SLIPPERY ROCK — 61-12.

West Chester football coach Bill Zwaan remembers the score well. How can he not? It was last year's PSAC Championship Game and one of the worst home losses in his program's history.

Now the team that inflicted that loss — Slippery Rock — is returning to the scene of the crime. The Rock (1-0) takes on West Chester (1-0) at noon Saturday at John A. Farrell Stadium.

“Slippery Rock had a great team and they put it to us,” Zwaan admitted. “What bothered me is we didn't compete that day. I don't feel like we battled.

“We finished last season so poorly that the guys used it as motivation for the entire off-season. They hit the weight room harder, conditioned harder. Hopefully, we'll be better off over the long run.”

SRU is making its third 307-mile trip to West Chester in as many years. The Golden Rams knocked The Rock out of the Division II playoffs two years ago.

The all-time series between the teams is 8-8.

“They put a new field in out there and this will be the first game played on it,” SRU coach Shawn Lutz said. “They will be fired up for that and I'm sure they're anxious for another shot at us.”

Both teams are coming off come-from-behind wins in Week 1. SRU scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to pull out a 31-28 victory at home over New Haven. Shamar Greene rushed for 162 yards and a pair of scores in that game.

West Chester trailed Bentley 24-14 entering the fourth quarter on the road before scoring 17 unanswered points itself for a 31-24 win. The Rams' Nydair Rouse returned an interception 35 yards for the game-winning score.

“If you're playing us right now, you would load up the box and make someone other than Shamar Greene beat you,” Lutz said. “That would only make sense.

“We were inconsistent in the passing game last week. We need to execute more plays there. I thought we got some poor play from our wideouts — running the wrong play, blocking the wrong guy — that contributed to a lot of that.”

While Greene needs just 17 yards rushing to break SRU's career rushing record, Don King III completed just 16 of 35 passes for 144 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.

“We left plenty of room to improve in all phases,” Lutz said.

Andrew Derr replaced starter Pat Moriarty at quarterback for West Chester last week after Moriarty completed only two of 12 passes for 17 yards and two interceptions. Derr threw for 163 yards and a touchdown, rushed for 63 yards and a score.

Derr is expected to get the start Saturday.

“I can't officially say that, but that's the way we're leaning,” Zwaan said.

The Golden Rams have 16 starters back from last year and are a heavy favorite to repeat as PSAC East champions.

We're going to see where we're at with this game,” Zwaan said. “Our special teams play was erratic last week and we may have to make some personnel changes there to prepare for (Drew) Scales.”

The Rock's Scales had 195 all-purpose yards last week, including critical kickoff and punt returns.

SRU junior defensive end Marcus Martin enters this game needing one sack to break the PSAC career record of 33.5. That mark was set by West Chester's Andrew Cohen against The Rock last year. Cohen has since graduated.

“Marcus is just never content. He always wants to get better,” Lutz said. “He's got a chance to be the all-time sack leader in all of NCAA football before he leaves here.

“His career is historical, it really is.”

SRU is dealing with a couple of injuries this week. Tight end Brian McNally will miss the game with concussion symptoms and receiver Darren Massey — a transfer from Edinboro after breaking the career receptions record there — remains out with a knee problem.

“We won't use a lot of tight end sets Saturday,” Lutz said. “We want to spread their defense out more through three and four-receiver formations.”

Lutz is looking for his second win in as many games as head coach. Zwaan is 109-51 in his 14th year at West Chester and ranks fourth among active Division II coaches with 163 wins in his career.

The game will be televised locally on WPNT-22.