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WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina – Slippery Rock University makes its first appearance in the NCAA Division II football playoffs since 1999 when it takes on hosting Winston-Salem State University in a first-round game Saturday.
Kickoff at Bowman Gray Stadium is set for 1 p.m.
Live coverage: Winston-Salem State will provide live statistical updates on the game and "The Rock Station, " WLER-FM 97.7 in Butler, will broadcast the game live on the radio and internet. The Slippery Rock University sports information office will also provide live updates through the official SRU athletics Twitter account. Links to all these features can be found above.
Tickets: $15 for adults, $10 for students. For more information, please call the Winston-Salem State athletic ticket office at 336.750.3220.
Seeds are planted: The Rock are the No. 5 seed in the six-team super-region competition, while Winston-Salem State earned the No. 4 seed.
To the victor go the spoils: The winner of The Rock–Winston-Salem State game travels to top-seeded Shepherd (10-0) for a second-round next Saturday.
Stiff challenge: The Rock are jumping right into the fire for their first-round game. Winston-Salem State played in the Division II national championship game a year ago and are the two-time defending super region champions. The Rams, who finished the season with a 14-1 record, had their bid for a perfect season ruined a year ago by a 35-7 loss to Valdosta State in the championship game.
The records: The Rock had a string of seven consecutive victories snapped last week by a 42-38 loss at Bloomsburg University in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship game and bring a 9-2 record into the NCAA playoffs.
Winston-Salem State owns a 9-1 record and has reeled off nine consecutive wins since a season-opening, 25-21 loss at UNC-Pembroke.
Top 24: The Rock and Rams are among a group of only 24 who earned berths in this year's national competition, so it only makes sense they are both ranked in all three top-25 national polls.
National rankings: The Rock are the No. 16 team in the Beyond Sports Network Division II Power Rankings and are ranked 20th in both the American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches' Top 25 Poll and the D2Football.com national poll.
Winston-Salem State is ranked eighth by D2Football.com and ninth by both the AFCA and Beyond Sports Network.
First-time foes: Saturday's game will be the first-ever meeting between The Rock and Winston-Salem State. The Rock are 2-0 all-time against members of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, of which Winston-Salem State is a member. Both Rock wins against CIAA teams came vs. Bowie State.
The coaches: George Mihalik has compiled a 176-105-4 record in 26 seasons as The Rock's head coach. Mihalik ranks second among active PSAC head coaches, fourth among active NCAA Division II head coaches and fifth on the PSAC's all-time wins list. A 1974 Rock graduate, Mihalik has led The Rock to PSAC-Western Division championships two of the last three seasons and six times since 1997, as well as four NCAA tournament appearances (1997, 1998, 1999 and 2013). Mihalik received his sixth PSAC-Western Division Coach of the Year honor last Tuesday.
Connell Maynor has compiled a 44-5 record in four seasons as Winston-Salem State's head coach. Maynor has led the Rams to CIAA championships in each of the last three seasons, three appearances in the NCAA playoffs, back-to-back super-region championships in 2011 and 2012 and a national championship-game appearance last fall. Maynor was named as the CIAA Coach of the Year in both 2011 and 2012.
"Bark" of the alpha dog: The Rock offensive attack this fall is led by senior quarterback Nigel Barksdale, who ranks in the top 10 nationally in four categories. Barksdale is fourth in total offense with a 372.8 yards per game average, fifth in total passing yards with 3,669, sixth in passing yards per game at 318.6 and 10th in passing touchdowns with 30.
Barksdale leads the PSAC and ranks second among Super Region One quarterbacks in passing yards, passing yards per game and total offense and ranks third in the PSAC, fifth in super region in passing touchdowns.
Barksdale, a four-time PSAC-Western Division Offensive Athlete of the Week, was named last Tuesday as the PSAC-Western Division "Offensive Athlete of the Year."
The National Harlon Hill Award Committee announced Nov. 14 Barksdale is one of seven players who are Super Region 1 finalists for the 2013 Harlon Hill Trophy presented annually to the top NCAA Division II football player in the nation.
Barksdale set SRU single-season records for pass attempts, completion, touchdowns and yardage this fall and, in the process, propelled himself into the lead packs in the career categories. He currently ranks third in career TD passes and yards, fifth in completions and sixth in attempts. [See charts on Page 10]
Schademan shines: Barksdale's favorite receiver this fall, senior wide receiver John Schademan ranks in the top 10 nationally in four categories. Schademan is tied for fourth in pass receiving touchdowns with 15, ranks fifth in both pass receiving yards with 1,411 and in yards per pass reception at 19.3 and is ninth in pass receiving yards per game at 128.3. Schademan also ranks 28th in pass receptions per game at 6.6.
Schademan set SRU single-season records for touchdown receptions and pass receiving yards this fall and ranks fourth in single-season pass receptions. Schademan's performances this fall also catapulted him into the lead pack in three career pass receiving categories, highlighted by a tie for third in career pass receiving TDs (19).
Named last Tuesday by the division's head coaches as a first-team All-PSAC-West performer, Schademan has had 89 or more pass receiving yards in each of the first 11 games this season and has had 100 or more yards in eight games. Schademan and former Rock All-American and Arena Football League Hall of Famer Greg Hopkins are the only SRU players to pass the 100-yard milestone seven or more times in a single season. Hopkins achieved the feat seven times in the 1993 season and eight times in the 1994 campaign.
Schademan is 11 catches away from setting a new SRU single-season pass receptions record.
Road warriors: Mihalik-coached Rock teams own an impressive 79-63-4 (.555) record in road games since he became head coach in 1988.
Potent offense: Barksdale and Schademan lead one of the most potent Division II offenses in the nation. SRU ranks second nationally in total offense (566.6 yards per game), fourth in passing offense (373.0 yards per game) and fifth in scoring offense (45.5 points per game).
The Rock lead the PSAC and super region in scoring offense and total offense and lead the conference, rank second among Super Region One teams in passing offense. SRU also ranks fifth in the PSAC in rushing offense at 193.6 yards per game.
Ram-tough defense: Winston-Salem State ranks third nationally in rushing defense and sixth in pass defense. By comparison, The Rock rank 25th against the run and are not ranked among the national top 50 in pass defense.
Statistical matchups: Here is a look at how The Rock and Rams matchup statistically. PSAC/CIAA rankings are shown in parentheses.
| Category | SRU Off. | W-SSU Def. |
| Rushing yards | 193.6 (5) | 66.1 (1) |
| Passing yards | 372.5 (1) | 168.5 (1) |
| Total yards | 566.2 (1) | 234.6 (1) |
| Scoring | 45.5 (1) | 15.4 (1) |
| Category | SRU Def. | W-SSU Off. |
| Rushing yards | 118.1 (2) | 193.2 (2) |
| Passing yards | 230.4 (12) | 283.0 (2) |
| Total yards | 348.5 (6) | 476.2 (1) |
| Scoring | 25.9 (7) | 40.4 (1) |
Tough on third down: Winston-Salem and The Rock rank first and third, respectively, among the 168 NCAA Division II teams in Third Down Efficiency Defense. Ram foes convert only 19.9% of their third-down plays into first downs, while Rock rivals have a 25.4% success rate. Interestingly, Super Region 1 rival Shepherd ranks second in this category at 21.0%.
No. 5 punter in the nation: Senior punter James McCombie could play a huge role in the outcome of this week's game. McCombie, who has consistently ranked among the nation's top booters this fall, currently ranks fifth with a 43.2 yards per punt average. All six of McCombie's punts last week at Bloomsburg landed inside the foes' 20-yard line, including four that were downed inside the 10.
Other Rock stars: Ken Amos is second on the team with 58 catches for 807 yards and five TDs and Jaimire Dutrieuille has 38 catches for 606 yards and five TDs. Fifteen different Rock players have caught at least one pass this season. Shamar Greene leads The rushing attack with 704 yards and four TDs, while Teddy Blakeman (465 yards) has scored 13 rushing and one pass receiving TD, Barksdale has 427 rushing yards and four rushing TDs and Brett Crenshaw has 327 yards and six rushing TDs.
Defensively, Austin Miele (83 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss), Quindell Dean (71 tackles, team-high 12.5 TFL's), Tony Papley (61 tackles, 12.0 TFL's) and Gary Allen (60 tackles) and lead the way. Matt Peacock (34 tackles) has recorded a team-best eight quarterback sacks and 11.0 tackles for loss, Admire Carter and Derek Morgan have each recorded a team-high three interceptions and Anthony Saunders has picked off two passes, one of which he returned for a touchdown. Carter picked off two passes in last week's PSAC title game at Bloomsburg.
Scouting the Rams: Winston-Salem's offense is led by first-team All-CIAA quarterback Rudy Johnson, who has passed for 2,076 yards and 22 TDs and rushed for 420 yards and six TDs. Maurice Lewis leads the rushing attack with 791 yards and 11 TDs, while Chase Powell is the top pass receiver with 54 catches for 671 yards and seven TDs. Tehvyn Brantley (21 catches, 430 yards) has caught a team-high nine TD passes.
Defensively, the Rams are led by linebacker Carlos Fields, the CIAA co-Defensive Player of the Year. Fields has recorded 67 total tackles with 6.5 tackles for loss. First-team All-CIAA lineman Donnie Owens (41 tackles) leads the team with 12.5 tackles for loss (-79 yards) and eight QB sacks (-62 yards). Everett Proctor has picked off a team-leading three passes, one of which he returned for a TD.
Challenging schedules: Winston-Salem State had the 18th toughest schedule among the 168 NCAA Division II teams, according to the NCAA's statistics staff, while The Rock had the 34th toughest schedule.
The Rams' first 10 foes this fall had a 42-31 (.575) cumulative record. When The Rock's 9-2 record is factored in, Winston-Salem State's opponents' cumulative mark goes to 51-33 for a .607 winning percentage.
The Rock's first 11 foes had a 60-50 (.545) combined record. Factoring in Winston-Salem State's 9-1 record, The Rock's foes' records go to 69-51 (.571).
Northwest Missouri State had the most-challenging schedule, according to NCAA calculations, with a 67-36 (.650) opponents' combined record.
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