Box Score

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Slippery Rock raced out to a 38-10 lead at halftime before settling for a 58-34 win over the Mercyhurst University football team Saturday night at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium in Slippery Rock. The Rock improved to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (PSAC) West Division while the Lakers, who dropped their second consecutive game, fell to 1-3 and 0-2 respectively.

Mercyhurst looked good early, taking an early 7-0 lead, driving 75 yards on five plays following the opening kickoff. Redshirt senior quarterback Anthony Vendemia rushed for his first touchdown of the season from eight yards out just 90 seconds into the contest. Among the five plays on the drive was a 44-yard pass completion from Vendemia to sophomore Jaquan Williams on the first play from scrimmage. A subsequent personal foul penalty against The Rock brought the ball to the SRU 13-yard line. After an incompletion, sophomore Brandon Brown-Dukes carried to the eight and Vendemia scored on the next play. That and kicker Steven Wakefield's 33-yard field goal with six minutes left in the half were the only bright spots in the game's first thirty minutes.

After Vendemia hit Williams for 44 yards on the first play from scrimmage, the Laker quarterback went 5-for-17 for 67 yards before being removed at halftime.

After allowing those quick seven points, The Rock's defense stiffened and its offense scored the next six times it had the ball. Slippery Rock tied the game at seven a little more than two minutes later when Brett Crenshaw scored from six yards out. After forcing the first of four successive Mercyhurst punts, Slippery Rock took the lead for good on a 32-yard field goal by Mike Wainauskis. The Rock extended its lead late in the first when Teddy Blakeman scored on a three-yard run, the first of his five total touchdowns in the game (three rushing, one receiving, and one passing).

The hosts upped the advantage to 31-7 with back-to-back scores in the second. John Schademan caught a 25-yard strike from Blakeman on a halfback pass at 14:52 of the second quarter before scoring on a 67-yard pass from Nigel Barksdale four minutes later.

Wakefield's field goal stopped the bleeding momentarily but Blakeman scored late in the half on a one-yard run as the Lakers went to the dressing room down 38-10. The Lakers had given up just 44 points in their first three games combined.

Mercyhurst got back into the game when junior defensive back Colin Kimball returned an intercepted pass 58 yards to the house. It was the fourth longest interception return in school history and it marked Kimball's fourth pick of the season and his second returned for a touchdown. Kimball has four of the team's six interceptions this season.

In the process, Kimball broke two school records - most interception returns for touchdowns in a season (two) and most interception return yards in a season (144).

Then, after Slippery Rock fumbled deep inside its own territory on its first play from scrimmage, Mercyhurst had an opportunity to cut the Slippery Rock lead to a two-possession game, starting at The Rock's 15-yard line. However, redshirt junior quarterback Alec Swartz and the Laker offense could not get into the endzone and had to settle for Wakefield's second field goal of the game, a 30-yarder, with 8:31 to play in the third and the Lakers were within striking distance, down 38-20.

It was Wakefield's 24th career field goal, breaking the school record of 23 which was held by Phil Scanlon from 2003-06.

However, The Rock stepped on the accelerator again, getting three consecutive touchdowns to put the game out of reach. Blakeman ran eight yards for his third touchdown of the game with 6:47 left in the third before being on the receiving end of a Barksdale pass for a 37-yard score with less than a minute to play in the third. The Rock finished its damage early in the fourth when Schademan caught his third touchdown pass of the contest, this one good for 14 yards.

Mercyhurst junior running back Chris Lyle scored on a 43-yard run with 9:53 to play, his longest career run and first career touchdown, and redshirt freshman quarterback Zach Emerick recorded his first collegiate scoring pass, an 11-yarder to redshirt freshman Kyle Briggs with 28 seconds left, to complete the scoring. It was Briggs first collegiate touchdown reception.

All told, The Rock piled up 609 yards of total offense and had the ball for 83 plays. Mercyhurst had 340 total yards in 75 efforts. The Rock had the game's only two turnovers, an interception and a fumble. Strangely, the Lakers have played three error-free games thus far in their first four, but are only 1-2. Four turnovers last week proved costly in a 20-13 loss at Clarion.

Brown-Dukes led Mercyhurst rushers with 119 yards in 23 carries, his third 100+-yard effort of the season and the ninth of his career. Lyle was next with 48 yards on four attempts and a touchdown. Crenshaw led Slippery Rock with 45 yards on the ground. Shamar Greene was next with 43.

Schademan caught eleven passes for The Rock for 229 yards and three scores. Collectively, Slippery Rock was 32-of-42 in the air for 499 yards and four scores. The 499 yards passing by Slippery Rock tied an all-time opponent record against Mercyhurst. Southeastern Louisiana threw for 499 yards in its win over the Lakers in 2004. Barksdale alone threw for 439 yards on 27-of-36 passing. He broke an opponent QB record against Mercyhurst, surpassing SE Louisiana's Martin Hankins' 431 yards.

Junior Pat Barry led the Lakers with three catches, all in the fourth quarter. Williams led Mercyhurst with 50 receiving yards. Three Mercyhurst quarterbacks combined to go 15-of-35 for 194 yards and one touchdown. Emerick was 7-of-12 for 67 yards and a touchdown. The Rock registered three sacks in the game while Mercyhurst had one.

The Lakers are now winless at Slippery Rock in three trips. The all-time series is now even at three wins apiece with the home team winning all six contests..

Mercyhurst will play its second home game of the season next Saturday when Cheyney visits for a 1:00 p.m. start. The game will be part of Homecoming and Parents' Weekend