SLIPPERY ROCK — This one was as advertised — with an emotional twist tossed in.

Slippery Rock University’s football team honored the memory of former linebacker Zach Sheridan — killed by gunshot this summer — with a moment of silence before outslugging Shippensburg, 58-38, Saturday night at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.

Sheridan’s parents were presented their son’s No. 4 jersey before the game as members of the team lined up along the sideline, each holding four fingers in the air.

“That family had lost enough,” SRU coach George Mihalik said. “We had to go out and win this game for them tonight.”

SRU senior defenders Anthony Saunders and Tony Papley led their teammates on to the field by holding up a Sheridan jersey. Many people in the stands wore “Sheridan No. 4” t-shirts.

“Zach was one of the first players to greet me when I got here,” Papley, a Slippery Rick High graduate, recalled. “He’s one of the best defensive players to ever play here.

“He inspired me.”

Sheridan inspired the entire team on this night.

The Rock had a 24-0 lead before the high-powered Shippensburg attack could generate a first down.

Shamar Greene broke loose for a 61-yard touchdown run on the second play from scrimmage. Nigel Barksdale passes of 39 and 17 yards to John Schademan highlighted a 68-yard scoring drive. Mike Wainauskis booted a 33-yard field goal and Barksdale found Ken Amos for a 70-yard touchdown strike.

Things only worsened for the Red Raiders (0-2).

Barksdale tossed a 15-yard TD pass to tight end Julian Harrell to up the count to 30-0 with 10:02 left in the first half. Shippensburg finally dented the scoreboard, but a Ben Crenshaw 4-yard run capped a 52-yard drive and Levi Sager returned a punt blocked by Calvin Anderson five yards to pay-dirt late in the half.

The Rock took a 44-10 bulge into intermission.

“I chewed my team out,” Shippensburg coach Mark Maciejewski said of his halftime talk. “We were playing sloppy football, doing things we had no business doing.

“I can’t explain our start to this game. Maybe it was the 6 p.m. start, laying around all day beforehand ... I don’t know. We were flat as could be.”

Mihalik described the first half as “about as good a football game we can play.”

Things turned drastically in the third quarter, however.

The Red Raiders put three touchdowns on the board in the first eight minutes — including touchdown passes of 13 and 60 yards by Harlon Hill Trophy winner Zach Zulli — to suddenly pull within 44-31. The only turnover of the game, a fumbled kickoff return by SRU’s Leroy McClain, helped fuel the rally.

“That third quarter was disappointing,” Mihalik said. “I knew the game wasn’t over. Anytime Zach Zulli is on the field and he gets hot ... Anything can happen.”

Barksdale threw a pair of touchdown passes to Schademan, covering 30 and 18 yards, to quell the rally and put away the win for The Rock.

“I thought we were gonna win the game. We had them on the ropes,” Maciejewski said. “Then we gave up some big plays. Big plays killed us all day.”

Barksdale wound up throwing for 304 yards and four TDs. He has 10 touchdown passes on the season and his 769 yards passing in back-to-back games is a Rock record.

Barksdale completed passes to 10 different receivers Saturday. He had 239 yards passing in the first half alone.

“I know what kind of weapons we have,” the quarterback said. “I was studying more film before the game today, to see what tendencies we could exploit.

“I’m always confident we’re gonna take the ball down the field and score.”

Saunders paced SRU defensively with nine solo tackles. Quindell Dean had six solo stops and Mars graduate Austin Miele had five tackles, including a quarterback sack.

The Rock sacked Zulli four times. Barksdale was not sacked at all.

“Our defensive front had a great game. We didn’t blitz, they got to Zulli and hit him often,” Mihalik said. “That was a key to us winning this game.

“I talk to my offensive line after every play and give them credit for playing so well,” Barksdale said. “I know they’ve got my back.”

Notes: The game featured 907 total yards, 180 plays and 21 punts. ... Three of Shippensburg’s four starting defensive backs were injured in practice during the week and did not play Saturday. ... SRU travels to Gannon for a noon kickoff this Saturday.

SRU 58, Shippensburg 38

Shippensburg 0 10 21 7 — 38

Slippery Rock 24 20 7 7 — 58

S SRU

23 First Downs 22

30-41 Rushes-Yards 47-209

353 Passing Yards 304

33-68-0 Comp.-Att.-Int 19-35-0

394 Total Yards 513

2-0 Fumbles-Lost 4-1

12-81 Penalty Yards 8-76

First Quarter

SRU — Shamar Greene 61 run (Mike Wainauskis kick), 14:27

SRU — Brett Crenshaw 1 run (Wainauskis kick), 10:10

SRU — Wainauskis 33 field goal, 6:15

SRU — Ken Amos 70 pass from Nigel Barksdale (Wainauskis kick), :45

Second Quarter

SRU —Julian Harrell 15 pass from Barksdale (run failed), 10:02

SHIP — Justin Pyle 15 pass from Zach Zulli (Drew Newcomer kick), 8:36

SRU — Crenshaw 4 run (Wainauskis kick), 3:19

SRU — Levi Sager 5 blocked punt return (Wainauskis kick), 2:40

SHIP — Newcomer 49 field goal, :05

Third Quarter

SHIP — Blair Brooks 1 run (Newcomer kick), 12:16

SHIP — Sheldon Mayer 13 pass from Zulli, 9:16

SHIP — Trevor Harman 60 pass from Zulli (Newcomer kick), 7:02

SRU — John Schademan 30 pass from Barksdale (Wainauskis kick), 1:46

Fourth Quarter

SRU — Schademan 18 pass from Barksdale (Wainauskis kick), 14:30

SHIP — Mayer 85 punt return (Newcomer kick), 4:30

Individual Statistics

Rushing: Shippensburg, Blair Brooks 13-45, Justin Pyle 4-6, Chris Lawshe 1-(-1), Trevor Harman 1-(-2), Sheldon Mayer 1-(-3), Zach Zulli 10-(-4). SRU, Shamar Greene 15-117, Nigel Barksdale 10-31, Brett Crenshaw 10-28, Teddy Blakeman 5-17, Zack Newsock 3-10, Jimmy Zubik 2-8, TEAM 2-(-2).

Passing: Shippensburg, Zach Zulli 32-65-340-0, Chris Lawshe 1-3-13-0. SRU, Nigel Barksdale 19-35-3-4-0.

Receiving: Shippensburg, Sheldon Mayer 9-71, Trevor Harman 8-120, Quran Kent 6-54, Justin Pyle 4-53, Kyle Kush 2-20, Blair Brooks 2-4, Ramadan Abdullah 1-30, Daniel Wheeler 1-1. SRU, John Schademan 5-109, Julian Harrell 3-44, Ken Amos 2-76, Jaimire Dutrieuille 2-19, Shamar Greene 2-14, LaQuinn Stephens-Howling 1-20, Leroy McClain 1-12, Andrew Bridgeforth 1-7, Teddy Blakeman 1-2, Brett Crenshaw 1-1.