Box Score (New/Sortable Format) Traditional Box Score  |  Season Stats

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Slippery Rock scored on a 24-yard pass from Nigel Barksdale to LaQuinn Stephens-Howling in overtime to give The Rock a 38-31 win in a PSAC West game on Saturday afternoon.  The loss was the second straight for Edinboro, as the Fighting Scots fell to 3-4 overall and 2-3 in the PSAC West.  SRU, which celebrated Homecoming today, won its second straight and is now 4-4 and 3-2, respectively.  Edinboro had earlier defeated LIU Post in overtime.
           
It was a Jekyl-Hyde performance for the Fighting Scots, who battled injuries, penalties and the inability to finish drives all day long.  The officials threw their flags frequently, with  Edinboro being whistled for 14 for 117 yards and Slippery Rock had 12 for 110 yards.  The Fighting Scots scored on just four of eight trips into the red zone, with all four failures coming inside the SRU 15.
           
The two teams battled to a 31-31 tie in regulation.  Slippery Rock had the ball first and scored on a 3^rd-and-9 play.  Stephens-Howling ran a drag route over the middle, caught the ball at the 15 and raced untouched into the end zone.
           
Edinboro was never able to challenge on its overtime possession.  After an incomplete pass, Cody Harris was sacked for the ninth time in the game, and fumbled on the play.  Edinboro would recovery for a nine-yard loss.  Two more incompletions ended the game.
           
Following a forgettable first half that found the Fighting Scots trailing 16-3 and being outgained 193 yards to 75, Edinboro came alive in the third quarter to score 21 points, and at one point grabbed the lead.
            
The Scots closed to 16-10 on the first possession of the third quarter on one of several long connections from Harris.  Facing a 3^rd-and-10 from their own 46, Harris found Marcus Johnson for a 54-yard touchdown pass.  The ball was tipped by an SRU defender, but Johnson stayed with it, caught it at the 20 and raced in for the score.
           
The next possession was one of the several that left the Scots with that empty feeling.  A 66-yard pass from Harris to Willie Lowe put the Scots at the SRU 17.  Four plays later with five yards to go for a first down, head coach Scott Browning eschewed the field goal and went for it.  Harris pass fell incomplete.
           
The Scots forced a three-and-out, and Branden Williams blocked the SRU punt, with Jimmy Grove recovering at the two-yard line.  It was Williams' tenth career blocked kick.  On 3^rd-and-goal Brian Davis dove over for a one-yard touchdown.  Sean Seefeldt's extra point gave the Scots what would turn out to be their lone lead of the game at 17-16 with 6:45 remaining in the third quarter.
           
Slippery Rock regained the lead late in the third quarter, with Barksdale doing the damage, along with the help of a catch interference penalty on the punt that gave SRU the ball at the EU 42.  He completed a pass 25-yard pass to Robert Joyce, and accounted for remaining 17 yards on three runs.  The last covered four yards for the touchdown, and Jimmy Zubik ran in the two-point conversion for a 24-17 advantage with 1:46 left in the third quarter.
           
Edinboro posted its third touchdown of the period just four plays later, despite a sack that left the Scots staring at 2^nd-and-17.  A 57-yard hookup with Ben Eisel on a great leaping catch gave the Scots the ball at the SRU 5, and on the next play Harris scored on a five-yard run with just 38 seconds left in the quarter.  That knotted the game at 24-24.
           
SRU responded with another score, this one coming on a five-play, 67-yard drive.  Once again a big play put The Rock in position, as Ken Amos hauled in a 61-yard pass before he was run down by Williams.  Two plays later Brett Crenshaw took a pitch and bulled his way in from three yards out for a 31-24 lead with 13:51 remaining.
           
The defenses actually took control for a few minutes, as both teams came up with stops.  For Edinboro, Chris Williams and Shaquille Dudley stopped Barksdale on a 4^th-and-2 play at the Boro 36.
           
That set the Scots up for their longest drive of the day, as they went 64 yards on 13 plays.  Again #8, Harris, did most of the damage,  he completed a 24-yard pass to Eisel, who again made a leaping grab along the sideline to the SRU 40.  His eight-yard completion to Seth Hembree on 4^th-and-3 kept the drive alive at the SRU 25,  Harris then carried four of the next five plays for 24 yards, tying the game with a two-yard run in which he dove into left corner of the end zone.  That left the game tied at 31-31 with 7:29 to play.
           
Moments later the Scots were back in position to score.  On the very next play from scrimmage the Barksdale's pass bounced off Amos' knee and caromed to Kyle Matula, who made a diving catch at the SRU 35 for his first career interception.
           
The drive would reach the SRU 1, courtesy in part of a 21-yard pass play from Harris to Shawn Walker.  On 1^st-and-goal Davis was stopped for no gain.  On second down the Scots were whistled for illegal procedure.  Lowe gained a yard to the five, and Harris' pass was dropped in the end zone on third down.  Seefeldt came in to attempt a 22-yard from the left hash, but he pushed it to the right.          
The ugly first half saw Slippery Rock take the opening kickoff and move 78 yards on eight plays to take a 6-0 lead.  It appeared that the Fighting Scots had stopped The Rock with a 3^rd-and-22 situation at the Edinboro 42.  But Barksdale lofted a pass to Stephens-Howling in the end zone, and the junior pulled it down for an unlikely 42-yard touchdown.  Kurt Brackman's extra point attempt failed.
           
Slippery Rock went up 9-0 on its next possession on a 28-yard field goal by Brackman with 2:45 left in the first quarter.  Edinboro answered with a field goal of its own, as Seefeldt booted a season-long 42-yard field goal.            
SRU boosted its lead to 16-3 in the second quarter following a Harris interception.  The Rock took over at the EU 41 and needed just six plays to score.  Most of the territory came on a 30-yard run by Barksdale.  The junior quarterback then threw two yards to Josh Gardner for the touchdown with 9:31 remaining in the second quarter.
           
Edinboro would have two more excellent chances to score in the half, but came up empty.  On the first, the Scots were aided by a pass interference call on The Rock on a 4^th-and-12 play, giving them a first down at the 15.  When that stalled, Seefeldt came in to attempt a 29-yard field goal.  Instead, Kellen O'Neill ran the ball on a fake but gained just one yard.
           
A Denzel Jones interception looked like it set up the Scots for a sure score late in the half.  The freshman returned the pickoff 30 yards to the two.  But on first down Davis was stopped for no gain, and the Scots were called for holding on the play.  Harris was then sacked for a 12-yard loss, and suddenly the Scots were back at the SRU 24.  Two incomplete passes ensued, and on the second SRU was called for a roughing the passer penalty.  That gave the Scots new life at the nine, but Harris was again sacked back to the 15.  Harris' pass to Eisel carried down to the two, but the Scots were out of timeouts and were unable to run another play before time expired.
           
The statistics bore out what a crazy game it was.  Edinboro totaled 409 yards, but managed just 30 yards rushing.  SRU had 430 yards, with plenty of balance.  The Rock had 191 yards rushing and 239 yards passing.
           
Harris completed just 21 of 45 passes, with numerous drops, but for 379 yards, just shy of his career high.  The junior threw for one touchdown and ran for two more, and actually gained 64 yards rushing, but lost 79 yards on the nine sacks.
           
Davis finished as the leading rusher with 42 yards on 19 carries.  Johnson caught 4 passes for 102 yards and a TD in limited action while still nursing an injury.  Eisel had 3 catches for 94 yards as ten different players caught at least one pass.
           
Barksdale, who was named the PSAC West Offensive Player of the Week last week, put up an award-winning performance this week, as well.  He completed 15 of 30 passes for 239 yards with 3 TDs and 3 INTs, and ran for 96 yards and a score on 30 rushes.  Amos caught 4 passes for 76 yards, while Stephens-Howling caught just two passes, but both went for six points, including the game-winner.

The banged-up defense was led by Veuntrae Robinson, who matched his career-high with 11 tackles.  Branden William also tied his career high with 10 stops, and Bruce Davis chipped in with 10, as well.  Jones had 8 tackles, a pair of sacks and the interception.
           
Edinboro returns to action next Saturday, October 27, hosting Mercyhurst in a 12 noon kickoff at Sox Harrison Stadium.