SLIPPERY ROCK — Moments after Slippery Rock University's 16 seniors are honored Saturday at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium, the group may face its biggest challenge yet.

Take down third-ranked and unbeaten California (Pa.) and claim their third consecutive PSAC West championship.

The 15th-ranked Rock (8-1, 5-1) play host to the Vulcans (8-0, 5-0) at 1 p.m. to wrap up the home version of the 2021 regular season schedule.

The winner represents the West in the PSAC title game next weekend at Kutztown, which has already clinched the Eastern Division title.

“It might be the last home game those seniors ever play,” SRU coach Shawn Lutz said. “We want to make it a memorable day for them.

“This is one of the most successful senior classes in the history of this program ... maybe the most successful. Many of them are graduate students already.”

SRU's 2021 seniors are Butler graduate Tim Vernick, Garrett de Bien, Evyn Holtz, Cinque Sweeting, Khadir Roberts, Hunter Merritt, De'Vijan Franklin, Jermaine Wynn Jr., Henry Litwin, Andrew Koester, Chad Kuhn, Peyton Remish, Dalton Holt, Trysten McDonald, Jake Tecak and Austin Wayt.

The four-year members of this class have helped put together a 40-8 record, 19-4 home slate, two Western Division titles, a state championship, two NCAA Division II quarterfinal appearances and one semifinal berth.

Remish, a linebacker, suffered a fractured foot last week and is out for the season. McDonald, back from injury himself, takes over his spot.

“Slippery Rock has great athletes all over the field,” California coach Gary Dunn said. “They are a veteran group.

“We've already clinched a share of the West title. To win it outright ... that's what we're coming up there looking to do.”

Given SRU's history against top-5 opponents, the odds are in the Vulcans' favor.

The Rock is 5-16 overall when playing a top-5 ranked opponent in its history. SRU is 1-9 against top-3 ranked foes, the lone win coming over second-ranked Indiana in 1998.

The Vulcans average only 2.2 yards per rush this season, gaining a net 473 yards on the ground all year.

“Those numbers are a little misleading,” Dunn said. “We've had some strange plays resulting in chunks of yardage coming off our rushing total.”

California's passing numbers are a different story.

“They rely on their passing game,” Lutz said. “We need to devise something defensively to try taking that away.”

It won't be easy.

Noah Mitchell, a third-year starter, has completed 216 of 315 passes for 2,584 yards, 22 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He has four receivers — JaQuae Jackson, Tyson Hill, Cam Tarrant and Derek Lockhart — who have combined for 165 catches and 20 touchdowns.

“Noah has matured as a quarterback,” Dunn said. “He finds the open receiver and reads defenses extremely well. It seems like we have a dfifferent leading receiver every game.”

Lutz said Mitchell “does a great job with RPOs and gets rid of the ball quickly. It's hard to get to him.”

The Rock has plenty of offensive weapons of its own. Noah Grover stepped in at quarterback last week and threw a school-record eight touchdown passes at Gannon. Litwin needs 15 receptions and 220 receiving yards to break those career records.

Wynn Jr. leads The Rock with 1,018 all-purpose yards in 2021. Sweeting is the only active Division II player with more than 1,000 career rushing, receiving and kick return yards.

“Cinque has been under the radar much of the time with Litwin and Wynn being here,” Lutz said. “His versatility has been a big asset all year.”

Holtz, a transfer from Portland State, has elevated the ground game and is coming off a 109-yard effort at Gannon.

“We knew that was in him all year. Evyn just had to get healthy,” Lutz said.

California's defense is ranked third in all of Division II, allowing just 11.4 points, 214.9 total yards and 136.1 passing yards per game.

The Vulcans have scored four defensive touchdowns this year, three on interception returns.

“Our defensive line triggers all of that,” Dunn said. “(Defensive end) Gerald Brown is an all-conference player who disrupts plays.”

Inside linebacker Noah Dillow leads California in tackles. Seneca Valley graduate Gabe Miller, a sophomore, starts at outside linebacker and is fifth on the team with 34 tackles.

Fellow SV grad Eric Hudanick, a fifth-year senior, is an anchor at right tackle on offense for the Vulcans.

“I have so much respect for their defensive coordinator, Mike Craig,” Lutz said. “He knows how to devise a gameplan. He's one of the best there is at what he does.”

SRU leads the series between the teams 49-33-3. The last two California-Rock games at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium have resulted in walk-off winning field goals for SRU— 31-28 in 2019 and 47-44 in overtime in 2017.

Vulcans kicker Anthony Beitko is 13 of 14 on field goal tries this year. The one failure was blocked.

“That guy never misses,” Lutz said.

“What I love the most about our team is we never quit, never give up ... we'll play hard for 60 minutes no matter what the score is,” Dunn said.