SLIPPERY ROCK — It's been a long time coming.

For the first time in 21 months, Slippery Rock University will step on the field for a college football game when it takes on Wayne State (Mich.) at 6 p.m. Thursday in Detroit.

The 2020 NCAA Division II season was canceled due to COVID-19.

The Rock opened the 2019 season with a 62-37 win at Wayne State, its first of 13 consecutive victories before bowing to Minnesota State in the Division II semifinals.

“We just don't give up points like that,” 18th-year Wayne State coach Paul Winters said. “We had too many missed tackles. But I'll tell you, that team was darn good.

“We didn't have an answer for them last year. Hopefully, we'll have an answer this year.”

The Warriors finished 8-3 in 2019. Their losses were to opponents with a combined record of 30-2. Wayne State won its final five games and eight of its last nine.

Winters and SRU coach Shawn Lutz agree that the 2019 game has nothing to do with this one.

“That was so long ago,” Lutz said. “We're a different team and so are they.”

Much of The Rock's weapons are the same, however. Jermaine Wynn Jr. caught eight passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns against Wayne State two years ago while Henry Litwin caught seven for 122 and two scores.

Those two are among 17 players who were graduating seniors in 2020, only to decide to take advantage of the extra year of collegiate eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the cancellation of last season.

Wayne State does not have that kind of experience back.

“Our seniors from last year have gotten jobs, moved on with their lives,” Winters said. “We're a relatively young team.

“I know that quarterback (Roland Rivers III) is gone from Slippery Rock. That's one good thing about this year.”

Rivers threw for 405 yards and six touchdowns against Wayne State in the 2019 opener. Andrew Koester, a senior from West Allegheny, has been named SRU's starter behind center this year.

“Andrew's got a bit of a chip on his shoulder. He feels like he's got something to prove,” Lutz said. “He can make all of the throws.

“This game is a battle of two contrasting offenses. We like to move fast on offense, get plays off quickly, get the ball in the hands of our skilled people and spring them loose. (Wayne State) will likely try to run the ball, take a lot of time between plays, run eight to 10 minutes off the clock.

“We couldn't be more different,” Lutz added.

Quarterback Jake Amrhein (594 yards passing, 6 TDs as part-time starter) and running back James Hill (686 yards, 13 TDs) are two of the few returning skill players from 2019 for the Warriors.

The team does bring back a lot of starters otherwise.

Winters doesn't mince words when he talks about his offense.

“We're going to run the football, throw off play-action ... That's what we do,” the coach said. “We can play a skill game, too, and make plays that way.

“We are going to play physical. We're a physical football team. We always have been.”

Lutz believes the Warriors' physicality will be a good test for his defense, which gets linebacker Trysten McDonald back from a knee injury that cost him the 2019 season.

The Rock has eight starters back on both sides of the ball.

“They're going to try to pound it right at us and I'm anxious to see how we stand up to that,” Lutz said.

SRU and Wayne State are 2-2 in the all-time series between the teams.

Lutz is beginning his fifth season as Rock head coach. SRU is riding a streak of 11 successive wins in season openers. The last opening loss was at Seton Hill in 2008.