SLIPPERY ROCK — Four unanswered touchdowns by the visitors and the apparent end of the longest active home winning streak in NCAA Division II college football.

It was all happening Saturday at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.

New Haven's Ty Headen began the fourth quarter by catching a 57-yard touchdown pass from Ajee Patterson — the quarterback's third TD toss of the day — and the Chargers had a 28-14 lead. New Haven turned an early 14-point deficit into a 14-point lead.

But it all blew up as The Rock scored 17 points in the final 13 minutes for a 31-28 victory. The win extended the longest active home winning streak in NCAA Division II football to 18 games.

And Drew Scales got it started.

“He's an electrifying player — a game-changer,” SRU coach Shawn Lutz said.

Scales changed the game on this day.

Trailing 28-14, he returned the kickoff 64 yards to the New Haven 34-yard line. On fourth-and-goal from the 9, Don King III found Marcus Johnson in the back of the end zone and the Chargers' lead was trimmed to 28-20, despite a missed PAT after the score.

“That kick return was the play that turned this game,” New Haven coach Chris Pincince said. “It enabled them to flip field position and get a quick score.

“We were shutting them down before that. All of a sudden, they got momentum and we weren't aggressive enough down the stretch.”

The Rock drove 75 yards in 12 plays on its next possession, settling for a 20-yard Jake Chapla field goal with 7:53 remaining.

“I learned my lesson,” first-year head coach Lutz said. “I should have settled for a field goal when we were down that close in the second quarter (with a 14-0 lead). That was a bad decision on my part at that point in the game.”

SRU had a first-and-goal from the New Haven 6 with six minutes left in the first half. Instead of playing conservative, three consecutive pass attempts resulted in an interception and 40-yard return on third down.

New Haven wound up scoring two touchdowns in the final two minutes of the half to pull even by halftime.

This time, The Rock's momentum wasn't slipping away.

A 26-yard punt return by Scales — who had 195 all-purpose yards on the day — gave SRU possession at midfield with 3:35 to play.

“I'm considered a playmaker on this team, a guy who can make things happen,” Scales said. “The potential for a game-breaking play is always there on special teams.

“That fires up the guys to make their blocks as well.”

On third-and 2 from the New Haven 30, King threw an apparent 30-yard TD strike to Cornelius Raye for the go-ahead score. But the officials ruled King had crossed the line of scrimmage before throwing the pass.

That penalty resulted in a fourth-and-7 from the 35-yard line.

“I could have run for the first down there, but I saw (Raye) alone in the end zone and instinctively got the ball there,” King said. “I didn't think I was over the line. I knew it was close.”

On fourth down, King lofted a pass down the middle for Johnson, who cradled the ball tightly to his chest as he was slammed to the ground for a first-and-goal at the 1-yard line.

Shamar Greene scored his second touchdown of the day on the next play.

“I just threw it up there and let Marcus jump for it,” King said. “He out-leaped the other guy ... a fantastic, big-time catch.”

The two-point conversion failed and SRU nursed a 29-28 lead. The Rock's defense took over from there.

Joe Phillips and Cody Conway combined to sack Patterson on second down. Marcus Martin and Anthony Zappone sacked him on third down.

On fourth-and-30 from the 5, punter Danny Stock stepped out of the end zone for an unintentional safety. New Haven failed to recover an onsides kick on the free kick and the game was decided.

Martin broke the SRU record for career sacks when he got to Patterson on a third down late in the fourth quarter, helping set up the winning scoring drive. Martin has 33 career sacks, which ties the PSAC record.

“It came at a great time,” Martin said of his team-record sack. “Plays like that make you feel a cut above. We needed it and it felt good to deliver it.”

Notes: SRU travels to West Chester for a noon kickoff Saturday and a rematch of last year's PSAC championship game. ... Greene rushed for 162 yards, leaving him 17 short of SRU's career rushing mark. ... Zappone had an interception, 1.5 sacks and 11 tackles in his Rock debut. He is a transfer from Eastern Michigan. Martin had 11 tackles and Butler graduate Bob Vernick 10.

SRU 31, New Haven 28

New Haven 0 14 7 7 — 28

Slippery Rock 14 0 0 17 — 31

NH SR

12 First Downs 18

41-63 Rushes-Yards 44-291

202 Passing Yards 101

12-26-1 Comp.-Att.-Int 14-33-2

265 Total Yards 392

1-0 Fumbles-Lost 0-0

8-68 Penalty Yards 10-78

First Quarter

SRU— Drew Scales 21 run (Jake Chapla kick), 10:20

SRU — Shamar Greene 71 run (Chapla kick), 3:31

Second Quarter

NH — Ajee Patterson 1 run (Danny Stock kick), 2:07

NH — Ty Headen 60 pass from Patterson (Stock kick), 1:03

Third Quarter

NH — Jesse Tate 1 pass from Patterson (Stock kick), 5:43

Fourth Quarter

NH — Headen 57 pass from Patterson (Stock kick), 14:46

SRU — Marcus Johnson 9 pass from Don King III (kick failed), 12:38

SRU — Chapla 20 field goal, 7:53

SRU — Greene 2 run (pass failed), 1:57

SRU — Stock stepped out of end zone for safety, :54

Individual Statistics

Rushing: New Haven, Lemar Thomas 18-64, Andre Anderson 13-30, Chris Liggio 1-1, Danny Stock 1--5), Ajee Patterson 8-(-27). SRU, Shamar Greene 23-162, Drew Scales 3-64, Don King III 8-42, Dominic Dingle 5-28, Dontez Rash 3-1, TEAM 2-(-6).

Passing: New Haven, Ajee Patterson 12-26-202-1. SRU, Don King III 14-33-101-2.

Receiving: New Haven, Ty Headen 4-137, Andre Anderson 3-1, Henry Adegunle 2-12, Rishawn Harris 1-236, Devin Martin 1-25, Jesse Tate 1-1. SRU, Marcus Johnson 5-54, Drew Scales 3-30, Dominic Dingle 2-15, Brian McNally 2-5, Carnel Harley 1-0, Cornelius Raye 1-(-3).