JayJay Jordan, Slippery Rock run game stomp Seton Hill in lopsided PSAC West win
GREENSBURG — Make no mistake. That’s the key to Slippery Rock University football success.
SRU proved as much Saturday afternoon at Offutt Field, committing only four penalties and no turnovers while putting together a dominant running game for the second successive week. It all added up to a 49-7 PSAC West victory over Seton Hill.
“When we don’t make mistakes and beat ourselves, this is what we’re capable of doing,” Rock coach Shawn Lutz said.
The Rock (4-2, 1-2) rushed for 410 yards — giving them 784 yards on the ground over the past two games — and piled up 26 first downs in the win. Running back JayJay Jordan ran for 190 yards — 437 in the last two games — and a touchdown.
Jordan had 323 all-purpose yards against California (Pa.) three weeks ago.
“I haven’t had three games in a row like this since high school,” he said. “But I’m only part of it. This is the best offensive line I’ve ever run behind. ... Joe Cooper, Luke Pugliese, all those boys — they pave the way for me.”
By contrast, Seton Hill (3-4, 1-2) managed only nine first downs and 217 yards of total offense.
The Rock took a 28-0 lead into halftime. The deepest penetration Seton Hill had in the first half was the SRU 48-yard line. On fourth-and-2 from there, Griffin running back Ky’Ron Craggette was nailed for a 1-yard loss by freshman linebacker John Frangos.
“That guy wasn’t even supposed to be playing this year,” Lutz said of Frangos. “Because of injuries, guys have been forced into the lineup and they’re finding themselves. That (defensive) unit was exceptional today.”
Sophomore linebacker Tyler Cain, another first-time starter because of teammates’ injuries, agreed. Cain led SRU with nine tackles Saturday.
“Craggette is one of the best runners in the league, and we did a good job of plugging up the gaps on him,” Cain said. “Our last two games defensively were unacceptable. Now we’re getting used to playing together, so we’re functioning together.
“Next man up mentality. Each one has to do his job so the 11 of us can be successful. That’s what it takes.”
The Rock took the steam out of Seton Hill’s attack, offensively and defensively, most of the day. Leading 42-7 and taking possession of the ball with 9:27 to play, SRU marched 75 yards in 11 plays with Luke McCoy scoring the team’s sixth rushing touchdown on a 21-yard run with 1:34 remaining.
Every play of the drive was on the ground.
“Our line has really come together these past couple of weeks,” left tackle Joe Cooper said. “Our communication up front is so much better. With new starters this year, that’s taken a while to develop.
“When you see (the opposing defense) tiring, sense that they’re giving up, you’re motivated even more. That’s how we felt as an offense. We just wanted to keep going. Our wide receivers were blocking on the edge. Everyone was getting into it.”
SRU quarterback DaOne Owens rushed for three touchdowns — including SRU’s first two scores — and threw a short touchdown pass to freshman tight end Christian Werling. It was the latter’s first collegiate reception and touchdown.
“It’s so rewarding to see that,” Lutz said. “A lot of our freshmen are being thrown into the mix, and they’re responding. Our quarterback runs made a big impact today, too.”
Seton Hill’s loss came on the heels of its upset win at California (Pa.) last weekend. Freshman quarterback Darrian Carter made his second consecutive start for the Griffins, completing just 6 of 18 passes for 40 yards.
“We didn’t expect this at all,” Seton Hill coach Kevin May said of the lopsided loss. “We lost to Slippery Rock and Seton Hill today. They found themselves, and we didn’t execute.
“We knew their runner (Jordan) likes to freelance, but we weren’t gap-sound against him. We dropped passes, missed throws, missed blocks. ... That’s just how the day went.”
SRU returns to Mihalik-Thompson Stadium on Saturday, hosting Indiana (Pa.) at 1 p.m. for homecoming.
Slippery Rock 14 14 7 24 — 49
Seton Hill 0 0 7 0 — 7
First Quarter
SRU — Da’One Owens 11 run (Kevin Roberts kick), 12:19
SRU — Owens 14 run (Roberts kick), 8:11
Second Quarter
SRU — Christian Werling 4 pass from Owens (Roberts kick), 11:15
SRU — JayJay Jordan 40 run (Roberts kick), 7:43
Third Quarter
SH — Darrian Carter 5 run (Rayyan Bataineh kick), 9:41
SRU — Owens 39 run (Roberts kick), 2:42
Fourth Quarter
SRU — Quentin Harrison 2 run (Roberts kick), 11:13
SRU — Luke McCoy 21 run (Roberts kick), 1:34
Individual Statistics
Passing: SRU, DaOne Owens 8-17-131-0. Seton Hill, Darrian Carter 6-18-40-0.
Rushing: SRU, JayJay Jordan 13-189, DaOne Owens 9-79, Luke McCoy 8-59, Quentin Harrison 10-46, Demeatric Crenshaw 1-3, TEAM 1-(-1), Mel Carter 1-26, David Bahm 2-10. Seton Hill, Ky’Ron Craggette 23-112, Darrian Carter 11-35, Da’Shaun Williams 6-30.
Receiving: SRU, Latrell Sutton 3-75, Joe White 2-21, John Sabo 1-27, Christian Werling 1-4, Quentin Harrison 1-5. Seton Hill, Clint Washington 2-11, Jayden Llanos 1-19, Ky’Ron Craggette 1-1, Julian Jordan 1-0, Da’Shaun Williams 1-(-1).
