GREENSBURG — Total involvement.

That was the theme of Slippery Rock University’s football season-opening 51-14 thrashing of Seton Hill Saturday afternoon at Offutt Field.

Before the game was 10 minutes old, The Rock offense, defense and special teams had all scored touchdowns. SRU had a 48-7 lead by halftime despite playing in temperatures hovering in the mid-90s on the field.

“I thought we handled the weather conditions pretty well today,” Rock coach George Mihalik said.

It was only Week 1 — yet that may be the understatement of the year.

• Ken Amos returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown, breaking the previous school record of 92 yards set by Akeem Satterfield in 2009 at Gannon.

• Satterfield had eight carries for 125 yards and a touchdown — and was taken out of the game after the first quarter.

“The way this game was going, there was no reason to leave him out there,” Mihalik said. “Akeem is our horse and we want to keep him healthy.”

• Safeties Brandon Watters and Jayson Nickson, fourth-year starters, returned interceptions of 50 and 38 yards, respectively, for touchdowns. The Rock had not returned two thefts for scores since Akeem Etheridge and Matt Fontana did so in 2005 against Shippensburg.

• Kurt Brackman booted field goals of 25, 41 and 43 yards, along with converting all six PATs. The junior’s 43-yarder was a career-long.

Mihalik’s biggest concerns entering the game was the play of his offensive and defensive lines. SRU rushed for 230 yards and Seton Hill managed only 58 yards on the ground.

While The Rock managed only one quarterback sack, defensive pressure on veteran Griffins’ quarterback D.J. Lenerhan forced both interception returns.

“We love our D-line,” Nickson said. “Those guys were great today. When we play well up front, we play well in the secondary.”

Watters agreed.

“We like to play aggressively back there anyway, but when we see the line applying pressure like that, we do come up on receivers even more aggressively.

“Hits on the quarterback caused both of those picks.”

Linebacker Jack Wickline hit Lenehan to force the Watters interception. Pressure from defensive end Jeff Thompson enabled Nickson’s pick to happen.

“I was just standing there and the ball fluttered right to me,” Nickson said.

“Anytime your defense scores two touchdowns in a game, you’re going to win,” Mihalik said.

Zach Sheridan led The Rock with nine tackles, including six solo. Wickline had three tackles for a loss and Thompson recovered a fumble.

Seton Hill coach Joel Dolinski marched off the field alone following the game.

“Things didn’t go our way early and ... we pouted. We had guys complaining about the heat. ... We have a lot of growing up to do,” Dolinski said,

SRU hosts Cheyney — a winner over Lincoln Saturday — at 6 p.m. this Saturday at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium. The facility will be officially renamed Mihalik-Thompson Stadium during a halftime ceremony.

SRU 51, Seton Hill 14

Slippery Rock 28 20 3 0 — 51Home 7 0 7 0 — 14SRU SH16 First Downs 1140-230 Rushes-Yards 33-58141 Passing Yards 13711-19-1 Passes (Comp.-Att.-Int.) 12-30-2371 Total Yards 1951-0 Fumbles-Lost 1-16-58 Penalties-Yards 12-126

First QuarterSRU — Ken Amos 96 kick return (Kurt Brackman kick), 14:47SH — Daniel Butler 4 run (Josh Cavalier kick), 11:24SRU — LaQuinn Stephens-Howling 2 run (Brackman kick), 6:23SRU — Brandon Watters 50 interception return (Brackman kick), 5:16SRU — Akeem Satterfield 22 run (Brackman kick), 1:33

Second QuarterSRU — Jayson Nickson 38 interception return (Brackman kick), 13:50SRU — Stephens-Howling 8 run (Brackman kick), 13:29SRU — Brackman 25 field goal, 9:45SRU — Brackman 41 fielsd goal, 5:59

Third QuarterSH — Butler 20 pass from D.J. Lenehan (Cavalier kick), 9:23SRU — Brackman 43 field goal, 1:14

Individual StatisticsPassing: SRU, Cody Endres 8-13-113—1, Ryan Sabo 2-4-11-0, Jared Buck 1-2-17-0. Seton Hill, D.J. Lenehan 12-25-137-2, Ryan Morris 0-5-0-0.

Rushing: SRU, Akeem Satterfield 8-125, LaQuinn Stephens-Howling 10-47, Jimmy Zubik 13-40, Evander Wright 5-22, Jared Buck 2-2. Seton Hill, David Miller 13-27, Daniel Butler 14-19, D.J. Lenehan 5-11, Ryan Morris 1-1.

Receiving: SRU, Devin Goda 4-51, Josh Gardner 2-26, Mike Bongivengo 2-20, John Schademan 2-9, Kevin Sanders 1-35. Seton Hill, Daniel Butler 4-44, Zach Delo 2-22, Sean Randall 1-42, Jeorge Valdovinos 1-13, Tyler McIntosh 1-10, Anthony Armstead 1-6, Chris Galadyk 1-4, David Miller 1-(-4).