SLIPPERY ROCK - A stiff wind gave Slippery Rock University a solid start.

Fairmont State could dent neither Saturday night at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium.

The Rock (2-2) scored two touchdowns in the first five minutes and cruised to a 49-14 college football victory over the Falcons. The score was 42-0 with 12:28 left in the third quarter.

"That wind was strong and we definitely wanted to go with it," SRU coach George Mihalik said. "When it worked out that way, I truly believed our defense would stop them and we'd get the ball with a short field.

"That's exactly what happened."

The Falcons went three-and-out and their punt traveled just 14 yards, giving SRU a first down at the Fairmont 35-yard line. Four plays later, Josh Kniess scored on a 4-yard run.

Fairmont running back Jo Jo Parker lost 14 yards on an option play on the visitors' next possession, necessitating a punt from the Fairmont 15.

The wind knocked the ball down and sent it twisting toward the right sideline. Kniess picked it up and rambled 42 yards for a touchdown.

"The field was wide open," Kniess said. "There was nobody over there. That one was easy."

"We tried a long pass into that wind and the ball was pushed back 10 yards," Fairmont coach Rusty Elliott said. "It was tough trying to pass or punt into it.

"The wind had something to do with this outcome, but their talent had a lot more to do with it. This game was more about their Jimmy's and Joe's than our X's and O's."

The Rock rolled up 271 yards on 57 running plays - mostly with PSAC rushing leader Kniess watching from the sidelines.

While Kniess scored three touchdowns, he rushed for just 46 yards on 14 carries. Corey Manfull ran for 129 yards and a touchdown and Larvon Hines added 72 yards on the ground.

"Josh will continue to be our featured back and get his high 20's or low 30's carries a game," Mihalik said. "This was an opportunity to give him a break and get some other guys some action."

Already ahead 28-0 at the half, The Rock added two quick scores in the third quarter. Nate Crookshank completed a 67-yard bomb to Luke Wetzel one minute into the period.

"That was the most significant play of the game for us," Mihalik said. "We've been having those guys stay after practice to work on the deep passing game.

"That touchdown will do wonders for Nate's confidence. They only worked on passing for five minutes a practice at Georgia Southern. He has the arm, but this is all still fairly new to him."

Wetzel caught three passes on the day for a career-high 107 yards.

"That was a perfect ball," Wetzel said of the touchdown pass. "I got behind the defender and never had to break stride."

Moments later, SRU linebacker Greg Baker stepped in front of a screen pass and returned it 30 yards for a score.

"All I was thinking was, don't drop it, then secure the ball … then get going," Baker said.

The Falcons (1-2) suffered four turnovers to SRU's zero. Fairmont begins WVIAC league play Saturday at Shepherd.

"We'll play with a lot more confidence next week," Elliott said. "Slippery Rock's out of our league, but we played terrible today. We looked like a junior high school team."

The Rock defeated Fairmont for the 11th straight time and scored at least 34 points against the Falcons for the ninth consecutive time.

Notes:

SRU opens PSAC West play Saturday with a 1 p.m. game at Lock Haven. … H-Back Brandon Richardson dressed, but did not play for the second straight game. … Tight end Frank Cremonese caught his first collegiate TD pass. … The Rock extended its win streak vs. the PSAC to 15 games and is 33-8-1 all-time against West Virginia rivals.

Fairmont State 0 0 14 0-14Slippery Rock 14 14 21 0-49First QuarterSRU - Josh Kniess 4 run (Ryan Daniel kick), 12:40SRU - Kniess 42 punt return (Daniel kick), 10:24Second QuarterSRU - Frank Cremonese 3 pass from Nate Crookshank (Daniel kick), 13:14SRU - Kniess 9 run (Daniel kick), 1:08Third QuarterSRU - Luke Wetzel 67 pass from Crookshank (Daniel kick), 14:00SRU - Greg Baker 30 interception return (Daniel kick), 12:28FS - Jo Jo Parker 11 run (Tyler Bailey kick), 6:45SRU - Corey Manfull 3 run (Daniel kick), 3:05FS - Kyle Scherich 25 pass from Pat Morrison (Bailey kick), :55Individual StatisticsPassing: Fairmont State, Marlon Burnette 4-19-42-2, Pat Morrison 3-10-49-1. SRU, Nate Crookshank 6-13-125-0, A.J. Ruperto 2-2-13-0.Rushing: Fairmont State, Wendell Johnson 14-10, Jo Jo Parker 13-50, Marlon Burnette 4-(-30). SRU, Corey Manfull 18-129, Larvon Hines 17-72, Josh Kniess 14-46, Nate Crookshank 7-27.Receiving: Fairmont State, Kyle Scherich 2-34, Allen Jewell 2-28, Khalid Dover 2-20, Justin Llewellyn 1-9. SRU, Luke Wetzel 3-107, Frank Cremonese 2-9, Lamarr Jackson 1-10, Jarred Zeisloft 1-7.