SLIPPERY ROCK — Talk about mixed emotions.

Daily Whitten returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown and Alfonso Hoggard raced 84 yards for a score in the second half Thursday night as Clarion University surprised Slippery Rock 27-10 at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium.

Clarion coach Jay Foster, who is in his fourth year with the Golden Eagles, was the defensive coordinator at SRU for 17 years.

"This really is bittersweet," Foster said. "Certainly, this is a huge win for our program. But (SRU coach George Mihalik) and his family have done so much for me and my family over the years.

"I feel like I beat my family tonight. It will always feel that way when we play Slippery Rock."

Clarion (4-3, 3-1) outscored The Rock 17-0 in the second half after the score was tied at 10 at intermission. The win was only the Golden Eagles' second in 12 years over SRU.

"I congratulated him and told him he had his team ready to play tonight," Mihalik said of his postgame greeting of Foster. "They wanted this game more than we did. They were the more intense, physical team."

The Golden Eagles snapped the tie with 8:46 left in the third quarter when Whitten stepped in front of a deep pass intended for Jermale Cromerdie and returned it 41 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown.

"The receivers vacated my area and I figured somebody was coming back over to my side," Whitten said. "I saw (Cromerdie) coming clear on a post pattern and I jumped it."

Foster said Whitten's pick — his second of the night — was the game's turning point.

"We were pretty nervous and tentative on offense before that," Foster said. "Jacques Robinson dropped more passes tonight than I've seen him drop in three years, including practices.

"Once Daily scored on defense, our entire offense seemed to relax."

Robinson, who entered the game as the PSAC's leading receiver, didn't catch a pass Thursday.

The 5-foot-4, 150-pound Hoggard broke loose for his 84-yard scoring run less than two minutes after Whitten scored. Hoggard had 33 carries for 205 yards and two touchdowns on the night.

Shortly thereafter, Mihalik pulled starting quarterback Rocco Colavecchia in favor of freshman Ryan O'Rourke.

"We had just dropped a few passes ourselves, but I was looking for a spark," Mihalik said. "I didn't feel comfortable with where our offense was going."

SRU (5-2, 2-2) was 2 of 13 on third downs Thursday and is 3 of 27 in that category over the past two weeks.

Mihalik said Colavecchia still is his starting quarterback.

The lone bright spot for The Rock was receiver Devin Goda, who had seven catches for 105 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown.

"We were just flat tonight," Goda said. "I didn't feel any intensity out there."

Clarion finished off the victory with a 16-play, 70-yard drive that used the first 9:35 of the fourth quarter. Robert Mamula's second field goal of the contest, a 30-yarder, ended the possession.

Clarion has won as many games this year as it won in Foster's first three seasons combined (4-29).

"This is the first time we've beaten a winning program since I've been here," Foster said. "We're going to enjoy this one. But if we don't piggyback accomplishments like this, it won't mean anything."

Notes: C.J. Bahr extended his consecutive PAT streak to 62. ... Robert Doiley recorded his third interception of the season for SRU, but left the game with an undisclosed injury. ... Hoggard's 84-yard TD run is a school record. ... SRU travels to Gannon for a 1 p.m. kickoff Oct. 17.Clarion 27, SRU 10

Clarion 0 10 14 3 — 27Slippery Rock 3 7 0 0 — 10C SRU17 First Downs 1042-239 Rushes-Yards 24-33108 Passing Yards 1979-24-1 Passes (Comp.-Att.-Int.) 12-27-2347 Total Yards 2301-0 Fumbles-Lost 0-05-35 Penalties-Yards 7-46

First QuarterSRU — C.J. Bahr 25 field goal, 10:38

Second QuarterC — Alfonso Hoggard 19 run (Robert Mamula kick), 8:52SRU — Devin Goda 44 pass from Rocco Colavecchia (Bahr kick), 2:53C — Mamula 36 field goal, :00

Third QuarterC — Daily Whitten 41 interception return (Mamula kick), 8:46C — Hoggard 84 run (Mamula kick), 6:55

Fourth QuarterC — Mamula 30 field goal, 5:25

Individual StatisticsPassing: Clarion, Tyler Huether 9-24-108-1. SRU, Rocco Colavecchia 7-19-128-2, Ryan O'Rourke 5-8-69-0.

Rushing: Clarion, Alfonso Hoggard 33-205, Tyler Huether 5-28, John Fuhrer 3-8. SRU, Ryan Lehmeier 6-27, SayQuan Scott-Mitchell 9-22, Rocco Colavecchia 3-8, Ryan O'Rourke 4-(-26).

Receiving: Clarion, Matt Ward 4-61, Matt Foradora 4-45, Craig Bunney 1-2, Rob Irwin 1-6. SRU, Devin Goda 7-105, Jermale Cromerdie 3-87, Kevin Sanders 1-9, Ryan Lehmeier 1-(-4).