SLIPPERY ROCK, Pennsylvania – The Slippery Rock University football team will look to pick up its 10th straight season-opening victory when Kentucky State University visits Mihalik-Thompson Stadium Saturday for a non-conference game at 1p.m. Below you will find all pertinent information regarding tickets, parking, tailgating and live coverage, along with complete game notes.
Complete Game Notes (28-page PDF)
LIVE INTERNET COVERAGE
• Live Stats | Provided by SRU athletic communication office.
• Live Streaming Video (FREE) | Provided by SRU athletic communication office.
• Live Audio (Online and Radio) | Provided by The Rock Station 97.7 FM (Butler).
• Twitter | All scoring information and in-game updates.
WATCH ON YOUR TV - "ROCK ATHLETICS DIGITAL NETWORK" APPS
• Fans can watch the game live and on-demand for free on the Rock Athletics Digital Network, created and operated by the SRU athletic communication office.
• Search for Rock Athletics Digital Network in the app stores on Amazon Fire TV, Apple RV, Roku and Android TV devices. The streaming web player linked above will also integrate with Chrome Cast devices to allow viewers to cast the game to those devices.
TICKETS (For advance tickets, Call 724-738-2021 or stop by the Athletic Office in Morrow Field House)
• Tickets can be purchased on game day. The stadium gates will open at 11:30 a.m.
• Chair-back Reserved Seat - $10
• Reserved Bench Seat - $10
• Adult General Admission - $8
• Students Ages 6-High School – $3
• Children Ages 6 and Under – FREE
• SRU Students – FREE with valid student ID
• Kentucky State Students - $5 with valid student ID
PARKING
• Parking is available in the lots surrounding the stadium
• Parking spaces are $5 in all tailgating lots (directly below stadium)
• Campus Map | Stadium is #52 on Map
TAILGATING
• Tailgating is allowed in paid lots three hours before kickoff (lots open at 10 a.m.)
• No Tailgating at halftime
• All Tailgaters must enter game at kickoff
• Tailgating is open for two hours after game ends
• No hard liquor or glass bottles
• Adhere to all campus tailgating rules found HERE.
GAIL ROSE LODGE CLOSED - PRESIDENT'S TENT OPEN FOR MEMBERS
Due to renovation needs, the Gail Rose Stadium Lodge will be closed for the 2018 football season. Rock Athletic Club members that had access to the lodge have been sent information about access to a new "President's Tent" that will be set up inside the stadium. Members will need to bring their passes to gain access to the stadium and to the tent, where food and beverages will be served throughout the game. For more information or questions, contact Erin Bryer in the SRU Foundation at ebryer@srufoundation.org or by phone at 724.738.4611.
THE GAME
Slippery Rock welcomes Kentucky State University out of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference to open the 2018 season after the two teams met last fall to open the 2017 season in Frankfort, Kentucky.
ALL-TIME SERIES
This marks the second straight year and the second overall meeting between these two teams. The only other meeting was the opener last year at Kentucky State, which SRU won by a 42-21 margin.
COACHING MATCHUP
Slippery Rock head coach Shawn Lutz is in his 23rd overall season at The Rock and his third as head coach, where he owns a 15-7 record after posting 7-4 and 8-3 records the last two years. Prior to that, he served four years as the associate head coach and eight as the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach. Lutz has been a member of the coaching staff for eight of SRU's PSAC West titles. He played tight end at West Virginia University, graduating in 1996, and earned a master's degree in sport management from SRU in 2003.
John L. Smith is in his third season as the head coach at Kentucky State, where he has posted a 7-14 overall record. Smith came to Kentucky State following a long Division I career that included head coaching stints at Idaho, Utah State, Louisville, Michigan State and Arkansas. He owns an overall record of 157-127 as a collegiate head coach with most of those victories coming at the Division I level. Smith played collegiately at Weber State, graduating in 1971.
LOOKING TO START STRONG AGAIN
Slippery Rock is looking to lock up a season-opening win for the 10th consecutive year. The last time SRU failed to win its first game of the year was all the way back in 2008 on the road at Seton Hill. The Rock haven't lost a home opener since 2005 against Shepherd, winning their first home game of the season in each of the last 12 seasons.
ROCK RECEIVING VOTES IN NATIONAL POLL
Slippery Rock is officially receiving votes in the NCAA Division II preseason national poll, marking the fifth straight year The Rock have appeared in the preseason poll. SRU has been ranked in the top 25 in each of the last five years and climbed as high as No. 9 last fall. The complete preseason polls are on page 7 of the notes document linked above.
WINNING SEASON STREAK
Slippery Rock has now put together nine straight winning seasons, has been above .500 in 11 of the last 12 years and has finished in winning fashion in 25 of the last 30 seasons. Only three teams in the PSAC have at least nine consecutive winning seasons entering 2018 and The Rock's nine straight winning seasons are the 13th best active streak among all NCAA Division II teams entering this fall.
CURRENT WINNING SEASONS STREAK IN PSAC
1. Bloomsburg - 19
2. California - 16
3. Slippery Rock – 9
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
On paper, The Rock have one of the tougher schedules in Super Region One this season in terms of road trips with three games scheduled at teams that made the NCAA playoffs last year (Shippensburg, Indiana, California).
"We know how tough the schedule looks," said head coach Shawn Lutz. "We can't jump ahead to that game at Shippensburg in week two though. We need to focus on Kentucky State and take it one week at a time. Kentucky State has a lot of athletic players and they gave us a good challenge last year. We need to be ready for them in week one."
In total, five of SRU's scheduled opponents (Shippensburg, Indiana, Edinboro, California, Bloomsburg) posted at least seven wins last year, while the other six opponents (Kentucky State, Millersville, Seton Hill, Mercyhurst, Clarion and Gannon) finished the 2017 season with sub .500 records.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
Rock football teams have compiled a 160-66 (.708) record the last 42 seasons in games played at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium (formerly known as N. Kerr Thompson Stadium). The Rock own a 61-21 (.744) home record since artificial turf was installed in the summer of 2003 and are 57-14 (.803) in home games since 2005. The numbers get even better in recent years, as The Rock are 26-2 (.929) since the beginning of 2013 and have posted a 39-6 (.867) record at home since the beginning of the 2010 season.
LAST MEETING WITH KENTUCKY STATE - 9/2/17 | Box Score
Slippery Rock scored the first 28 points of the game and cruised to a 42-21 win on the road at Kentucky State to open the 2017 season last Sept. in the first-ever meeting between the two teams. The game marked the eighth straight season opening win for SRU and just the fourth time in the last decade The Rock played a game on a natural grass surface. SRU QB Tanner Garry threw for 403 yards and five touchdowns in his first start and The Rock added another 84 rushing yards to finish the game with 487 yards of offense. Kentucky State finished with 245 yards of offense after passing for 168 yards and rushing for 77 yards.
Marcus Johnson caught 12 passes for 231 yards and three touchdowns and Milly Raye caught seven passes for 132 yards and one score, a highlight-reel play that landed at No. 6 on SportsCenter's Top 10 that night, to lead the SRU offense. Marcus Martin broke a program record for single-game tackles for loss with 6.0 to lead the defense.
Kentucky State was paced by QB Paul Campbell, who threw for 168 yards and one touchdown and added a rushing score as well. RB Brett Sylve returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown and WR Demetrius Anderson caught 10 passes for 74 yards and one score to pace the Thorobreds attack. Defensively, Phillip Francis had nine tackles and 2.0 TFL, while Andre Miles added eight tackles.
QUICK RECAP - 2017 SEASON
Slippery Rock jumped out to a 5-0 start last fall and climbed all the way up to No. 9 in the national rankings, headlined by a 47-44 overtime win over No. 5 California (Pa.). The Rock suffered their first loss of the year in week six against No. 3 Indiana (Pa.) and slipped up the following week with an upset loss at Edinboro. SRU responded with a pair of wins to lock up second place in the PSAC West and entered the final week of the season ranked fifth in the official NCAA regional rankings, but stumbled with a 42-34 loss at Kutztown in week 11, a loss that would end up knocking SRU out of the NCAA playoff picture. The Rock finished the year with an 8-3 overall record and a 5-2 mark in PSAC West games.
FIVE PLAYERS NAMED CAPTAINS FOR 2018
Slippery Rock announced earlier this week that five players have been named team captains for the 2018 season. Quarterback Andrew Koester and safety Tavarus Sample were selected by the coaches prior to preseason camp. Running back Wes Hills, offensive lineman Steve Gaviglia and safety Kyle Hall were voted by their teammates after preseason camp to join Koester and Sample as captains this fall.
OFFENSIVE QUESTION MARKS
SRU returns just three offensive starters and must replace some of the most productive offensive players in program history after QB Tanner Garry and wide receivers Marcus Johnson and Milly Raye torched the record books last year to give SRU the top passing offense in the PSAC. Garry was the top passer in the PSAC at just over 3,500 yards and Johnson and Raye combined for 3,476 all-purpose yards and 27 touchdowns. With all three of those players graduated, along with leading rusher Isiah Neely, The Rock will have to look to new leaders at the QB and skill positions.
MUCH MORE EXPERIENCE ON DEFENSE
While the offense will see a large number of new starters take the field this week, The Rock defense will be much more experienced with 10 returning starters on the roster. Last season, SRU had at least nine defensive starters on the field every game that were in their first season as a starter. That added experience should lead to an improved overall defensive effort, especially against the run, where SRU uncharacteristically struggled last year. The Rock allowed 206.8 rushing yards per game in 2017 after not allowing more than 100 yards per game in each of the previous three seasons.
REPLACING MARCUS MARTIN
While the overall depth of the defense is stronger this year, SRU must replace the best statistical defensive lineman in the history of college football after the graduation of Marcus Martin. Martin was the consensus National Defensive Player of the Year in Division II and was a consensus first team All-American. He was named the PSAC West and Super Region One Defensive Player of the Year for the third straight year, was a runner-up for the Ted Hendricks Award as the best defensive end in all of college football, won the Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year award in a record vote, became the first SRU football player to ever be named a three-time Academic All-American and became the first football player in PSAC history and the only Division II player last year to be named a national finalist for the Campbell Trophy, known as the Academic Heisman. Martin finished his career as the all-time, all-division NCAA record holder in sacks (56.0) and the Division II record holder in tackles for loss (92.5).
KOESTER EARNS STARTING QB JOB
Andrew Koester, who served as the backup last season, was named the starting QB coming out of camp. Koester took most of the first team reps during spring ball and is the most experienced QB on the roster in terms of knowing the SRU system. He was pushed in camp by Butte College transfer Taylor King, who has a big arm and could be the QB of the future at SRU. King will back up Koester to open the season, with Valdosta State transfer Roland Rivers opening the year third on the depth chart.
ALL-CONFERENCE RETURNERS
Slippery Rock returns just two All-Conference players from last season in offensive tackle Steve Gaviglia and kicker/punter Jake Chapla, who was All-PSAC in both kicking disciplines. Both had strong offseasons and should be in the conversation for All-Region and All-America consideration this fall.
RUNNING GAME GETS A BOOST
While SRU added a number of high profile transfers during the offseason, the one name that jumps off the page is running back Wes Hills, who transferred in from the University of Delaware. Pegged by many NFL scouts as a draft candidate, Hills averaged more than seven yards per carry in his last season at Delaware before his year was cut short by injury. SRU averaged just 121 rushing yards per game last fall, just two years removed from rushing for 232 yards per game in 2015. Hills leading a stable of backs that includes Chacar Berry, Braden Fochtman and Nassir Weavershould help that number rise again.
NO PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
Slippery Rock had no players listed on any of the preseason All-America teams published prior to this season, marking the first time in the last five years SRU had no first or second team honorees. Transfer RB Wes Hills was listed among the players on the "honorable mention" list published by D2football.com.
OTHER NEWCOMERS TO WATCH
While Hills will garner a lot of attention, SRU also added a number of other transfers expected to either start or see significant time this season. Those players to watch include DT Jeff Marx, LB Brad Zaffram, CB Tyree Spearman, WR Eric Glover-Williams, WR Jermaine Wynn Jr. and TE Aramis Alexander. Wynn and Glover-Williams are expected to handle the primary kick and punt return duties as well.
FRESHMEN ON TWO DEEP
A total of six freshmen or redshirt freshmen have found their way onto the first projected two-deep for the season, a significantly lower number than the 16 that were on the first depth chart last fall. Of those five, defensive tackle Jeff Marx and long snapper Jacob George are projected to start. Marx is a redshirt freshman that transferred in from the Naval Academy, while George is a true freshman that is familiar with SRU kicker Jake Chapla, having snapped to him three years ago at Plum High School. Linebacker Peyton Remish, offensive lineman Matt Carr, defensive back Elijah Jackson and kicker/punter Jackson Gildea are all true freshmen that are listed as backups on the first two-deep.
FAMILIAR FACES GETTING A SHOT
While most of the defensive starters are returners or transfers, eight offensive players that have seen action in recent years will have a chance to step into starting roles in week one, led by QB Andrew Koester. Receivers Austin Scott, Dakota Clanagan and Henry Litwin, along with TE Zach Cirillo, have all seen plenty of game experience, but not much starting experience. The same is true of offensive linemen Ryan Podgorski, Colten Raabe and Austin Wayt.
MERHAUT ONLY SKILL POSITION STARTER BACK
Slot receiver Mike Merhaut, who is also the primary holder for kicking attempts, is the only returning starter at the skill positions on offense. He is joined by linemen Steve Gaviglia and Chris Larsen as the only returning offensive starters to start more than four games last season. Merhaut caught 23 passes for 212 yards in 2017, but is still looking for his first collegiate TD.
STARTERS NOTES
Only eight total players on the SRU roster enter the year with at least 10 career starts under their belts. RT Steve Gaviglia is the most experienced player with 21 career starts, including 11 straight. LG Chris Larsen has started 16 games and WR Carnel Harley has started 10 as the most experienced offensive players. Defensively, Kyle Hall leads the way with 12 career starts, while Tavarus Sample, Khadir Roberts and Trysten McDonald each started all 11 games last fall and Dylan Whiteman started 10 games last year.
If the two-deep holds true, a total of seven players will make their first SRU start on the offensive or defensive side of the ball in week one, while three more will see first team special teams reps (long snapper Jacob George and return specialists/slot receivers Jermaine Wynn Jr. and Eric Glover-Williams), although those positions do not get officially credited with a start.
ROCK IN THE NFL
Slippery Rock had three former players in NFL training camps this year, headlined by OL Brandon Fusco '10, who was named this week as the starting right guard for the Atlanta Falcons after signing a $12.75 million deal this offseason. Last year's Division II National Defensive Player of the Year and all-time NCAA sack record holder Marcus Martin '17 has been with the Los Angeles Rams all preseason and OL Ian Park '17 was with the Philadelphia Eagles for much of the preseason.
SPECIAL EVENTS THIS YEAR
Slippery Rock will host a number of special events in conjunction with its home games this season. The next home game, Sept. 22, will be the annual VillageFest and Friends and Family Weekend, while Sept. 29 will serve as the Hall of Fame game and the Salute to Military and First Responders. Oct. 13 will be the annual Homecoming game and The Rock will honor their 2018 senior class Nov. 10.
KENTUCKY STATE QUICK HITS
• Kentucky State is coming off a 3-8 record last season that included a 2-4 mark in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Three of the Thorobreds' losses came by one-possession scores. KSU was 1-5 on the road.
• KSU averaged 19.2 points per game last year on offense and put up an average of 263.2 yards per game with the ball, which included 119.1 passing yards and 144.1 rushing yards per game. The defense allowed 28.2 points per game and 355.5 yards per game, which came in the form of 157.9 rushing yards and 197.6 passing yards per game.
• SRU jumped out to a 28-0 lead last year in the opener at KSU and went on to win 42-21. The Thorobreds scored all 21 of their points in the final 19:08. The Rock threw for 408 yards and finished with 487 total yards of offense. KSU finished with 245 yards of offense.
• RB Brett Sylve was one of the top offensive talents on the roster last year, earning All-SIAC honors after leading the team with 995 rushing yards (90.5 per game) and six touchdowns. Sylve also caught 20 passes for 178 yards and added 787 total return yards to finish first on the team with 1,970 all-purpose yards. He rushed for just 35 yards on nine carries against SRU last year, but was dynamic in the return game, taking a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown and finishing with 220 kickoff return yards.
• QB Paul Campbell returns for his second year at KSU after leading the team in passing with 916 yards, six touchdowns and five INT last year. Campbell also ran for three touchdowns. He is listed as the projected starter, but will be backed up by the 2016 SIAC Rookie of the Year Jules St. Ge. St. Ge did not play last year, but threw for 986 yards and seven scores while adding 358 rushing yards and one TD as the starter in 2016.
• KSU returns each of its top four pass catchers from last year, led by WR Demetrius Anderson (40 rec., 329 yards, 2 TD) and RB Brett Sylve (20-178-0), along with WR Jordan Level (16-180-0) and WR Jonathan Powell (15-146-2).
• KSU's defense will be without its top three tacklers from last season, but returns its next three leading stoppers in NT Christopher Roberts (50 tackles, 11.0 TFL, 4.0 sacks), DB/LB Matthew Bizimana (48 tackles, 7.0 TFL) and DB Hakeem Adebimpe (48 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 1 INT).
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock will travel to Shippensburg next Saturday for a 1 p.m. game that will be crucial to the postseason hopes of both teams. The Raiders were picked to finish second in the PSAC East this year and are coming off a 10-win season last fall that included a trip to the NCAA playoffs.
SLIPPERY ROCK UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS
