SHIPPENSBURG— All week, George Mihalik preached about how his football team was in for a 60-minute game Saturday.

The Slippery Rock University coach was only off by two seconds.

Paul Favers caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Nate Crookshank with two seconds remaining to give The Rock a heart-stopping 38-34 win over Shippensburg at Seth Grove Stadium.

The victory keeps SRU(7-1, 2-1) in PSACWest title contention and capped one of the most bizarre finishes in the school's 110-year football history.

The teams combined to score four touchdowns in the final 1:28 and The Rock had to rally for victory twice in the final moments.

"I can't think of another one like it,"Mihalik said. "Incredible ... Two teams that never thought they were done."

Shippensburg coach Rocky Rees actually thought of a comparable game.

"I was coaching at Susquehanna, we were down 42-22 with 1:42 left and we won it,"Rees said. "That one ranks up there, I guess."

And that one had a positive ending for him. Saturday marked the Red Raiders' third loss to a ranked team this season in which the game was decided in the final seconds.

"My heart's broken. I'm bleeding inside right now. ... I'm devastated,"Rees said.

The Rock was primed to bury its host early, leading 14-0, having 11 first downs to Shippensburg's none, and watching defensive end Mike White — playing for the still-injured Corey Lacek — recover a fumble at the Red Raiders' 44-yard line with 11:06 left in the first half.

"We self-destructed with penalties on that possession,"Mihalik said. "We missed a chance to put it away right there."

SRUrushed for 114 yards in the first half, but for only 44 in the second as Shippensburg (2-6, 1-2) crept back into the game.

With his team leading 21-19, SRU's Anthony Walls returned a kickoff 51 yards to the Ship 35-yard line. Favers dropped a touchdown pass in the end zone moments later, but Colin Golden caught a 19-yard pass on fourth-and-13 from the Ship 25.

The Red Raiders' defense stiffened and SRUsettled for a 23-yard C.J. Bahr field goal and a 24-19 lead with 5:56 left in the game.

"Again, if we punch that ball into the end zone, maybe none of that other stuff ever happens," Mihalik said.

But it did.

Ship quarterback Gabe Maiocco led his team 55 yards in 10 plays, connecting with Tim Devanney in the back of the end zone for a 12-yard score on a 4th-and-6 play with 1:28 left. A conversion pass gave the Red Raiders their first lead all day at 27-24.

Favers eliminated that advantage by returning the ensuing kickoff 69 yards up the middle for a touchdown.

"Our middle return was on and a big seam opened up in front of me,"Favers said. "Once I got past the kicker,I just ran as fast as I could."

Victory from the jaws of defeat?Not yet.

Kevin Marshall pulled in the next kickoff for Shippensburg and ran straight through the middle for an 84-yard return to paydirt, sending the home crowd back into a frenzy with 1:07 on the clock.

While heads dropped along the SRUsideline, Crookshank still believed.

"There was over a minute left, we had two timeouts and our two-minute drill is pretty effective," he said. "I felt like, let's grab our helmets and go to work."

Crookshank guided his team 74 yards in nine plays. He found Terry Grossetti for 14 yards. Josh Prigorac caught passes of 14 and four yards, getting out of bounds both times. Golden caught a 20-yard pass on third-and-11 from the Ship 47.

Crookshank scrambled for 10 yards to the 17, calling timeout with six seconds left, his team trailing 34-31.

Mihalik did not send in the field goal unit. He sent in a play instead.

"I don't question the coaches,"Crookshank said. "I'm out there to execute the plays they send in."

Mihalik said Bahr would have been kicking into a stiff breeze.

"C.J.'s limit is 40 yards with no wind and that would have been a 34-yarder,"the coach said. "Paul begged us to call his number. He wanted to make up for that drop.

"When I saw the defense they were in, not sliding a safety over to his side, I knew we had a touchdown."

Crookshank looked the safety off and found Favers against single coverage in the left corner of the end zone. The senior receiver came down with one foot in-bounds, the football in his hands.

"It was me and him,"Favers said. "All I was thinking was, just go get the ball."

Ship cornerback Gus Macfoy took two personal foul penalties and was ejected for vehemently arguing the call. The play happened on Slippery Rock's side of the field.

"I had a clear view and there was no question he came down with one foot in,"Mihalik said.

"He's been making plays like that here for four years now,"Crookshank said.

Mihalik said he'd take one shot at the end zone and if it was incomplete, he'd try the field goal.

"I saw Nate looking off that safety and got a little nervous,"Mihalik admitted. "I wanted a chance for another play. Just drop back and throw it."

No other play was needed.

Notes:Seneca Valley graduate Jonathan Aldridge had 12 solo tackles from his safety position for Ship. ... The Rock forced three turnovers, Sam Morant and Jim D'Amicio getting interceptions to go with White's fumble recovery. ... Tyler Boudreau had two quarterback sacks and blocked a 40-yard field goal attempt.SRU38, Shippensburg 34

Slippery Rock 7 7 7 17—38Shippensburg 0 7 6 21—34SRU SH23 First Downs 2140-158 Rushes-Yards 38-205288 Passing Yards 19823-36-0 Passes (Comp.-Att.-Int.) 15-31-2446 Total Yards 4033-0 Fumbles/Lost 2-28-63 Penalties-Yards 8-79

First QuarterSRU — Colin Golden 23 pass from Nate Crookshank (C.J. Bahr kick), 8:28

Second QuarterSRU— Ryan Lehmeier 2 run (Bahr kick), 11:59SHIP— Aaron Dykes 1 run (Jamie Reder kick), 3:46

Third QuarterSHIP— David Richards 3 run (kick failed), 7:34SRU — Terry Grossetti 65 pass from Crookshank (Bahr kick), 7:20

Fourth QuarterSHIP— Gabe Maiocco 15 run (pass failed), 9:08SRU — Bahr 23 field goal, 5:56SHIP— Tim Devanney 12 pass from Maiocco (Mark Rossi pass fromMaiocco), 1:28SRU — Paul Favers 68 kick return (Bahr kick), 1:18SHIP — Kevin Marshall 84 kick return (Reder kick), 1:07SRU— Favers 17 pass from Crookshank (Bahr kick), :02

Individual Statistics

Passing: SRU, Nate Crookshank 23-35-288-0. Shippensburg, Gabe Maoicco 15-31-198-2.

Rushing: SRU, Corey Manfull 20-80, Ryan Lehmeier 14-67, Paul Favers 1-7, Nate Crookshank 5-4. Shippensburg, Aaron Dykes 22-112, David Richards 8-60, Gabe Maoicco 1-15, Kevin Marshall 2-8, Dave Wilkerson 2-4, Chris Lynch 2-4, Kyle Fogarty 1-2.

Receiving: SRU, Colin Golden 7-99, Josh Prigorac 7-48, Terry Grossetti 5-104, Paul Favers 2-21, Ross Hornish 1-11, Corey Manfull 1-5. Shippensburg, Mike Harris 5-102, Mark Rossi 2-29, Dave Wilkerson 2-17, Kyle Fogarty 2-7, Max Motkowski 1-16, Tim Devanney 1-12, Howard Chavous 1-9, David Richards 1-6.