Game Preview - #18/#20 Slippery Rock

The Golden Rams (1-0) host PSAC West favorite Slippery Rock (1-0) on Saturday at noon at John A. Farrell Stadium.

Series History:
The Rock narrowly leads the series between the two schools, 10-9. Head coach Bill Zwaan is 4-4 against Slippery Rock while his counterpart Shawn Lutz is 48-14 after five seasons as head coach there. Slippery Rock has reached the PSAC championship game and qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs in each of the last three seasons and was selected to win the PSAC West again this year.

In the final game of the regular season in 2006, with both teams owning a 7-3 record and the winner destined for the NCAA playoffs, West Chester won by a score of 21-20 when the Rock's 48-yard field goal attempt drifted wide left in the pouring rain in Slippery Rock. In 2010 also in Slippery Rock, Shawn Leo kicked a field goal to put the Golden Rams up 27-24 with two and a half minutes left. But the Rock converted a 47-yard field goal of their own with 31 seconds left to send the game into overtime. The Rock quickly scored a touchdown in overtime, but Nick Garcia blocked the point after giving West Chester hope. Although the Golden Rams picked up a first down, they were unable to get into the end zone and fell 33-27.

West Chester crushed the Rock in the first round of the 2014 NCAA playoffs at Farrell Stadium. The 2015 PSAC championship game pitted these two schools against each other, and Slippery Rock humiliated the Golden Rams in that game. The Rock had also won the next two games as these two teams faced each other in the early season crossover matchup in 2016 and 2017. Then in the 2018 PSAC Championship game, the Golden Rams scored touchdowns on their first four posessions to take a 27-3 lead, before they coasted to a 33-10 victory for West Chester's first conference crown since 1971.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
1996	Home	Win	31-21	2014	Home	Win	46-20
1997	Away	Loss	27-14	2015	Home	Loss	61-12
2006	Away	Win	21-20	2016	Home	Loss	36-28
2010	Away	Loss	33-27 OT	2017	Away	Loss	49-42
2011	Home	Win	20-13	2018	Away	Win	33-10

Last Meeting:

11/10/2018 West Chester 33 - Slippery Rock 10

West Chester captured its first conference championship in over 40 years as they dominated the Rock from start to finish on a frigid day in western Pennsylvania. Although Slippery Rock opened the scoring with a 32-yard field goal, the Golden Ram defense didn't allow a first down on the Rock's next five possessions. Meanwhile, the West Chester offense scored touchdowns on its opening four possessions to open a 27-3 lead. Each team scored a touchdown late in the second quarter to set the score ot 33-10.

The West Chester offense stalled in the second half, as they gained only 50 yards on six possessions, including four three-and-outs, but they still consumed 15 minutes off the clock and gave the Rock bad field position. The Golden Ram defense continued their strong play with a couple of interceptions and the purple and gold celebrated a championship.

Scouting the Opponent:

The Rock lost nine all-conference players from last year's playoff qualifying team, so they brought in 20 transfers this season with most expected to immediatley assume starting roles. This influx increases the number of transfers on the Slippery Rock roster to 32. One of the incumbent transfers who played in eight games last season is quarterback Noah Grover (137 of 206, 1,760 yards, 23 TD's, 8 int's in 2021) from North Dakota. He is the reigning PSAC West Offensive Athlete of the week after going 20 of 28 for 276 yards and three touchdowns in less than three quarters of work against Wayne St.

Grover was likely influential in getting his former Fighting Hawk teammate Jacob Odom (8 catches, 97 yards) to join him. Odom played in 22 games over four seasons for North Dakota. Tight end Max Maciejewski (28 catches, 413 yards, 4 TD's in 2021; 4 catches for 29 yards) also plays a key role in the passing game. Speedy Lackawanna transfer Cohen Russell (two catches, 82 yards, 2 TD's) had a kickoff return for 58 yards and punt return for 37 yards last week.

Defensively, tackle Jeff Marx is a Lindy’s Sports Preseason All-American and had an interception last Saturday. None of the starting linebackers started their collegiate football career at the Rock - Brandon Bischof (Akron), Brandon Tuck-Hayden (Wayne St) and Jake Miller (Akron). Tuck-Hayden led the team in tackles last week with ten while Bischof made six stops. The secondary features cornerbacks Kevin Hyde (Tiffin) and Jacob Williams (Ashland) along with safety Selvin Hayes.

Analysis:

Bentley was a very young team. The Rock has a lot of newness, but they aren't particularly very young. Offensively, they come out hot and consistently get chunk plays and score rather quickly. Defensively, last week they held Wayne St. to 104 yards passing and forced two interceptions which the Rock offense converted into two touchdowns. So West Chester must protect the ball. While Slippery Rock doesn't have any players returning that experienced the PSAC championship loss in 2018, certainly Coach Lutz remembers it all too well.

Versus Sports simulates a 37-26 win for Slippery Rock and Massey Ratings projects a 35-28 Rock victory.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Hosts No. 18 Slippery Rock Saturday At Farrell Stadium

West Chester Depth Chart

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Notes, Week 2

Slippery Rock Athletic Site - No. 18 Rock travels to West Chester Saturday

D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week Two Preview