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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University football team claimed its 10th Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship and its first since 2000 with a 28-26 victory over previously undefeated and fifth ranked Bloomsburg University Saturday at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
 
The Rock scored all 28 of their points in the first half and put up a stellar defensive effort in the second half to hold on for the win, despite finishing the day with five turnovers and minus four in the turnover battle.
 
Bloomsburg entered the game unbeaten at 10-0 and ranked fifth in the nation by the American Football Coaches Association and sixth by D2football.com. Slippery Rock entered the game at 8-2 overall and was not receiving votes in the national poll.
 
The game was the third time in as many years that Slippery Rock and Bloomsburg met in the final game of the regular season. All three have been decided by one possession. Last season, the same teams met in the PSAC title game at Bloomsburg and the Huskies came away with a 42-38 win after a touchdown with 27 seconds left.
 
The game was the seventh PSAC title game since it was reinstated by the conference in 2008 and continued the trend of home teams winning as the hosts are now 7-0. The Western Division champion improved to 4-3 in title games since 2008. The championship was the 10th outright league title for Slippery Rock, the fifth for head coach George Mihalik and the fifth in a PSAC Championship game. The last title won by an SRU team in the league championship game was in 1974.
 
Slippery Rock found success Saturday in ways that no other opponent on Bloomsburg's schedule could, posting a total of 508 yards of offense and 233 rushing yards. The previous highs allowed by Bloomsburg, which had the No. 5 defense in the country entering the game, was 459 total yards against Shippensburg and 151 rushing yards against Mercyhurst. The Huskies entered the game having not allowed more than 13 points in their last six games and Slippery Rock topped that with 14 points in the first quarter.
 
The Rock posted a 508-437 edge in total yardage, adding 275 passing yards to the 233 on the ground. Bloomsburg was held to its second lowest rushing yardage output of the season with 144 yards and added 293 through the air.
 
Slippery Rock lost three fumbles and threw two interceptions, but Bloomsburg couldn't convert those turnovers into touchdowns. Bloomsburg recorded just one turnover, an interception deep in SRU territory that The Rock was able to turn into an offensive touchdown.
 
Jared Buck was named the game's Most Valuable Player after leading the SRU offense for most of the first three quarters before he left the game after taking a hit. He finished with 17 completions for 256 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran for 59 yards and one touchdown on just five carries and wasn't sacked once.
 
Shamar Greene ran for more yards than any other running back has against Bloomsburg this year, finishing with 116 yards and 21 carries. He increased his single-season total to 1,459 yards and moved up to No. 2 all-time at SRU in single-season rushing yards. He is currently 142 yards behind the school record of 1,601, set by LaMonte Coleman in 1994.
 
Teddy Blakeman ran for 39 yards and one touchdown, his 22nd career rushing score in just two years at SRU. Jaimire Dutrieuille caught a team-high seven passes for 75 yards and Melvin German caught five passes for 94 yards and a touchdown, which was a career-high 74-yarder. Leroy McClain added three catches for 26 yards and one touchdown.
 
The Rock defense was paced by Austin Miele and Isaiah Coleman with 12 tackles each. Miele added 3.0 tackles for loss, two pass breakups and one quarterback hurry. Coleman chipped in one tackle for loss and had a key pass breakup late in the fourth quarter. Bob Vernick added seven tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss and Derrick Fulmore recorded his team-leading sixth interception of the year.
 
Bloomsburg was led by quarterback Tim Kelly, who threw for 293 yards with one interception and one touchdown on 42 attempts. Lawrence Elliot caught five passes for 102 yards and Chad Hoffman caught six passes for 84 yards. The lone receiving TD of the game belonged to Aaron Allison for Bloomsburg.
 
Dai'Shon Munger rushed for 46 yards on 16 carries and Joe Parsnik added 35 yards and one touchdown on nine carries. Kelly also rushed for a touchdown on a one-yard keeper.
 
Braden Drexler made two field goals for Bloomsburg, hitting from 25 and 44 yards, but missed a crucial 40-yard try that would have given the Huskies the lead late in the game. Justin Shirk led the Bloomsburg defense with 14 total tackles and one tackle for loss.
 
The Huskies won the opening toss and elected to defer. It looked like that decision would pay off after Slippery Rock fumbled on the second offensive play and gave the Huskies the chance to put the first points on the board.
 
Instead, Kelly was intercepted at the SRU 8-yard line by Fulmore, who returned it 33 yards to set up an eight play scoring drive. Buck connected with McClain from 13 yards out to make it 7-0 with 9:32 to play in the first quarter.
 
Bloomsburg answered right back with 10 play, 68 yard drive that took just over five minutes and was capped by a five yard run from Parsnik to tie it at 7-7 with 4:02 to play in the first.
 
Slippery Rock responded the next series when Buck hit German down the left sideline on a play that went for a season-long 74-yard touchdown. German went up over the defender and pulled the ball away and then streaked 50 yards for the score. That made it 14-7 in favor of SRU with 1:36 to play in the opening period.
 
Bloomsburg answered again, this time with a seven play, 71 yard drive that was capped by a one-yard Kelly keeper to tie it at 14-14 with 13:56 to play in the first half.
 
Slippery Rock responded with another touchdown drive, this time with Blakeman punching it in from one yard out after Buck hit Scales on a 54 yard completion to get inside the five. That made it 21-14 with 12:22 to play before halftime.
 
The Rock defense held on the next Bloomsburg possession and the offense continued to put points on the board on its next series. Buck let his legs do the work this time, rushing in from 19 yards out to make it 28-14 with 6:19 left in the second quarter.
 
Bloomsburg benefitted from a roughing the passer call on Slippery Rock on the final drive of the half, but The Rock defense held the Huskies out of the end zone and forced the 25-yard field goal from Drexler that made it 28-17 at the break.
 
Slippery Rock wouldn't score again in the game, but its defense did enough to hold on for the win. Neither team could get anything going offensively in the third quarter and both teams put up zero points to enter the fourth with SRU still leading 28-17.
 
Bloomsburg cut into that deficit early in the final period when Allison caught a 15 yard TD pass from Kelly with 11:28 to play. The Huskies went for a two-point conversion and the rush attempt was stopped to make it 28-23.
 
Drexler made it even closer on the next Bloomsburg possession, kicking a 44-yard field goal to make it 28-26 with 8:52 to play.
 
It looked like Bloomsburg would be in position to take its first lead of the game after another SRU turnover, but The Rock defense held on short field and forced a 40-yard attempt. This time, Drexler missed wide left to keep the score at 28-26.
 
Slippery Rock's defense stood tall on the final Bloomsburg possession after the Huskies moved into SRU territory. On three straight passing plays, The Rock got pass breakups from Kris Williams, Admire Carter and Isaiah Coleman, the latter coming on fourth down, forcing a turnover on downs with just 2:14 to play.
 
Slippery Rock needed one first down to end the game and got it when Shamar Greene broke free down the right sideline for 17 yards to put the game away.
 
With the result of Saturday's PSAC title game, along with four of the top six teams in this week's Super Region One rankings losing, it looks like Slippery Rock and Bloomsburg will both be locks to reach the NCAA playoffs. Bloomsburg was the No. 1 seed in the region last week and will likely still earn a high seed in the tournament. Slippery Rock was the No. 8 seed, needing a win and potentially some help, and it got both. No. 2 Concord defeated No. 6 Shepherd, No. 4 Winston-Salem State lost to No. 7 Virginia State and No. 5 American International was beaten by unranked LIU Post.
 
That combination of results puts Slippery Rock not only in a good position to get into the tournament, but potentially to host a playoff game. If The Rock moves all the way up to the No. 4 spot in the final rankings, they will host a first round playoff game next Saturday.
 
The NCAA playoff field will be announced Sunday night in a live webcast at www.ncaa.com at 5 p.m.
 
 
 
Notes: Slippery Rock won its 10th PSAC outright title and its first since 2000 … Slippery Rock and Bloomsburg are the only teams in the PSAC to reach the title game three times since it was reinstated by the league in 2008 … The Rock improved to 5-4 in PSAC title games with its last win coming in 1974 … Shamar Greene ran for more yards against Bloomsburg than any back this season at 116 … Greene's season total increased to 1,459 yards, the second best single-season total in SRU history … he trails the school record by 142 yards … Jared Buck was named the MVP after throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for one TD … George Mihalik won his 185th career game in his 297th game as head coach … Mihalik won his fifth PSAC title and third in a state game as a representative of SRU as he was the quarterback of the championship teams in 1972 and 1973 … Slippery Rock looks like a lock to earn a second straight berth in the NCAA tournament … The Rock ran for 233 yards, more than any other team against Bloomsburg all year … SRU put up more total yards of offense on Bloomsburg than any other team this year … Bloomsburg was ranked fifth in the AFCA Division II poll and sixth by D2football.com … Bloomsburg was ranked No 1 in Super Region 1 … Slippery Rock was ranked No. 8 in Super Region 1 … The home team has won all seven PSAC title games since it was reinstated in 2008 … The NCAA selection show is scheduled for 5 p.m. Sunday.