INDIANA, Pa. — Brandon Rakszawski's first career interception played a big role in Slippery Rock University's 21-17 victory over Indiana (Pa.) Thursday night at Miller Stadium.

His last tackle played a huge one.

SRU's senior strong safety stopped receiver Anthony Rodriguez two yards short of the goal line after a 26-yard pass, giving IUPa first-and-goal with two seconds remaining and no timeouts.

As soon as the officials marked the ball ready for play, IUPquarterback Kevin Weidl's pass to Dan Pickens in the end zone skipped in front of the receiver and The Rock (7-3, 4-2) held on to the win.

The triumph was the 127th of SRUhead coach George Mihalik's career, breaking the late N. Kerr Thompson's school record.

"All I kept thinking was ... we can't lose this way. We just can't," Mihalik said. "That tackle at the 2-yard line was a game-saving play, literally."

Rakszawski figured he had made the game-saving play earlier when he intercepted a Weidl pass and returned it 15 yards to near midfield with 2:42 left in the game

But after three straight running plays by Travis Sarver and three straight timeouts burned by IUP, The Rock had to punt. Kyle Witman's 41-yard punt was downed at the IUP4-yard line with 1:50 remaining.

"I knew they were going to make a run at us,"Mihalik said."I just didn't think they'd get that close."

Pickens caught a 35-yard pass from Weidl to get the ball to midfield. Completions in the middle of the field to Ken Witter and Chris Morgan moved it to The Rock 28, where Weidl spiked the ball with eight seconds left.

Then came the completion deep down the middle to Rodriguez, who was denied the end zone by Rakszawski.

"The middle kept coming open and I kept going there,"Weidl said. "The coaching staff let me call the plays since we had no timeouts.

"In the last two minutes, you have no time to think. You just go."

Before IUP's final possession, the hosts had generated only one first down in the second half.

When IUP(7-2, 4-1) lined up for the game's final play, the SRUdefense still had its dime package on the field.

"I was scared to death they were going to run a dive play with (Chris)Morgan,"Rock defensive coordinator Shawn Lutz said. ""I don't know if we had the defense out there to stop it."

"Nobody had any time to do anything,"Mihalik said. "We had no time to change personnel, they had no time to call a play."

IUPcoach Lou Tepper saw two seconds on the clock. He needed three.

"It takes two seconds to spike the ball,"Tepper said. "If we had one more second, we would have spiked it and had time to call a play.

"I can't question the resolve of my team. Special teams are the reason we lost this game."

The punting game proved disastrous for Indiana.

IUPused a short field to take a 14-0 lead in the first quarter after SRUwent three-and-out twice and short punts against a stiff wind gave IUPpossessions at SRU's 47 and 41-yard lines.

The Rock had to punt a third time, but Rodriguez muffed it and The Rock's Akeem Etheridge recovered the ball at the IUP31. Demarcus Cleckley scored on a 3-yard run minutes later.

"That muffed punt was the turning point of the game,"Mihalik said. "They had all the momentum and we could not have afforded to fall behind 21-0."

IUP's next possession ended with a botched punt snap as Matt Schafer snapped the ball well over the punter's head. By the time Mike Rairigh retrieved the ball, he was tackled at the IUP4-yard line by Cory Lacek for a 43-yard loss.

Cleckley punched it in and the game was tied.

IUPput together a 16-play, 73-yard drive — aided by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after a third-down sack — and IUP's Nick Wallace booted a 27-yard field goal with 1:07 left in the half.

A low snap to punter Rairigh got him tackled by Jim D'Amico at the IUP22 early in the third quarter, but SRU's Ryan Daniel missed a 28-yard field goal attempt wide left.

"In my last four years of coaching, we haven't had a punt blocked or a punter trapped even once,"Tepper said. "Tonight, it happens twice. I've never seen Matt make a bad long snap."

SRU's Anthony Walls returned a punt 31 yards to the IUP 24-yard line moments later, and quarterback Nate Crookshank tossed an 11-yard scoring pass to Luke Wetzel with 6:40 left in the third quarter.

The points were the first allowed by IUPin the third quarter this season. And the points gave SRUthe lead for good.

And gave Mihalik, a native of nearby Ebensburg, the record.

"This was the perfect stage for it,"Mihalik said. "Ihad a lot of family here tonight. That means a lot to me."

Offensive coordinator Vic Campagna has been with Mihalik for all 127 wins.

"For him to get it at Miller Stadium in a game like this, against our biggest rival near his hometown — it's perfect,"Campagna said.

Notes:The Rock snapped a seven-game losing streak to Indiana. ... SRUcloses the regular season by hosting West Chester at 1 p.m. Nov. 11. A win could earn the team a Division IIplayoff berth.SRU21, Indiana 17

Slippery Rock 7 7 7 0—21Indiana 14 3 0 0—17SRU I13 First Downs 1637-145 Rushes-Yards 31-56130 Passing Yards 23412-27-1 Passes (Comp.-Att.-Int.) 20-33-1275 Total Yards 2902-0 Fumbles/Lost 3-18-85 Penalties-Yards 7-59

First QuarterIUP— Kevin Weidl 5 run (Nick Wallace kick), 9:43IUP— Chris Morgan 10 run (Wallace kick), 6:11SRU— Demarcus Cleckley 3 run (Ryan Daniel kick), 1:25

Second QuarterSRU— Cleckley 1 run (Daniel kick), 14:02IUP— Wallace 27 field goal, 1:07

Third Quarter SRU— Luke Wetzel 11 pass from Nate Crookshank (Daniel kick), 6:40

Individual Statistics

Passing: SRU, Nate Crookshank 12-26-130-1, Ryan Daniel 0-1-0-0. IUP, Kevin Weidl 20-32-234-1.

Rushing: SRU, Demarcus Cleckley 16-82, Travis Sarver 16-35, Nate Crookshank 5-28. IUP, Chris Morgan 21-82, Kevin Weidl 6-18, Garrett Lestochi 1-3, Kareem Dutrieuille 1-2. Team 2-(-49).

Receiving: SRU, Paul Favers 6-88, Luke Wetzel 4-35, Colin Golden 1-4, Ross Hornish 1-3. IUP, Chris Morgan 6-43, Garrett Lestochi 4-32, Dan Pickens 3-70, Anthony Rodriguez 3-40, Ken Witter 2-20, Anthony Cellitti 1-25, Leo Wood 1-4.