SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Clarion receiver Matt Lehman set a new single season record and qb Connor Simmons tied a single season record, but #10 Slippery Rock exploded for 27 points in the second quarter and rushed for 316 yards and 4 td’s in the game to post a 65-13 win over Clarion in a key PSAC-West game on Saturday afternoon.
(Photo: Matt Lehman.)
Clarion’s loss put the Golden Eagles at 7-3 overall and 4-3 in the PSAC-West, while Slippery Rock is 9-1 overall and 6-1 in the PSAC-West. Slippery Rock will play in the PSAC Championship game next Saturday at West Chester. Clarion meanwhile will finish the season at Kutztown.
Slippery Rock opened the game taking a 3-0 lead when Andrew Huska booted a 32-yard field goal at 10:43 of the first quarter.
Clarion came back and took a 7-3 lead when the Golden Eagles drove 80 yards in 12 plays. Simmons opened the drive with an 11-yard pass to Lehman, and two plays later hit Kevin Genevro for 27 yards to the Rock 35. Simmons completed two passes to Lehman for 20 yards to the Rock 13, and an 11-yard pass to Kyle Evans to the Rock 2. Simmons then found Lehman on a look in from there for a 2-yard td pass at 14:30 of the second.
Slippery Rock’s Jaimire Dutrieulle provided the big spark to get SR moving in the second quarter. With Clarion ahead 7-3, Dutrielle returned a Clarion punt 37 yards to the Eagle 12, which setup Julian Durden’s 1-yard td run to give SR the lead for good, 10-7, at 9:07 of the second quarter.
Clarion’s offense got 1 first down on the next drive, but was forced to punt. Scott Ayers drove Dutrielle to his own 9, but the SR returner burst 91-yards to the endzone for a 16-7 lead at 7:50 of the second.
SR added a 4-yard td pass from Dane Nania ot Cornelius Raye with 1:49 left before halftime, then came right back and saw Nania hit Dutrieulle on a 48-yard bomb with 30-seconds left before intermission to make the score 30-7 at the half.
Any hopes of a comeback were dashed early in the third quarter when Titus Howard intercepted a Connor Simmons pass at the Eagle 17 and returned it for a score to put SR ahead 37-7at 14:44 of the third.
The Golden Eagles scored midway through the third quarter when Simmons hit Kevin Genevro on a 17-yard td pass with 6:10 remaining in the third narrowing the score to 44-13.
SR scored three more times to make the final 65-13.
Clarion qb Connor Simmons completed 16 of 40 passes for 213 yards and 2 td’s. Simmons’ two touchdown passes gives him 32 this season, tying the single season record held by head coach Chris Weibel at 32 in 1996.
Wide receiver Matt Lehman caught 6 passes for 48 yards and 1 td. The td catch gives him 14 on the season, breaking the old record held by Alvin Slaughter (13) in 1998. Kevin Genevro also grabbed 4 aerials for 76 yards and 1 td.
Backup qb Darelle Carson was the team’s top runner, getting 41 yards on 2 carries. Starting running back Delrece Williams missed the game with an injury.
Clarion’s defense was led by Chris Liberto who had 10 tackles, while Brandon Short posted 9 stops and 2 sacks, while Matt Koerper had 6 stops and 1 sack.
Slippery Rock posted 482 yards of offense, 316 on the ground. Shamar Greene had 11 carries for 82 yards, Isiah Neely 16 carries for 68 yards and Julian Durden with 14 rushes for 64 yards and 2 td’s.
Quarterback Dante Nania completed 9 of 19 passes for 120 yards and 3 td’s. Cornelius Raye grabbed 5 passes for 69 yards and 2 td’s. Jaimire Dutrieulle had a big day with 3 punt returns for 159 yards and 1 td, plus caught 2 passes for 51 yards and 1 td.
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