SEMIFINAL RECAP
Ferris State defeats Slippery Rock, 48-38
Slippery Rock put up an incredible fight against Ferris State in the NCAA Division II Football Semifinals, but fell short, 48-38, on Saturday afternoon. The Rock led by as many as 14 points on multiple occasions but were unable to score in the fourth quarter while Ferris State found the endzone twice to seal the win and advance to the national title game. Rock QB Brayden Long completed 27 of 48 passes for 398 yards and three touchdowns but was intercepted four times, including twice in the redzone. Wideout Logan Ramper hauled in eight catches for 171 yards and three touchdowns, while Mike Solomon also caught eight balls for 130 yards. Idris Lawrence carried the ball 19 times for 74 yards and one score.
The Rock ends the season with an overall record of 12-2.
QUARTERFINAL RECAP
Slippery Rock defeats California, 31-13
Slippery Rock won for the third consecutive weekend with a comfortable 31-13 victory over California in the NCAA quarterfinals. The Rock advances to the semifinals for the first time since the 2019 season and rode an incredible performance from Idris Lawrence (163 yards on 23 carries) to control Saturday's game. Chris D'or added 11 carries or 48 yards and a touchdown, while quarterback Brayden Long completed 17-of-21 passes for 154 yards and three touchdowns. Wideout Logan Ramper hauled in four of Long's passes for 73 yards and a pair of TDs. The Rock's defense held California to just 90 passing yards and got two sacks from Todd Hill and two pass breakups from Josh Stokes.
Slippery Rock scored on the opening drive of the game, going 48 yards in six plays and ending with a Long 18-yard strike to Ramper to go up 7-0. The Rock also scored on its next drive, with a 20-yard Long pass to Mike Solomon making it 14-0. They increased the lead to 21-0 during the two-minute drill at the end of the first half, with D'Or scoring a two-yard TD with just 1:12 left. California finally got on the board after an 11-play, 69-yard drive that made the game 21-7, but a Rock field goal and another Long pass to Ramper made it 31-7 with just 10:07 left to play in the fourth quarter. California scored again to make it 31-13 but could not come any closer, as Slippery Rock advanced to the national semifinals -- along with No. 1 seeds Valdosta State, Ferris State, and the unseeded winner of Bemidji State and Minnesota State.
SECOND ROUND RECAPS
Slippery Rock defeats Kutztown, 25-24 (OT)
Slippery Rock picked up a road win at Kutztown in dramatic fashion, going for two in overtime with the game on the line -- and a hook-and-ladder lateral to Idris Lawrence allowed him to scamper into the endzone to seal the 25-24 victory. The Rock was not able to find much running room the entire afternoon, with just 61 yards on the ground, but quarterback Brayden Long went 27-for-39 for 288 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. Long led an 11-play, 66-yard touchdown drive with just 4:47 left in the game to bring The Rock within two points, 17-15, then found Logan Ramper for the team's first two-point conversion of the game to make it 17-17 and force overtime.
Ramper hauled in nine catches for 120 yards and and the touchdown in overtime to set up the game-winning play. Defensively, Slippery Rock held KU QB Judd Novak to just 79 yards passing, but the Golden bears were able to rack up 229 rushing yards. In a game that featured no turnovers, Slippery Rock held the ball for 33:24 and was 8-for-14 on third down conversions and 2-for-3 on fourth down.
California defeats Ashland, 34-33
California, down by as many as 13 points in the second half, stormed back against Ashland to win, 34-33. Vulcans quarterback Davis Black led the team to two fourth quarter touchdowns -- with the last one a 48-yard pass to Demonte Martin with just 46 secons left in the game. Black totaled four touchdowns in the game (three passing, one rushing) and was 17-of-27 for 275 yards. Bobby Boyd Jr. ran for 98 yards on 15 carries, while Omari Hopkins led the receiving core with 83 yards and two scores.
The Vulcans took a 14-7 lead in the second quarter when Eric McKan III rushed 23 yards into the endzone, but Ashland put up 20 unanswered points and led 27-14 with 7:47 left to go in the third quarter. California scored three of the next four touchdowns, though, and Rashan Murray intercepted an Ashland pass on the final drive of the game to send the Vulcans on to the next round -- where they will host Slippery Rock in an All-PSAC matchup next Saturday, Dec. 7.
FIRST ROUND RECAPS
Slippery Rock defeats New Haven, 14-7
Slippery Rock kept its season alive with a 14-7 win over New Haven in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Division II Football Championship. On a day in which neither team found much room to run, Slippery Rock quarterback Brayden Long took advantage and threw for 270 yards and no interceptions.
SRU opened the scoring on its first drive of the game, an eight-play, 72-yard effort that was capped off by a four-yard Kylon Wilson TD rush—which turned out to be the only points of the first half. In the third quarter The Rock added another touchdown on a Long to Carson Heckathorn 19-yard hookup to make it 14-0. New Haven responded on their ensuing drive, going 64 yards in eight plays to make it a one-score game, 14-7. There would be no more scoring, as Slippery Rock’s defense held New Haven to just 63 rushing yards and 3-14 on third downs.
The Rock’s Logan Ramper hauled in six catches for 123 yards to lead the receiving core, while defensively, Josh Stokes had three pass breakups and Andrew Vince had a team-high 14 tackles. SRU now earns a matchup with top-seeded Kutztown, a team they lost to on two separate occasions in the 2023 season, next Saturday afternoon.
California defeats East Stroudsburg, 30-27
Two PSAC teams battled to the end in a back-and-forth contest, but it was California who controlled the game late and trusted in kicker Anthony Beitko to boot home a 29-yard field goal to defeat East Stroudsburg, 30-27. With just 4:45 left in the game and Cal trailing by
East Stroudsburg scored on its opening drive of the game—65 yards in just five plays—including a Tyriq Lewis 44-yard rushing touchdown to give the Warriors a 7-0 lead. California responded to take the lead after an Anthony Beitko field goal and a Bobby Boyd Jr. 15-yard rushing TD early in the second quarter to make the game 10-7.
ESU closed the second quarter on a tear, though, after a Tahir Mills touchdown rush capped off an 11-play, 85-yard drive to give the Warriors the lead back, 14-10. Beitko booted another field goal to bring Cal within a single point, 14-13, but East Stroudsburg and quarterback Sean McTaggart expertly executed a two-minute drill at the end of the first half. McTaggart and the Warriors went 71 yards in nine plays and just 1:29 on the clock, ended with a Beau Heyser three-yard TD catch to put ESU up 20-13.
The second half was a see-saw as well, with California closing to within two points on their first drive of the half, going 75 yards in eight plays, with quarterback Davis Black plunging in from one yard out to make it 21-19. ESU responded with a 90-yard drive in 12 plays with a McTaggart pass to John Siggins making it 27-19 with 3:52 remaining in the third quarter.
The fourth quarter belonged to Cal, though, shutting out ESU in the period and tying the game on another Black QB sneak with 12:44 left in the game. The following two-point conversion was good after a pass from Black to Omari Hopkins, making the game 27-27. The Vulcans got the ball back late, with 4:45 left on the clock, and orchestrated a 13-play, 68-yard drive to eat up the remaining clock. Anthony Beitko’s field goal as time expired sends Cal further in the bracket, where they will play Ashland -- who upset Charleston, 40-38, earlier in the day.
INDIANAPOLIS – Four Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football programs were selected to compete in the 2024 NCAA Division II Football Championship, the NCAA announced Sunday evening: 2024 PSAC champion Kutztown, Slippery Rock, California, and East Stroudsburg.
The 2024 NCAA Division II Football Championship features 28 teams and begins on Saturday, Nov. 23.
The No. 1 seed in Super Region 1 is Kutztown (11-0 overall), who earns a first-round bye. After a 21-14 victory in last Saturday’s PSAC Championship Game against California, KU has won three of the last four PSAC titles.
Despite the loss to Kutztown in the PSAC Championship, California (8-2) is the No. 3 seed in the bracket and will host another PSAC team, East Stroudsburg (10-1) in the first round. The Vulcans have not qualified for the NCAA Football Championship since 2017 while ESU is making its second consecutive trip to the tournament. The winner of next Saturday’s All-PSAC showdown advances to play the winner of Ashland and No. 2 seed Charleston.
The No. 4 seed and also earning hosting duties for next Saturday’s opening round is Slippery Rock, making its sixth straight NCAA appearance. The Rock (9-1 overall) will welcome New Haven in the first round, with the winner of that game advancing to play Kutztown on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 1 p.m.
Complete bracket information can be found
here.