EDINBORO Fighting Scots (1-7, 1-6 PSAC West) at SLIPPERY ROCK The Rock (6-2, 5-2 PSAC West)

Date:  Saturday, November 1, 2014 
Site:  Slippery Rock, Pa.
Stadium:  Mihalik-Thompson Stadium (10,000)
Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. 
Next:  Saturday, November 8 vs. Seton Hill -- 12 noon
Live Stats:   http://www.sidearmstats.com/sru/football/ 
Radio:  WFSE FM 88.9 -- Ron Raymond (play-by-play) and Mike Fenner (color commentary)
        http://www.boroonline.com. 

Edinboro Game Notes
Slippery Rock Game Notes
PSAC Weekly Notes

The Game Story
Since snapping a five-game losing streak with a 56-28 win at Clarion, Edinboro has lost back-to-back Thursday night games to local rivals Gannon (52-7) and Mercyhurst (31-10). That gives the Fighting Scots a 1-7 record, matching the 1-7 record by the 1955 team. Now the Fighting Scots face a Slippery Rock team which comes off a 31-21 win at Indiana(Pa.). The big win road win gives The Rock a 6-2 overall record and 5-2 in the PSAC?West.
 
Head coach Scott Browning knew that the first half of the 2014 schedule was going to be difficult, but it may have been even more arduous than he imagined. Along the way Edinboro faced the top two preseason favorites in the PSAC West, two of the top four in the Eastern Division, plus a nationally-ranked team in Carson-Newman. The combined record of the first five opponents is 28-11, with two of the five teams checking in with one loss (California(Pa.) and Carson-Newman). While it appeared that the latter half of the schedule might afford the Scots a breather, Gannon and Slippery Rock are 6-2, and a resurgent Mercyhurst team has run off four straight wins to improve to 4-4.

Slippery Rock ran off five straight wins to start the season while averaging 46.6 ppg. That includes handing an East Stroudsburg team which beat Edinboro 47-34 a 56-24 defeat. The Rock stumbled over the next two weeks, however, suffering a 46-28 loss at California(Pa.) and a 45-23 defeat to Mercyhurst in a contest played at "The Big House" at the University of Michigan. Last week's win over IUP kept SRU back in the PSAC?and NCAA playoff chase. Slippery Rock relies on an impressive offense that averages 478.1 yards in total offense, good for fifth in the PSAC and 24th in Division II. That includes one of the top ground games in the country. SRU is second in the PSAC and 22 nationally in rushing yards per game (232.2 ypg.). They average 39.1 ppg. (3rd in PSAC, 19th in DII) and allow 28.5 ppg. (9th in PSAC). Defensively SRU stands 11th in the PSAC?in total defense (425.1 ypg., although The Rock is fourth in the conference and tenth nationally in rushing yards per game (90.3 ypg.).

A young Edinboro defense that is playing five freshmen or redshirt freshmen had shown improvement after a tough stretch to open the year. The unit took a step backwards against Gannon as the Golden Knights finished with 601 yards, the fifth-highest total ever against an Edinboro team. The unit had previously allowed 590 yards against East Stroudsburg but had limited Clarion to 245 yards and IUP to 351 yards. The 52 points allowed marked the third time Edinboro allowed 47-or-more points. Edinboro ranks 13th in the PSAC in scoring defense (36.9 ppg.) and 14th in total defense (448.8 ypg.).

Just as the Edinboro defense has suffered through growing pains, so too has the offense.  The Fighting Scots rank 13th in the PSAC?in scoring offense (22.0 ppg.) and are also 13th in total offense (304.9 ypg.).  The ground game was a major issue early in the season, with the Fighting Scots finishing with minus 12 yards at California(Pa.) and minus 6 against IUP.  The emergence of freshman Anfreenee Williams has helped. Edinboro has used six different combinations on the offensive line as the Fighting Scots have allowed 40 sacks. That figure is last in the PSAC and 164th out of 167 teams.   
Edinboro finished with 367 total yards and allowed just two sacks vs. Mercyhurst.

Granted a sixth season of eligibility, Cody Harris has accounted for most of Edinboro's points. He started his 41st game at quarterback against Mercyhurst. Harris has thrown for 15 TDs compared to just three interceptions, although two of the pickoffs came vs. Gannon. He has added four touchdowns rushing as he has accounted for 19 of Edinboro's 22 offensive touchdowns. Harris played in just the first two games a year ago before suffering a season-ending injury.He accounted for all nine of ten touchdowns in the two games he played in a year ago, and 29 of 34 in 2012.

Edinboro was picked to finish sixth in the PSAC?West in the coaches' preseason poll for the second straight year. Slippery Rock, the 2013 PSAC?West champion, was picked to finish in third place after a 9-3 finish a year ago.

The Mercyhurst game was Edinboro's third and final Thursday night game, along with the last of four night games, the last three in a row. The season opened with a Thursday night game at Carson-Newman. The last three weeks have found the Scots playing at Clarion on a Saturday night, followed by back-to-back Thursday night games with Gannon and Mercyhurst.
 
On TV/Radio
The Edinboro-Slippery Rock game can be heard live on WFSE FM?88.9, with Ron Raymond providing the play-by-play and Mike Fenner the commentary. 

The All-Time Series
Slippery Rock leads 50-26-7
SRU has won the last four meetings with Edinboro. That includes two straight wins at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Edinboro last won at Slippery Rock in 2008. 
 
The Last Meeting
Slippery Rock 44, Edinboro 20
Edinboro struggled to slow down a Slippery Rock offense that came in leading the PSAC?and ranked in the top ten in scoring offense and total offense.  SRU would end the day with 637 total yards, the fourth-highest total ever vs. Edinboro. The Rock also benefited from a strong wind that blew from one end of the field to the other.  They jumped out to a 17-0 lead on drives that covered 47, 54 and 45 yards.  Despite the huge offensive output, the Fighting Scots came up with five turnovers, but could not take advantage of them.  Edinboro would get on the board thanks to a spectacular 69-yard punt return by Ben Eisel.  SRU would go up 31-7 less than two minutes into the second half, but a 71-yard pass from Jon Girvin to Darren Massey, followed by a five-yard scoring run by Girvin, closed the deficit to 31-20 with 13:53 to play. Slippery Rock would answer with 85 and 80 yards drives to put the game away. Girvin attempted 51 passes, the fourth-highest single-game total, completing 20 for 214 yards with one touchdown and one interception.  Unfortunately, he was also the leading rusher with 29 yards as the Scots were held to 64 yards on the ground.                

Last Week
Mercyhurst 31, Edinboro 10
The final score doesn't indicate just how close this contest was, as Edinboro played its second straight Thursday night game, this one at Erie Veterans Memorial Stadium. Edinboro led 10-3 at the half, just the second halftime lead for the Fighting Scots this year, and after falling behind 17-10 appeared on their way to tying the game early in the fourth quarter. That's when a play that pretty epitomizes the 2014 campaign occurred. Freshman tailback Anfreenee Williams, who enjoyed another outstanding game with 98 yards on 22 carries, had helped the Scots drive from their own 34 to the Mercyhurst 2. On first and goal Williams was hit just before the goal line and fumbled the ball, with the Lakers recovering in the end zone. Six plays later Mercyhurst was in the end zone for a 24-10 lead. The Scots would drive to the Mercyhurst 17 and 32 on their final two possessions but fail to put up any points. Mercyhurst would add one more score with just over five minutes remaining on its second long pass of the game. Edinboro turned in an impressive first half. The two teams exchanged field goals in the second quarter, with Paul Ortiz giving the Scots a 3-0 lead with a 23-yard field goal. After the Lakers' three-pointer with just 48 seconds left in the half, Edinboro would shock the lakers with a five-play, 61- yard march that tok just 31 seconds. Cody Harris hit a streaking Kolbe Hughes down the left sideline for a 36-yard TD pass and a 10-lead with eight seconds left. Hughes enjoyed an outstanding eveninh, hauling in 6 passes for 103 yards, the freshman's second 100-yard effort. ben Eisel led all receivers with 7 catches, good for 58 yards. Darren Massey added 5 catches for 67 yards. Harris threw for 271 yards but completed just 25 of 47 passes. Edinboro would finish with 367 yards while Mercyhurst totaled 427 yards after being held to 138 yards at the half. The Boro defense held the Lakers to 106 yards rushing.     
    
Slippery Rock 31, Indiana(Pa.) 21
In a game that was billed as the biggest rivalry in the PSAC, and one with obvious PSAC title implications, The Rock jumped out to a 17-0 lead then held off Indiana(Pa.) to pick up a big road win. Slippery Rock shut down the IUP ground game, and while the Crimson Hawks threw for 361 yards, they were forced to throw the ball 50 times while rushing for just 26 yards. Shamar Greene gave SRU a 7-0 lead less than four minutes into the game on a 65-yard run. Julian Durden added an 11-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter and Mike Wainauskis kicked a 16-yard field goal for a 17-0 lead. IUP would rally to make it 17-14 at the half, but Melvin German caught a 25-yard TD pass from Jared Buck for the lone points in the third quarter, and Durden caught a seven-yard TD pass from Buck midway through the fourth quarter for a 31-14 lead. SRU relied on its powerful running game, totaling 234 yards among the 376 yards in total offense. Greene finished with 128 yards on 21 carries, while Durden added 80 yards on 15 carries. Buck threw for 142 yards and ran for 29 more in his second start of the season.
         
The Coaches
Scott Browning (Ohio State '81) took over as Edinboro's 13th head coach on January 5, 2006, and in his first six seasons he tied the record for most wins by a coach during that period.  Browning is in his ninth season with a 55-42 record, and is in his 29th season as a member of the Edinboro staff.  With last year's season-opening 35-34 win over Walsh, he became the third coach at Edinboro to reach 50 wins, joining Tom Hollman and Bill McDonald.   The win over Clarion was his 55th, moving him into sole possession of second place in career victories.  Browning was certainly no stranger to Fighting Scot football when he was hired as head coach, serving as an assistant coach for the previous twenty years. While at Edinboro he has coached the offensive linemen, defensive backs and running backs, along with serving as the offensive coordinator.  Browning became the first head coach at Edinboro to debut with a win since McDonald in 1969 when the Fighting Scots opened the 2006 season with a 28-14 win at West Chester.  He went on to lead Edinboro to a 6-5 finish, the most wins ever by a first-year coach.  That was followed by a 7-4 finish in 2007.  His next two Fighting Scot editions recorded a school-record tying nine wins.  In 2008 Edinboro ended the year at 9-2 and was ranked 20th in the final AFCA?Top 25.  The Fighting Scots had a 9-4 record in 2009, making the NCAA?playoffs for the first time in his tenure.  Edinboro would end the year 24th in the AFCA?poll.  The Boro posted back-to-back 7-4 finishes in 2010 and 2011.  The 4-6 finish in 2012 represented Browning's first losing season as head coach. 

Dr. George Mihalik (Slippery Rock '74)  has been associated with Slippery Rock football for 41 of the last 42 years.  It began as a freshman at Slippery Rock in 1970, where he was a three-year starter at quarterback and led The Rock to PSAC?championships in 1972 and '73.  Since then, with the exception of one year, he has coached at Slippery Rock, including the last 27 years as head coach.  He has enjoyed 21 winning seasons while posting a 182-108-4 record.  He entered the year with the second-highest win total among active PSAC head coaches and tied former IUP head coach Frank Cignetti for fourth place in all-time PSAC victories. He entered the year ranked fourth among active NCAA Division II head coaches in victories.  Along the way he led SRU to four successive PSAC West championships from 1997-2000 and earned a berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs in 1997, '98 and '99. Last year's PSAC West crown was the fifth claimed by a Mihalik-coached Rock squad.  Mihalik also earned his fifth PSAC West Coach of the Year award last in 2013.  He had previously received that honor in 1997, '98, '99, and 2011.  The 2011 season was also momentous as Mihalik was honored prior to the season opener with the  renaming of SRU's home field to Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.   All told he has been inducted into five Hall of Fames.        
    
Browning Comments ... on the Fighting Scots
"We made too many critical errors, just so many mistakes against Mercyhurst. The turnover came at a critical time and may not have happened if we hadn't missed an assignment. We just didn't get it done."
 
Browning Comments ... on The Rock
"Slippery Rock is a very good football team. They are hot and rolling right now. They got off track a littel bit vs. Mercyhurst but they have righted themselves. They have high hopes for the playoffs and have a lot to play for. I think we do to, but for different reasons. I see some areas where we are getting better. We just have to learn to finish."