Slippery Rock football

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Slippery Rock football
Slippery Rock athletics logo.svg
First season1898
Head coach Shawn Lutz
7th season, 70–19 (.787)
Stadium Mihalik-Thompson Stadium
(capacity: 10,000)
FieldDispirto Field
Year built1974
Field surfaceAstroPlay
Location Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
Conference PSAC
All-time record527–354–38 (.594)
Bowl record1–2 (.333)
Conference titles9
ColorsGreen and white [1]
   
Fight songSlippery Rock fight song
MascotRocky
Marching bandSlippery Rock University Marching Pride
Website rockathletics.com

The Slippery Rock football program, nicknamed The Rock, represents Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania in the sport of college football. Slippery Rock competes in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference which is a part of NCAA Division II football. They play their home games at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium, a 10,000-seat capacity stadium named after Rock coaches N. Kerr Thompson and George Mihalik. [2]

Contents

History

Slippery Rock's inaugural football season was in 1898. During their first season, the team compiled a 1–0 record, beating New Castle High School. Slippery Rock did not hire a head coach until the 1906 season, when John B. Price became the first coach in Slippery Rock football history. Over the course of 112 seasons of football, (no season in 1943–44 because of WWII) Slippery Rock has compiled a total record of 527–354–38. The team has captured 9 PSAC Championships: 1939, 1962, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1997 (PSAC-W), 1998 (PSAC-W), 1999 (PSAC-W), 2000 (PSAC-W), 2011 (PSAC-W); as well as 6 state championships: 1924, 1939, 1962, 1972, 1973, 1974. Slippery Rock has had two undefeated seasons, 1924 finishing 9–0 and 1938 ending 8–0. In 1958, Slippery Rock played in its first bowl game, the Beaver Bowl where they defeated the Edinboro Fighting Scots 6–0. Slippery Rock has played in two bowl games since. The 1963 All-Sports Bowl, where they were defeated by Northeast Oklahoma St. 59–12. The most recent bowl game was the 1972 Knute Rockne Bowl losing 27–22 to Bridgeport. Slippery Rock has played in 24 total playoff games and has compiled a record of 12–12.

Playoffs

NCAA Division II

Slippery Rock have made eleven appearances in the NCAA Division II playoffs, with a combined record of 12–11.

YearRoundOpponentResult
1997 First Round
Quarterfinals		 Ashland
New Haven 		W, 30–20
L, 21–49
1998 First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals		 Grand Valley State
Shepherd
Carson–Newman 		W, 37–14
W, 41–39
L, 21–47
1999 First Round IUP L, 20–27 OT
2013 First Round Winston-Salem State L, 20–27
2014 First Round West Chester L, 20–46
2015 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals		 Virginia Union
Assumption
Shepherd		W, 40–21
W, 41–39
L, 16–28
2018 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals		 LIU Post
New Haven
Notre Dame (OH) 		W, 20–14
W, 59–20
L, 17–21
2019 Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals		Shepherd
Notre Dame (OH)
Minnesota State 		W, 51–30
W, 65–59
L, 15–58
2021 First RoundNotre Dame (OH)L, 27–37
2022 First Round
Second Round		Assumption
Shepherd		W, 17–14
L, 27–37
2023 First Round
Second Round
Regional Final		 East Stroudsburg
Tiffin
Kutztown 		W, 45–14
W, 45–35
L, 16–28

NCAA Division III

Slippery Rock have made one appearance in the NCAA Division III playoffs, with a combined record of 0–1.

YearRoundOpponentResult
1974 Semifinals Ithaca L, 14–27

Bowl games

DateBowlOpponentResult
November 15, 1958 Beaver Bowl [3] Edinboro W, 6–0
December 7, 1963 All-Sports Bowl [4] Northeastern State (OK) L, 19–52
November 24, 1972 Knute Rockne Bowl Bridgeport L, 22–27

Head coaches

Facilities

The Rock play their games at N. Kerr Thompson-Mihalik Stadium on Dispirito Field. The stadium name, however, has been changed starting with the 2011 season to Mihalik-Thompson Stadium, in honor of then-current head coach George Mihalik. It is one of few college football stadiums where stadium was named in honor of the then-current head coach. The stadium name is also in honor of N. Kerr Thompson, who was one of the most successful coaches in Slippery Rock history. Dispirito Field was named for former head coach Bob Dispirito who also was a successful coach in Slippery Rock history.

Traditions

"The Rock", located just outside the East endzone of the stadium, was donated by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1995. Players rub the rock every time they take the field prior to each home game.

Announcing the Slippery Rock score has been a tradition at University of Michigan football games since 1959, begun by Michigan Stadium announcer Steve Filipiak. Slippery Rock's scores have also been announced at the games of many other major schools, including Oklahoma, [4] Texas, North Carolina, Stanford, [7] and California. Michigan is the only school that still continues this tradition.

Such is Slippery Rock's popularity in Ann Arbor that The Rock has played three times at the massive Michigan Stadium. First, in front of a Division II-record 61,143 fans, Slippery Rock lost to Shippensburg, 45–14, in 1979. Two years later, over 35,000 were in attendance in 1981 when the Rock took on Wayne State, with Wayne State winning, 14–13. Slippery Rock returned to Michigan Stadium in 2014, against Mercyhurst, losing again, this time by a 45–23 score. [8] There would be 15,121 people who would attend, tiny by Michigan standards but still the largest crowd to watch a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference game that season.

Alumni

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References

  1. ↑ SRU Publications Guidelines and Graphic Identity Standards . Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Football".
  3. ↑ "Bowl Game Rematches STC Foes". The Pittsburgh Press. November 4, 1958. Retrieved January 11, 2023. the Beaver Bowl, a benefit game arranged by two civic groups for Corry High School Field (Erie County) Saturday, Nov. 15 at 7:30 p. m.
  4. 1 2 Elliott, Mal (November 28, 1963). "Really, There Is a Slippery Rock College!". The Tulsa Tribune. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  5. ↑ "The Gazette Times - Google News Archive Search".
  6. ↑ "Don Ault (1996) - Hall of Fame".
  7. ↑ Preimesberger, Chris (January 19, 2011). "The Voice of Stanford Stadium is Silenced". www.almanacnews.com. The Almanac.
  8. ↑ "Big House Battle Homepage (Oct. 18, 2014)".
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