How Slippery Rock University outlasted bitter rival Indiana (Pa.) for big PSAC West win
SLIPPERY ROCK — The feel was definitely there. Last team to have the ball wins.
So Slippery Rock never gave it up.
The Rock (5-2, 2-2) possessed the football for the final 8:21 — with the help of some penalties — Saturday afternoon at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium to hold on to a 30-27 homecoming victory over Indiana (Pa.) University on homecoming.
SRU began its final possession at its own 7-yard line following an IUP punt from the SRU 46.
“We made the decision to punt and pin them back, and we did that,” IUP coach Paul Tortorella said. “But we needed to get the ball back for our offense and we never did it. Our own mistakes played a big factor there.”
On second-and-12 from the SRU 5, Rock running back JayJay Jordan was stopped after a 3-yard gain, but SRU was awarded 15 yards on an IUP facemask penalty. Jordan got free for nine yards on the next play, but the Crimson Hawks (4-2, 2-1) were flagged for another facemask.
An offsides penalty gave The Rock first-and-5 from the IUP 37. On third down from there, Butler graduate Ethan Trettel caught a swing pass, broke a tackle and gained six yards for a first down as the clock approached the two-minute warning.
The drive stalled and SRU had to punt on 4th-and-18 from the IUP 39. The Crimson Hawks were flagged for roughing the punter and SRU was able to kneel out the remaining time.
“Penalties helped us for sure there,” SRU coach Shawn Lutz admitted. “This game had so many turns ... Either team could have won it, really.”
An IUP player just missed blocking Kevin Roberts’ punt before plowing right into him. The Crimson Hawks threw the challenge flag, hoping replay would show the punt was tipped.
It did not.
“We had nothing to lose there,” Tortorella said of challenging the play. “The quality of video we have wasn’t gonna show us anyway. We lost a timeout there, but it didn’t matter. They could have run out the time regardless.”
The Rock trailed 20-10 at halftime, mustering only five first downs in the first two quarters. Jordan scored on a 75-yard run on SRU’s first play from scrimmage, but was limited to 24 net yards rushing the rest of the way.
IUP ran 41 plays in the first half to SRU’s 21.
“Nobody was nervous in our locker room. Nobody blinked,” SRU safety Michael Henwood said. “We’ve been through this type of adversity before. We all believed we were gonna win the football game.”
The Rock put together a 10-play, 75-yard drive in the third quarter — highlighted by a one-handed grab by Slippery Rock High graduate John Sabo for 37 yards down the left sideline. That play gave The Rock a first dwn at the IUP 7 and quarterback DaOne Owens eventually scored on a 1-yard run. The PAT failed and SRU trailed, 20-16.
Two plays later, free safety Carmen Metcalfe intercepted a Matthew Rueve pass at the IUP 23. Owens scored on a 23-yard run and The Rock had its first lead, 23-20, with three minutes left in the quarter.
“That was a huge play in this game,” Lutz said of the Metcalfe pick. “It put us in position to win.”
IUP responded with a 70-yard scoring drive, highlighted by a 65-yard -pass play over the middle to tight end Connor Shamany on a 3rd-and-13 play. Leon Parson scored on an 8-yard run to put the Crimson Hawks back in front.
But Owens capped a 61-yard drive as The Rock answered, connecting with Xander McClure in the end zone for a 24-yard scoring strike on 2nd-and-20 with 12:48 to play. IUP had just one possession the rest of the way.
“This was just a slugfest, two good teams going at each other,” Lutz said. “But there was definitely a level of respect out there on both sides.”
Tortorella said his team “just didn’t play well in the second half. Too many mistakes. We were doing things uncharacteristic to the way we’ve played all year.”
Owens threw for 183 yards and ran for two scores as The Rock put 30 points up on one of the top-ranked defenses in the country despite Jordan being neutralized.
“We have a versatile offense,” Owens said. “We can win with my legs sometimes, through the air, using our ground game ... We showed that today.”
SRU has a bye next Saturday before hosting Clarion at 1 p.m. on Nov. 1.
Indiana (Pa.) 10 10 7 0 - 27
Slippery Rock 7 3 13 7 -30
First Quarter
IUP - Tavion Banks 5 run (Nick Andrasi kick), 8:43
SRU - JayJay Jordan 75 run (Kevin Roberts kick), 8:32
IUP - Andrasi 36 field goal, 3:53
Second Quarter
SRU - Roberts 32 field goal, 7:06
IUP - Matthew Rueve 17 run (Andrasi kick), 2:20
IUP - Andrasi 43 field goal, :08
Third Quarter
SRU - DaOne Owens 1 run (kick failed), 4:55
SRU - Owens 24 run (Roberts kick), 3:21
IUP - Leon Parson 8 run (Andrasi kick), 1:34
Fourth Quarter
SRU - Xander McClure 24 pass from Owens (Roberts kick), 12:48
Individual Statistics
Passing: IUP, Matthew Rueve 15-33-233-1. SRU, DaOne Owens 11-19-183-0.
Rushing: IUP, Leon Parson 8-54, Tavion Banks 9-37, Matthew Rueve 8-18, Parker Gregg 2-7. SRU, JayJay Jordan 20-99, Quentin Harrison 5-31, DaOne Owens 9-22.
Receiving: IUP, Connor Shamany 4-96, Devin Whitlock 4-30, Maurice Massey 3-62, Leon Parson 3-29. SRU, John Sabo 3-58, Latrell Sutton 3-50, JayJay Jordan 2-34, Xander McClure 1-24, Ethan Trettel 1-6.
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock’s Carmen Metcalfe (26) celebrates with fellow teammates after making an interception in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock’s DaOne Owens (1) scores a touchdown in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock University football defeated Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock placekicker Kevin Roberts (94) does a somersault in the air after defeating Indiana University (Pa.) 30-27 in a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
