downfield and they weren't. That was the difference in this game.”

Gannon's backup quarterback, Tyler Palka, connected on just two of 18 passes for 29 yards. He was intercepted by Zappone and Alfon Cook.

“We wanted to make them one-dimensional and force them to throw the ball,” Zappone said. “Our front line makes such a difference in the passing game.

“Our guys pressured (Palka) and rattled him. On my interception, he was under the gun and threw it right to me.”

Gannon rushed for 129 yards, but 59 came on one play — a 59-yard run up the middle by Marcus Jones for the Golden Knights' lone touchdown.

“We missed filling a gap on that play and their guy ran right through it,” Lutz said. “Besides that, our run defense was pretty staunch.”

The Rock's Shamar Greene rushed for 115 yards, giving him 4,201 for his career. He is 37 yards shy of cracking the PSAC's top 10 in all-time rushing yardage.

“I've got a lot of resopect for Shamar,” King said. “He and I talk in the backfield all the time. He took some hits tonight and kept on going. He's a great blocker in the pass game, too, and I really appreciate that.”

Notes: SRU travels to California (Pa.) to face another unbeaten foe at 1 p.m. Saturday. ... The Rock extended its home winning streak to 19 games. SRU's last home loss was the final game of the 2012 season. ... Zanders paced Gannon with 17 tackles. ... Zappone had 12 tackles, a sack and interception for SRU. ... The teams combined for 209 yards on 21 penalties.

[naviga:h3]SRU 34, Gannon 13[/naviga:h3]

Gannon 3 10 0 0 — 13

Slippery Rock 17 7 3 7 — 34

G SRU

15 First Downs 27

30-129 Rushes-Yards 47-128

173 Passing Yards 370

11-39-2 Comp.-Att.-Int 34-49-0

302 Total Yards 498

2-0 Fumbles-Lost 1-1

10-99 Penalty Yards 11-109

First Quarter

G — Karch Holland 27 field goal, 13:04

SRU — Brian McNally 4 pass from Don King III (Jake Chapla kick), 12:14

SRU — Marcus Johnson 6 pass from King III (Chapla kick), 6:31

SRU — Chapla 34 field goal, 1:43

Second Quarter

SRU — Dontez Rash 2 run (Chapla kick), 11:15

G — Marcus Jones 59 run (Holland kick), 8:58

G — Holland 40 field goal, :02

Third Quarter

SRU — Chapla 45 field goal, 3:42

Fourth Quarter

SRU — McNally 16 pass from King III (Chapla kick), 3:50

Individual Statistics

Rushing: Gannon, Marcus Jones 6-90, Nico Law 2-18, Tyler Johnson 7-11, Tyler Palka 8-6, Zach Phillips 7-4. SRU, Shamar Greene 21-115, Dominic Dingle 6-16, Dontez Rash 4-7, TEAM 1-(-2), Cornelius Raye 1-(-2), Don King III 14-(-6).

Passing: Gannon, Zach Phillips 9-20-144-0, Tyler Palka 2-18-29-2. SRU, Don King III 34-49-370-3.

Receiving: Gannon, Eli Quinter 5-66, Quad Law 3-29, Will Davis 1-34, Brendan Klemensic 1-3o, Nico Law 1-14. SRU, Marcus Johnson 9-123, Corneliuys Raye 9-88, Drew Scales 4-21, Taishan Tuicker 3-48, Zach Cirillo 2-26, Carnel Harley 2-24, Brian McNally 2-20, Dontez Rash 1-15, Leroy McClain 1-5, Shamar Greene 1-0.