SLIPPERY ROCK — A score and a stop.

Ultimately, that's what Slippery Rock University needed to put away PSAC East favorite and 24th-ranked West Chester Saturday night when the football teams met up at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.

And that's what it got.

Cornelius Raye caught a 23-yard touchdown pass with 2:35 to play and SRU's defense did not allow a yard in four plays on West Chester's final possession, giving The Rock a 49-42 victory.

The Golden Rams (1-1) had rallied from, a 42-21 third-quarter deficit, scoring on drives of 71, 83 and 33 yards covering three straight possessions to knot the game with 6:42 to play.

“I wasn't going to settle for a field goal on that last possession,” SRU coach Shawn Lutz said. “I felt like we needed a touchdown. I mean, we weren't stopping them.”

The Rock (2-0) marched 81 yards in nine plays for the winning score. On the only third down of the possession, Tanner Garry connected with Raye for 14 yards and a first down at the Rams' 30-yard line.

A pass interference penalty on the West Chester defender covering receiver Marcus Johnson set up the game-winning TD strike.

Raye and Johnson gave West Chester fits all night.

“If they double-team Marcus, I have to make plays. If they double-team me, he has to make plays,” Raye said. “That's the way we approach it.”

Raye wound up with five catches for 136 yards and two touchdowns, including an electrifying 90-yard TD catch over the middle that upped the count to 42-21.

Johnson caught five passes for 100 yards and a touchdown. He also scored on a 96-yard kickoff return and 47-yard punt return.

“I did that once before in high school,” Johnson said of scoring touchdowns three different ways in a game. “We're thinking end zone every time we get the ball in our hands.”

Garry has compiled 694 yards and nine touchdowns passing through two games— the first two collegiate starts of the senior's career.

“I guess you can say it was worth the wait,” Garry said. “I can't say enough about all of these guys out there playing around me. We're doing this as a unit.”

Nobody recognized that more than West Chester coach Bill Zwaan.

“Those two guys (Raye and Johnson) are a formidable tandem and will be for every team they play,” Zwaan said. “They have a guy who can get the ball to them and a line that gives him time to do it.

“They will be awfully tough for any team to stop.”

West Chester lost despite generating 25 first downs and a balanced offense that produced 237 yards rushing and 261 passing. Jarel Elder rushed for 148 yards and three touchdowns.

“We're young on defense and we're running out of bodies,” Lutz said. “We lost Kyle Hall tonight (knee) and (linebacker) Tim Vernick had to come out early with a sprained ankle.

“We're making mistakes. But we'll get better.”

The Rock forced four incompletions after scoring the go-ahead touchdown late.

“That showed me something,” Lutz said. “Our defense went back out after a tough night and showed they could close it out.”

Johnson agreed.

“We're nothing without them,” he said of the defense. “It takes every phase of the game to win.”

Special teams played a big part in this one.”

“This is a tough one to swallow,” Zwaan said. “Special teams were the difference. They scored twice on special teams and we got a holding penalty on almost every return we had.”

The Rams also missed a 38-yard field goal try on the final play of the first half.

“Special teams won this for us,” Lutz said. “That and all of the explosive plays we had. They were fantastic.”

Five of SRU's seven touchdowns were on plays of 23 yards or longer. A sixth — a 66-yard TD run by Isiah Neely — was wiped out by a holding penalty.

Notes: SRU has won 23 of its last 24 home games and its last 11 regular season games against PSAC East foes. ... West Chester was flagged 17 times for 162 yards. The Rams' 237 rushing yards were the most allowed by SRU since the 2013 PSAC title game. ... SRU defensive end Marcus Martin had 3.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss Saturday. He needs two sacks and one TFL to break the career Div. II records in both categories. ... SRU hosts Lock Haven at 6 p.m. this Saturday.

[naviga:h3]SRU 49, West Chester 42[/naviga:h3]

West Chester 0 21 7 14 — 42

Slippery Rock 7 21 14 7 — 49

WC SRU

25 First Downs 19

41-237 Rushes-Yards 30-90

261 Passing Yards 304

19-38-0 Comp.-Att.-Int 16-29-2

498 Total Yards 394

1-1 Fumbles-Lost 1-1

17-162 Penalty Yards 11-93

First Quarter

SRU — Brian McNally 8 pass from Tanner Garry (Jake Chapla kick), 8:12

Second Quarter

WC — Jarel Elder 3 run (George Lambritsios kick), 14:21

SRU — Marcus Johnson 96 kick return (Chapla kick), 14:08

SRU — Chacar Berry 43 run (Chapla kick), 11:40

WC — Tyler Karpinski 33 pass from Paul Dooley (Lambritsios kick), 5:09

WC — Rasheem James 4 pass from Dooley (Lambritsios kick), 1:08

SRU — Johnson 37 pass from Garry (Chapla kick), :29

Third Quarter

SRU — Johnson 47 punt return (Chapla kick), 11:40

SRU — Cornelius Raye 90 pass from Garry (Chapla kick), 7:27

WC — Elder 5 run (Lambritsios kick), 2:49

Fourth Quarter

WC — Elder 39 run (Lambritsios kick), 12:28

WC — James 2 pass from Dooley (John George kick), 6:42

SRU — Raye 23 pass from Garry (Chapla kick), 2:53

Individual Statistics

Rushing: West Chester, Jarel Elder 25-148, Paul Dooley 9-40, Mike Class 2-17, Mark Dukes 1-17, A.J. Long 4-15. SRU. Chacar Berry 7-56, Isiah Neely 17-49, TEAM 2-(-3), Tanner Garry 4-(-12).

Passing: West Chester, Paul Dooley 19-38-261-0. SRU, Tanner Garry 16-29-304-2.

Receiving: West Chester, Rasheem James 7-95, Tyler Karpinski 5-107, Marcus Sydnor 4-33, Jordan Banks 2-15, Elijah Hall 1-11. SRU, Cornelius Raye 5-136, Marcus Johnson 5-100, Carnel Harley 2-18, Austin Scott 1-35, Mike Merhaut 1-10, Brian McNally 1-8, Isiah Neely 1-(-3).