SLIPPERY ROCK — Akeem Satterfield estimated his ankle to be 65 percent healthy Saturday night.

His effort was immeasurable.

The sophomore running back carried 26 times for 192 yards and three touchdowns in leading Slippery Rock University to a 33-27 overtime college football victory over West Chester at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium.

Satterfield missed last week's game with a sprained ankle and did not practice this past week. He didn't enter Saturday's game until late in the second quarter, when The Rock trailed 14-3.

"As of Friday, he wasn't gonna play at all," SRU coach George Mihalik said. "Akeem told me Saturday morning he was OK and ready to go.

"Still, I thought we'd go with LaQuinn Stephens-Howling and Chris Darby and see what we could establish on the ground. I put Akeem in because I felt we needed a spark."

Satterfield provided that spark immediately, breaking off a 34-yard run on his first carry to set up a fourth-down 4-yard Ryan Sabo touchdown pass to tight end Josh Gardner with 49 seconds left in the half.

The teams traded scores throughout much of the second half.

"I didn't practice all week, so I didn't figure on starting," Satterfield said. "My ankle was sore. It hurt when I ran. I just had to run through it."

He ran through the West Chester defense as well.

"Just a gutsy performance," Mihalik said.

"When they put him in there, I knew he'd make a difference because he's a high-quality back," West Chester coach Bill Zwaan said. "I didn't expect that kind of a difference.

"That kid is a power runner and he broke tackles. He liftted their offense mentally as much as anything."

Sabo said Satterfield's 34-yard run "was the play that changed the direction of this game."

"He got us going," Sabo added.

SRU (3-0) never led the game until overtime, however. Satterdfield scored on TD runs of 11 and six yards to tie the game at 17 and 24, respectively, in the second half.

But an 11-play, 61-yard drive resulted in a Shawn Leo 21-yard field goal with 2:37 left in the game, giving the Golden Rams (0-3) a 27-24 lead. The kick occurred on a fourth-and-2 play.

"Sure, I thought about going for it," Zwaan said of a potential touchdown. "We were moving the ball well, but at that point,I felt like we just had to get the lead."

West Chester churned out 422 yards in total offense Saturday.

Jermale Cromerdie returned the ensuing kickoff to SRU's 42-yard line. Seven plays later, C.J. Bahr — who was wide left from 36 yards in the third quarter after hitting a 39-yard field goal in the first half — hit a 47-yard field goal to knot the game with 31 seconds left.

The ball barely dropped over the crossbar.

"I didn't hit it perfectly, but I hit it solidly enough to make it," Bahr said. "When the offense puts you in position like that, all I was thinking about was making the kick."

The Rock took possession first in overtime and wasted no time. Satterfield ran for 17 yards on the first play, then scored from eight yards out on the next.

Bahr's PAT was blocked by noseguard Nick Garcia.

"You look for one play that's going to decide a game. I thought that was it," Swaan said.

Not to be.

West Chester earned a first down at the SRU 12 on its overtime possession, but Jackson Fagan fumbled a pitch on the next play, resulting in an 8-yard loss. Quarterback Mike Mattei scrambled for seven yards on second down, but two incompletions followed and The Rock had the win.

"I thought we had their defender (Andre Freeman) blocked, but he got a hand in and knocked the ball away from, me," Fagan said. "I feel terrible. I feel like I let my team down.

"I'll remember that play for the rest of the year."

The win was the 150th of Mihalik's coaching career at The Rock.

"That was a sweet win, a wild win," Mihalik said. "I'm so proud of this football team. And our student section was unbelievable.

"You won't find a better PSAC atmosphere than we had here tonight. That definitely played a hand in this win."

Notes: Mihalik is 42-18-2 against PSAC East teams. ... SRU is 3-0 for the third time in four years. ... The Rock has not turned the ball over in three games. ... Sabo completed 12 of 15 passes. Nineteen of his 29 completions this year have been to WR Devin Goda. ... Freeman had 13 tackles, seven unassisted, for SRU and was named PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week. Satterfield was named Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this year.

SRU 33, West Chester 27West Chester 0 14 3 10 0 — 27Slippery Rock 0 10 7 10 6 — 33WC SR19 First Downs 1743-200 Rushes-Yards 37-209222 Passing Yards 13513-25-0 Passes (Comp.-Att.-Int.) 12-15-0422 Total Yards 3442-0 Fumbles-Lost 0-08-62 Penalties-Yards 3-18

Second QuarterWC — De'Andre Webb 4 run (Shawn Leo kick), 11:42SRU — C.J. Bahr 39 field goal, 7:49WC — Dan DePalma 27 pass from Mike Mattei (Leo kick), 3:51SRU — Josh Gardner 4 pass from Ryan Sabo (Bahr kick), :49

Third QuarterWC — Leo 33 field goal, 9:45SRU — Akeem Satterfield 11 run (Bahr kick), :36

Fourth QuarterWC — Brian McDermott 1 run (Leo kick), 13:59SRU — Satterfield 6 run (Bahr kick), 8:30WC — Leo 20 field goal, 2:37SRU — Bahr 47 field goal, :31

OvertimeSRU — Satterfield 8 run (kck blocked)

Individual StatisticsPassing: West Chester, Mike Mattei 13-24-222-0, Dan DePalma 0-1-0-0. SRU, Ryan Sabo 12-15-135-0

Rushing: West Chester, Jackson Fagan 15-75, Mike Mattei 10-53, D'Andre Webb 11-47, Brian McDermott 5-26. SRU, Akeem Satterfield 26-192, LaQuinn Stephens-Howling 5-15, Chris Darby 1-(-2).

Receiving: West Chester, Dan DePalma 5-89, Rondell White 3-31, LaRonn Lee 2-21, D'Andre Webb 2-18. SRU, Devin Goda 7-76, Kevin Sanders 1-18, Demetrius Young 1-17, Geron James 1-10.