Final statistics

CLARION, Pa. – Sophomore Kurt Brackman booted three field goals and an extra point Saturday afternoon to account for most of Slippery Rock University's points in a 16-13 Rock win over hosting Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division rival Clarion University.

It was only fitting, then, that Brackman provided The Rock with what proved to be the game-winning points when he split the uprights on a 32-yard field goal attempt with 1:41 left to play.

The Rock's fourth win in five games overall this fall and first in two PSAC-West contests was secure, though, until senior cornerback Robert Doiley intercepted a pass at The Rock 41-yard line with 36 seconds left.

The loss was the fifth in as many overall games this fall and the second in division competition for Clarion.

Prior to kicking the game-winning three-pointer, Brackman, who was subbing for injured All-America kicker #C.J. Bahr# and had not attempted a collegiate field goal prior to Saturday, nailed treys from 23 and 22 yards.

His 23-yarder came on The Rock's second possession of the game and capped a nine-play, 38-yard drive that resulted in SRU putting the game's first points on the scoreboard.

The 3-0 Rock lead stood until the 1:55 mark of the second period when Robert Mamula kicked the first of his two field goals, a 31-yarder, to knot the score at 3-3.

The score remained tied through intermission before Rock junior free safety Brandon Watters intercepted a Eric Coxon pass at the Golden Eagles' 44 to set up SRU's second scoring drive of the game.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Mike Bongivengo replaced starting signal caller Ryan Sabo on the ensuing Rock possession and led the Green and White on a seven-play drive that he capped with a three-yard run. Brackman's extra point gave The Rock a 10-3 lead with 9:40 left in the third period.

The lead lasted less than five minutes, though, as backup quarterback Ben Fiscus replaced Coxon and engineered a nine-play, 67-yard Clarion scoring drive to re-tie the score at 10-10 with 5:18 left in the third period of action.

The teams entered the fourth period deadlocked at 10-10. Sabo then re-entered the game for SRU and directed an 11-play, 57-yard drive that climaxed in Brackman's 22-yard field goal with 8:48 left to play.

Undaunted, Fiscus and Clarion came right back to march 47 yards in six plays and tied the score for the third time in the game, 13-13, with a 33-yard field goal by Mamula.

That set the stage for Brackman's game-winning boot, which came at the end of a nine-play, 54-yard Rock drive.

Fiscus and the Golden Eagles threatened to come right back and tie the game again on the ensuing possession as they moved from their own 38 to The Rock 44 before Doiley picked off an unthrown Fiscus pass to snuff out the rally.

As the final score reflects, defenses pretty much ruled the contest. Clarion finished with a 275-252 advantage in total yards with all but four of the Golden Eagles' yards coming on rushing attempts. The Rock, meanwhile, had a more balanced attack with 108 rushing yards and 144 passing yards.

Fiscus finished the game as the leading rusher with 147 yards on 17 carries, while last year's PSAC-West Offensive Player of the Year, Alfonso Hoggard, added 111 yards on 26 carries.

Rock redshirt sophomore running back Akeem Satterfield eclipsed the 100-yard mark in rushing for the fourth time in his career as he finished with 102 yards on 24 carries.

Sabo ended the game with his best passing yardage total of the season with a 137-yard effort on 12 completions in 22 attempts, one of which was intercepted. Bongivengo was 1-for-1 passing for seven yards.

Junior H-Back Devin Goda caught eight passes for 67 yards for The Rock and junior wide receiver Kevin Sanders had two catches for 53 yards. Jacques Robinson had the only pass reception of the game for Clarion, a four-yarder.

The Rock defensive effort was paced by junior strong safety Jayson Nickson and senior nose guard Aaron Nall, each of whom had seven tackles in the game.

Saturday's game was the second straight road contest played by The Rock, who return home next Saturday to take on 12th-ranked division rival Edinboro in a 6 p.m. duel on Bob DiSpirito Field at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium.

That will be the first of two back-to-back games The Rock will play against a nationally-ranked rival. The following Saturday, oct. 16, the Green and White travel to California, Pa., to take on the fourth-ranked Vulcans in another PSAC-West game.