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BOX SCORE
EDINBORO, PA - The running of Andre Burke (Wilkinsburg, PA/Valley) and the passing of Justin Bouch (Brackenridge, PA/Highlands) proved too much for Slippery Rock as Edinboro spoiled another Homecoming with a 38-26 win. The Fighting Scots have now won four straight games while improving to 6-2 on the season and 4-1 in PSAC West action. Edinboro entered the contest ranked fifth in the Northeast Region. Slippery Rock falls to 3-6 and 1-3 in the PSAC West.
A week ago Burke became the first Edinboro back to rush for 200 yards in back-to-back games with 219 yards against Indiana(Pa.) and 203 yards vs. California(Pa.). The junior tailback bettered that by a yard this week, ending the afternoon with a season-high 220 yards on 23 carries, his sixth 100-yard game. That included a 60-yard run for a touchdown in the third quarter to give Edinboro a 33-13 lead. Burke has now rushed for 1,292 yards, the sixth-highest season total.
Bouch, meanwhile, threw three touchdown passes for second time in the last three weeks and has now thrown 8 touchdown passes in the last three weeks. The junior completed 16 of 28 passes for 170 yards.
Edinboro took the opening kickoff and drove 67 yards on 10 plays, with Bouch finding Nate Eimer (Oswego, IL/West Aurora) for an 18-yard touchdown pass on a 3rd-and-10 play. The score remained 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, as Edinboro has now allowed just two touchdowns all season in the opening period.
While struggling at times defensively, the defense came up with a big play on the first play of the second quarter. Chris Avery (Berea, OH/Berea) had the first of his two interceptions, this one in the end zone to halt an SRU drive. The Fighting Scots proceeded to put together a 10-play, 80-yard drive, with Bouch finding Justin Lipscomb (Roaming Shores, OH/Grand Valley) for a three yard score at the 10:04 mark. Lipscomb ended the day with 5 catches for 51 yards, and has now caught at least one pass in 30 straight games.
Slippery Rock narrowed the margin to 14-7 with 5:57 left in the second quarter when former Fighting Scot Brandon Richardson hauled in a 28-yard TD pass from Nate Crookshank. Edinboro immediately answered the score with a 31-yard field goal by Kody Robertson (Columbus, OH/Hilliard Davidson), his first of three on the day. A 27-yard run by Matt Phillips (Monaca, PA/Monaca) and an SRU personal foul put the Scots in scoring position.
The second quarter scoring wasn't finished, as both teams put up points in the final 70 seconds. Josh Kniess returned a punt 59 yards for a touchdown for The Rock with 1:06 left. It marked the second straight week he returned a punt for a touchdown, and was the first punt return against Edinboro for a score since 1999.
The Scots came right back to boost the lead to 20-13 at intermission on a 20-yard field goal by Robertson. The impressive two-minute drive covered 11 plays and 60 yards in just 57 seconds. Burke's burst for 28 yards on the first play moved the Scots to the SRU 38, and Bouch connected on a pair of third down passes for first downs.
The Edinboro defense came up with another big play on the first series of the third quarter, with Elliott Page (Clairton, PA/Clairton) intercepting a Crookshank pass at the SRU 46. The Scots had to overcome a pair of penalties in a six-play, 46-yard drive. Bouch's 14-yard completion to Ryan Valasek (Natrona Heights, PA/Highlands) on 3rd-and-7 kept the drive alive, and Burke's 31-yard run brought the ball down to the 18, despite a holding penalty at the end of the run. On the next play Bouch tossed his third touchdown, this one to a wide open Ed Brown (North Springfield, PA/Cathedral Prep) for an 18-yard touchdown.
Slippery Rock turned the ball over on its next possession, as well. Page recovered a fumble at the EU 31 after Jim Soltis (Garrettsville, PA/Cardinal) knocked the ball out of Richardson's hands at the conclusion of a 33-yard play. After a nine-yard run by Burke, he burst 60 yards for his longest run of the year and his 15th touchdown.
The Rock came back later in the quarter with an impressive 14-play, 57-yard drive, with Crookshank scoring on a 6-yard run. Ryan Daniels' extra point attempt was blocked by Tim Hyde (Wayland, NY/Wayland-Cohocton), with Avery picking it up and going 89 yards for a defensive extra point, making the lead 35-19. It was the first defensive PAT by Edinboro since 2000 against Lock Haven.
Robertson tacked on a 37-yard field goal on the next series. Slippery Rock scored with 13 seconds left as a blown coverage left Nick Carimi wide open for a 27-yard pass from A.J. Ruperto.
Edinboro ended the day with 450 yards in total offense, including a season-high 280 yards rushing. In addition to Burke's 220 yards, Phillips ran for a season-high 61 yards on nine carries.
Slippery Rock became just the third team to rush for over 100 yards against Edinboro this year. The Scots entered the game ranked 14th in Division II in rushing defense at 88.3 ypg., but The Rock gained 160 yards on the ground. In all Slippery Rock finished with 365 yards. However, The Rock was guilty of four turnovers while Edinboro did not give up the ball once. Edinboro won at Slippery Rock for the first time since 1995, snapping a four-game losing streak, and scored its most points against The Rock since 1995.
Edinboro will play in its fifth Homecoming game this year when it travels to Kutztown on Saturday, October 30. Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m.
~ Fighting Scots ~
Edinboro Athletic Press Release Index
Created on ... October 23, 2004