SLIPPERY ROCK Having to punt just one time is usually a good thing.

Usually.

Slippery Rock University punted only once to Gannon all day, but seven turnovers cost The Rock a 24-20 decision Saturday at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium.

SRU (6-4, 3-4) lost four fumbles and threw three interceptions in a game partially played in driving sleet. The field was covered with ice pellets at times, forcing SRU athletic direrctor Paul Lueken to shovel off the lines in the back of the end zones.

“I guess you could say the elements had something to do with it,” SRU coach George Mihalik said of the turnovers. “Then again, Gannon didn’t turn the ball over at all, so maybe you can’t.”

The Knights (6-4, 4-3) punted eight times, were 2 of 12 on third down and possessed the football for only 25 minutes. But they emerged victorious.

“Just from playing hard for the whole game,” Gannon coach Jim Kiernan said. “When it was sleeting, we emphasized to our guys to squeeze the ball tighter. You have to protect it.”

The Rock did not.

“We preach ball security all the time,” Mihalik said. “You have to pay even more attention to that in conditions like these.”

The most critical Rock turnover occurred late in the second quarter. Akeem Satterfield scored his second touchdown of the day with 1:30 left in the half to give SRU a 17-7 lead.

Satterfield had 35 carries for 151 yards in the contest.

After Gannon went three-and-out, the Knights punted and SRU regained possession at its 18-yard line with 36.9 seconds on the clock. Rather than take a knee to end the half, quarterback Ryan Sabo tried handing off to Satterfield.

The play was thwarted, Gannon recovered a fumble, and QB Zach Boedicker connected with Geoff Hicks for a 15-yard TD pass on the next play.

“Gannon had two timeouts left and we didn’t want to sit on the ball there,” Mihalik said. “We’re thinking, maybe pop a big run and get into scoring range. Our offensive line was controlling that first half.

“One of their linemen blew through there and disrupted the handoff. It was a safe play call. You don’t expect something like that to happen.”

Kiernan defended the play call as well.

“You play aggressively,” the Gannon coach said. “The way that (Satterfield) was running the ball, you get to middfield and they’ve got some big receivers who can go get the ball.”

Jeremy Ditzler’s 41-yard field goal against the wind in heavy sleet tied the game in the third quarter before The Rock’s C.J. Bahr booted a 37-yard field goal in similar elements with 3:33 left in the period.

Bahr’s kick gave SRU a 20-17 lead.

The lead was short-lived.

Following a Satterfield fumble and a lenghthy delay for an injured Gannon player, Boedicker scrambled for a 61-yard touchdown run down the left sideline with 58 seconds left in the quarter.

Gannon’s first lead stood up for the victory.

“We knew we had to contain the outside on him and both of our ends went inside,” Mihalik said. “It was a fundamental mistake.”

Boedicker rushed for 117 yards on the day despite being sacked three times. He’s been sacked 44 times this season.

“That play was all Zach,” Kiernan said. “He does that stuff all the time. What’s impressive is that every team knows he’s gonna do it. He breaks tackles and somehow gets free.”

Sabo was intercepted deep in Gannon territory twice in the first half and The Rock lost fumbles near midfield three times in the second half.

“We had this one,” Mihalik said. “We gave it away.”

Notes: Satterfield has 1,081 yards rushing this season, becoming the 23rd Rock player to rush for 1,000 in a season. ... Bahr has 34 career field goals, one shy of Morgan Anderson’s school record. Bahr missed from 32 yards in the fourth quarter. ... SRU closes the season with a 1 p.m. home kickoff Saturday vs. C.W. Post.

Gannon 24, SRU 20Gannon 0 14 10 0 24SRU 10 7 3 0 20G SRU14 First Downs 1735-176 Rushes-Yards 44-13693 Passing Yards 1678-19-0 Passes (Comp.-Att.-Int.) 14-25-3269 Total Yards 3031-0 Fumbles-Lost 5-410-95 Penalties-Yards 8-70

First QuarterSRU C.J. Bahr 20 field goal, 6:50SRU Akeem Satterfield 28 run (Bahr kick), 2:21

Second QuarterG Evan Twombly 10 pass from Zach Boedicker (Jeremy Ditzler kick), 13:52SRU Satterfield 8 run (Bahr kick), 1:38G Geoff Hicks 15 pass from Boedicker (Ditzler kick), :30

Third QuarterG Ditzler 41 field goal, 13:02SRU Bahr 37 field goal, 3:33G Boedicker 61 run (Ditzler kick), :58

Individual StatisticsPassing: Gannon, Zach Boedicker 8-19-93-0. SRU, Ryan Sabo 14-25-167-3.

Rushing: Gannon, Zach Boedicker 11-117, Tyler Batts 20-56, Tony Sims 4-3. SRU, Akeem Satterfield 35-151, LaQuinn Stephens-Howling 4-3, Team 1-(-2), Ryan Sabo 4-(-16).

Receiving: Gannon, Tyler Batts 2-30, Geoff Hicks 2-24, Corey Bradley 1-16, Khalid Walker 1-11, Evan Twombly 1-10, Mike Tomko 1-2. SRU, Kevin Sanders 3-30, Akeem Satterfield 3-23, Devin Goda 2-45, Josh Gardner 2-29, Chad Noce 2-20, Bobby Joyce 2-20.