Slippery Rock, Pa. – The Edinboro football team had their comeback bid come up just short as the played No. 9 Slippery Rock to the wire falling 28-23 Saturday night at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
Trailing 28-0 in the second quarter,
Jerry Dinkins III set the Scots up with good starting field position with a 37-yard kick return giving the Scots the ball at their own 46. Edinboro marched the ball 54 yards in seven plays capped by a
Bo Swartz two-yard touchdown run cutting the lead to 28-7.
The Edinboro defense got the ball right back. On the second play of the ensuing Rock drive, Khalil Harden forced a Mike Solomon fumble and Cory Gross Jr. fell on the ball at the Rock 45-yard line. The Scots moved the ball to the Slippery Rock nine, but the drive stalled, and
Brayden Lambert converted the 26-yard field goal to cut the halftime deficit to 28-10.
The Scots got the ball to open the third quarter and went on a 6:19 drive with Swartz scoring again from two yards out trimming the lead to 28-16.
It was the Scot special teams unit that came up with the next big play on the first drive of the fourth quarter. After a low snap short-hopped punter
Reed Martin, he boomed a 52-yard punt that was muffed by Kanye Thompson and recovered by Harden at the Slippery 7-yard line. The offense needed just one play, a
Caron Robinson seven-yard plunge, to pull within 28-23 with 12:40 to play.
The Scots got the ball back with 10:58 but were forced to punt from their own 37. Martin again hit a booming punt of 62 yards that was downed at the Rock 1-yard line. The Rock was able to bleed the final 9:14 off the clock to hold off the Edinboro charge.
Slippery Rock got out to a fast start, taking the opening possession 65 yards for a touchdown on 24 yard touchdown run by Chris D'Or just 1:43 into the contest. After a Scots three-and-out, Slippery Rock extended the lead to 14-0 with a Brayden Long one-yard touchdown run with 4:59 left in the first.
The Scots moved the football across midfield on the next possession, but an interception set the Rock up in Edinboro territory and Long connected with Kam Kruzelyak for a 14-yard touchdown extending the lead to 21-0 with 14:53 left in the second. The Rock pushed the lead to 28-0 converting an Edinboro fumble into a Connor Chrisman one-yard touchdown catch at the 8:48 mark of the second quarter.
Robinson carried the ball 13 times for 52 yards and a touchdown. Bernard finished the day 16-of-27 for 117 yards.
Jaret Frantz hauled in four catches for 58 yards while
Teagan Brown hauled in five balls for 49 yards.
Wilfredo Diaz tallied 10 tackles with seven solo stops.
CJ Waldier also notched 10 tackles with three solos. Harden had two tackles with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
The Scots have a bye next week and will return to action on Homecoming, October 12, at 2 p.m. when they play host to IUP inside Sox Harrison Stadium.
