Bizarre rally for The Rock
SLIPPERY ROCK — Lose a punt snap in your own end zone, fail to register a first down in the first quarter, go 3 for 18 on third down and fall behind 20-0 in the first 17 minutes.
Hardly a recipe for victory.
Slippery Rock University did all of that Saturday night, then scored 37 unanswered points to pull out a 37-26 season-opening football victory over Kutztown at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
The win was the 100th home triumph for Rock coach George Mihalik — and one of his most satisfying.
“Any win is good, but this one is better because our character was tested in our very first game,” Mihalik said.
Kutztown scored less than four minutes into the game when Rock punter Andrew Huska couldn't handle a low snap inside his own 5-yard line. Huska scooped up the ball, moved to his right and attempted a rugby kick under pressure.
His foot missed the ball, which was deflected into the end zone where the Golden Bears' Jarvis Cummings fell on it.
Chad Barton touchdown passes of 24 and 37 yards to Kodi Reed and Anthony Kelly, respectively, extended the Kutztown lead to 20-0 with 13:38 left in the first half. Andrew Deutsch missed the PAT after the visitors' first score.
In the meantime, SRU's offense went three-and-out on its first five possessions.
“We didn't know what their defense was going to throw at us and it took us a while to get untracked,” SRU quarterback Zack Newsock said. “No doubt, we were struggling early.”
They didn't struggle later.
Mike Wainauskas sandwiched a 19-yard Newsock touchdown pass to Leroy McClain with field goals of 27 and 23 yards. Those scores pulled The Rock within 20-13 by halftime.“I know that served as a kick in the butt for us defensively, pulling within one score,” Mars graduate and Rock linebacker Austin Miele said. “It set a whole different tone coming out for the second half.”Kutztown would not score again until Barton heaved a 26-yard touchdown pass to Kelly on the game's final play.Before that occurred, SRU had put away its sixth successive opening-game win.Newsock guided The Rock on a 7-play, 85-yard drive on its first possession of the third quarter to knot the game. Teddy Blakeman got the TD on a 26-yard run. A Wainauskas 22-yard field goal capped an 11-play, 75-yard march with 11:37 left in the game and gave SRU the lead.In the meantime, Deutsch missed field goal attempts of 25 and 28 yards in the second half. Both kicks sailed wide right.“He was pushing the ball, not following through,” Kutztown coach Jim Clements said. “Their kicker made his kicks and we missed ours, That hurt.“We were holding them to field goals in the red zone and were containing their run game. Then we allowed two big ones.”Rock running back Shamar Greene scored on a pair of quick-hitters up the middle, one covering 57 yards with 7:35 left, the other 53 yards with 1:51 to play.“The line sealed the lane on both of those plays and I saw nothing but green,” Greene said. “Man, I was excited. All wanted to do at that point was get to the end zone as fast as I could.”Greene finished with 19 carries for 195 yards.“We sold out on both of those plays, bringing guys around the edge with no safety back,” Clements said. “When you do that, you roll the dice. The run game can burn you more than the pass game in that situation and it did.”Newsock wound up throwing for 289 yards and SRU's offense generated 493 yards and 24 first downs despite not getting its initial first down until the seccond period.The Rock offense moved so efficiently and quickly that play was only being stopped when Kutztown defenders fell to the turf and were helped to the sidelines.“They must have a great medical staff with those players returning to action so quickly after leaving,” Mihalik quipped.Notes: SRU leads the all-time series with Kutztown, 10-2. ... The teams combined for 173 plays and 224 yards in penalties. “I think the officials are watching the NFL too much,” Clements said. ... Barton threw 64 passes and for 358 yards. The Golden Bear running game netted 10 yards. ... Newsock completed passes to eight different players in the first half alone,. ... Miele led The Rock with 12 tackles and had an interception and a quarterback sack. Butler graduate Bob Vernick had 10 tackles, six solos.SRU 37, Kutztown 26Kutztown 13 7 0 6 — 26Slippery Rock 0 13 7 17 — 37K SRU22 First Downs 2427-10 Rushes-Yards 34-204358 Passing Yards 28933-64-1 Comp.-Att.-Int 25-48-1368 Total Yards 4934-0 Fumbles-Lost 4-211-124 Penalty Yards 12-100First QuarterK — Jarvis Cummings recovered fumble in end zone (kick failed), 11:49K — Kodi Reed 24 pass from Chad Barton (Deutsch kick), 3:46Second QuarterK — Anthony Kelly 37 pass from Barton (Deutsch kick), 13:38SRU — Mike Wainauskis 27 field goal, 12:05SRU — Leroy McClain 19 pass from Zack Newsock (Wainauskis kick), 3:22SRU — Wainauskis 23 field goal, :35Third QuarterSRU — Teddy Blakeman 26 run (Wainauskis kick), 11:57Fourth QuarterSRU — Wainauskis 22 field goal, 11:37SRU — Shamar Greene 458 run (Wainauskis kick(), 7:35SRU — Greene 53 run (Wainauskis kick), 1:51K — Kelly 26 pass from Barton, :00Individual StatisticsRushing: Kutztown, Darrell Scott 8-31, James Wah Jr. 13-12, Chad Barton 6-(-33). SRU, Shamar Greene 19-195, Teddy Blakeman 7-37, Drew Scales 1-8, Trae Cook 1-2, TEAM 1-(-7), Andrew Huska 1-(-11), Zack Newsock 3-(-16).Passing: Kutztown, Chad Barton 33-64-358-1. SRU, Zack Newsock 25-48-289-1.Receiving: Kutztown, Nathan Hollander 10-48, James Wah Jr. 56-44, Anthony Kelly 5-84, Kodi Reed 4-80, Kellen Williams 4-44, Brett Fox 2-35, David Peterson 1-23, Darrell Scott 1-0. SRU, Taishan Tucker 5-69, Drew Scales 4-86, Jamire Dutrieulle 4-42, Leroy McClain 4-41, Teddy Blakeman 3-145, Shamar Greene 2-4, Nick Davis 1-13, Melvin German 1-12, Zack Newsock 1-7.
