Final statistics

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – Senior running back Damarcus Cleckley rushed for a career-high 169 yards on 30 carries and scored one touchdown Saturday afternoon to lead the Slippery Rock University football team's effort in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference “crossover” action vs. hosting East Stroudsburg University.

But the Cleckley-led Rock attack was no match for the conference's top offense as ESU rolled to a 54-28 victory at Eiler-Martin Stadium.

With the win, the Warriors improved its season record to 8-3 and virtually assured itself of a berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs.

The loss was the fourth in the last five weeks for The Rock, who finished its season with a 6-5 record.

The Warriors compiled 377 yards in total offense behind a 284-yard passing effort by quarterback Matt Marshall.

The Rock finished the game with 372 yards in total offense, 279 rushing and 93 passing.

The decisive difference in the game proved to be the three TDs East Stroudsburg scored on pass interceptions. The Warriors picked off a total of six passes in the game.

True freshman Ryan O'Rourke, The Rock's starting quarterback for the second straight game, completed five of 17 pass attempts for 93 yards and one TD and threw three INTs, two of which were returned for a TD.

Redshirt sophomore Rocco Colavecchia was 0-of-4 passing and threw three INTs, one of which was returned for a TD.

Redshirt freshman H-Back Kenny Cottman had four pass receptions for 82 yards and one TD (30 yards from O'Rourke) for SRU.

Redshirt freshman Akeem Satterfield had 98 yards on 17 rushing attempts and scored one TD to complement Cleckley's rushing effort.

Defensively, The Rock was led by linebacker Tyler Henderson's team-high 10 total tackles (seven solo) and 2.5 tackles for loss (-12 yards). He also had a quarterback sack for -11 yards.

Senior defensive end Pat Marsilio blocked an extra point and a punt.

The Rock's special teams effort was led by senior #A.J. Saunders#, who had 176 yards on five kickoff returns and blocked an extra point.

For ESU, Marshall completed 12 of 24 pass attempts and threw for four TDs. Jordan Hallman had five receptions for 102 yards and two TDs.

East Stroudsburg jumped out to a quick 20-0 lead with three passing touchdowns in a total of five plays to open the game.

The Rock came back with two unanswered scoring drives to trim the margin to 20-14 before the Warriors ran off 20 unanswered points to take a 40-14 lead into the intermission.

The Warriors expanded their lead to 47-14 with an interception return for a TD on The Rock's first possession of the second half and got the game's final points with just over five minutes left.

Cleckley got The Rock on the scoreboard with a three-yard run with six minutes left in the first quarter. The first of two extra-point kicks by junior #C.J. Bahr# made it 20-7.

Seven minutes into the second stanza, The Rock trimmed the deficit to six points with a 22-yard drive that was set up by Saunders' blocked punt.

Two plays later, after a pass interference penalty against ESU moved the ball to the Warriors' 7, redshirt junior Ryan Lehmeier burst into the end zone. Bahr's kick made it a 20-14 game.

The Rock moved inside the ESU 20-yard line on two other occasions in the second period, but came up short both times against the PSAC's top red zone defense (62% efficiency by foes prior to Saturday).

Halftime statistics showed ESU with a 312-162 advantage in total yards behind a 238-yard passing attack. SRU, on the other hand, failed to complete a pass in six first-half attempts.

Cleckley had 144 yards on 24 carries and the one TD run in the first half.

Saunders had 140 yards on three kickoff returns in the first half, highlighted by a 75-yard sprint to the ESU 10 to set up the first failed red-zone opportunity.

The first time SRU had the ball inside the ESU 20 in the second half, it put points on the scoreboard. Satterfield capped a five-play, 50-yard drive with a seven-yard burst and Bahr added the PAT to make it a 47-21 game with eight minutes left in the third period.

The drive was set up by the team-leading fourth interception of the season by redshirt sophomore Brandon Watters.

The fourth Rock TD was also set up by an interception, this one the first of the season by redshirt sophomore Andre Freeman at the ESU 43. Five plays later, O'Rourke connected with Cottman for a 30-yard TD. Bahr tacked on the PAT to make the score 47-28 with 14 minutes left to play.

NOTES:

Rock head coach George Mihalik served as his own offensive coordinator Saturday due to the absence of 22-year OC Vic Campagna. Campagna missed the game after the death of his mother earlier in the week … Mihalik was The Rock's OC for 12 seasons prior to being named as head coach in 1988 … The Rock is 11-3 all-time against ESU and 8-3 against Denny Douds-coached Warriors … Douds is an SRU alumnus (Class of 1963) and was a 1990 inductee into the SRU Athletic Hall of Fame … Mihalik, a 1976 SRU grad and 1997 SRU Hall of Famer inductee, is 7-2 in head-to-head meetings with Douds … Mihalik owns a 40-18-2 all-time record against PSAC-East teams.