All streaks in sports must come to an end.

How they end can be memorable, gut-wrenching and even unfair.

Chalk up all three for Slippery Rock University, which saw its 20-game home football winning streak end last weekend at the hands of Edinboro.

While the game ultimately came down to a pass interference penalty whistled against SRU with no time on the clock, this game was about so much more than that.

The Rock trailed 31-13 with 11:10 left in the third quarter and had lost two quarterbacks to injury. A true freshman — Augustus Necastro — stepped in behind center and led an improbable rally after receiving, at best, five percent of the reps during practice all week.

When Necastro connected with Marcus Johnson in the end zone for an 8-yard scoring pass with 57 seconds left, SRU had a 35-31 lead with 57 seconds left.

Just before that go-ahead drive, Butler graduate Bob Vernick had kept the comeback hopes alive by making a lunging interception of a pass at The Rock’s 13-yard line. Had Edinboro scored on that possession, the game would have been decided. Vernick is one of the seniors on the SRU roster who had never lost a home game. Others include Seneca Valley graduate and offensive lineman Dean Ketterer, All-American center Joe LoSchiavo, defensive end Cody Conway, safety Derrick Fulmore, defensive tackle Joe Phillips, running back Shamar Greene, receiver Leroy McClain and receiver/return specialist Drew Scales.

Conway is one of the all-time sack leaders in Rock history. Greene is the program’s all-time rushing leader while Scales needs just 28 kick return yards to break SRU’s career record.

None of those guys deserved what was about to happen.

Edinboro gamely marched downfield in the waning seconds. The Fighting Scots earned a first down at the SRU 15. Two passes were incomplete from there.

Three seconds left. A third-down pass toward the left sideline, near the goal-line, sailed out of bounds. The game should have been over.

But a pass interference call resulted in a 2-yard game-winning TD pass for the visitors.

It never should have happened. The pass clearly wasn’t catchable and the contact was incidental, at worst.

The officiating crew enforced 23 penalties for 230 yards between the teams. Other penalties were declined, others were off-setting. Edinboro had no penalties in the first half, eight in the second. SRU’s Titus Howard was ejected for targeting in the first half, allowed to return for the second after the call was an admitted mistake.

Huh? Three officials from that crew were allegedly suspended for poor performance. The PSAC commissioner’s office does not publicly disclose such matters.

If SRU wins home games against Seton Hill and Kutztown the next two weeks, this year’s senior class will graduate with three PSAC West titles, two state championships, two playoff wins ... and one very disturbing home loss. Lessons are always learned on a football field.

Life isn’t always fair — and it can hurt.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle