SLIPPERY ROCK — The hype is over. It's time to perform.

Slippery Rock University opens its 2019 football season at 6 p.m. Thursday in Detroit against Wayne State (Mich.).

While The Rock is coming off a PSAC West championship and a berth in the NCAA Division II quarterfinals, the Warriors were 2-9 last season under 16th-year head coach Paul Winters. Shawn Lutz is in his fourth year as SRU head coach.

“He (Winters) did something we haven't done here,” Lutz said. “He took his team to the national championship game in 2011.

“I know that was a number of years ago, but that program has some tradition.”

Before going 2-9 and 5-6 the past two years, Winters led Wayne State to eight winning seasons in nine years. Only eight Division II teams nationally took fewer penalties than the Warriors' average of 4.36 per game a year ago.

While Wayne State runs a deliberate offense — averaging 65 plays per game, 177 yards rushing and 169 passing last season — The Rock is returning to a quicker-paced attack.

“They huddle up and take their time,” Lutz said of Wayne State. “We're going back to the (former offensive coordinator) Phil Longo days of trying to run 100 plays per game.

“(Quarterback) Roland Rivers is adapting to that quicker pace and he's on top of his game right now. He's had an outstanding camp.”

SRU returns plenty of starters, including its entire defense, but is somewhat banged up. Veteran outside linebacker Trysten McDonald and defensive back De'Vijan Franklin will miss this game due to injury. Running back Charles Snorweah, a speed back and transfer from Rutgers, will start despite battling a nagging hamstring injury.

“We'll be spelling Charles quite a bit,” Lutz said. “We'd love to see him get 20 to 25 carries a game, but that's not going to happen in this game.

“Our secondary is banged up, but Wayne State doesn't throw the ball all that much.”

The Warriors do return a number of skilled position players, including quarterback Jake AmRhein (1,744 yards, 11 TDs), running back James Hill (831 yards, 10 TDs) and receiver Darece Roberson (27 catches, 579 yards, 8 TDs).

Defensively, three of their top five tacklers from last year are back, led by linebacker Leon Egglestion's 73 tackles and 13 tackles for loss.

Wayne State plays in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).

“They play in a tough league and have a lot of talent back, but I like our football team right now,” Lutz said. “Brad Zaffram has a chance to be one of the best linebackers we've ever had here.

“We need to play a 60-minute game, control the football and create turnovers. Last year is over. In terms of this year, we haven't done anything yet.”

SRU's team captains this season are Butler graduate and linebacker Tim Vernick, receiver Jermaine Wynn Jr., linebacker Zaffram and quarterback Rivers. The former two were selected by the coaches, the latter two by the players.

For the first time since 1999, the PSAC coaches preseason poll picks SRU to win the West Division. The Rock begins the year ranked No. 10 in the AFCA Division II national poll.

Winters could not be reached for comment.