Slippery Rock advances to D-II semifinals with wild 65-59 victory

When Slippery Rock quarterback Roland Rivers III had to sit out all of 2017 with a shoulder injury, he passed the time by playing a lot of the video game “Madden.”

But he didn’t play the usual way.

“I played practice mode with all 32 (NFL) teams for three hours at a time, just running plays and envisioning myself out there,” Rivers said.

Rivers has done more than envision himself on the big stage this season. He has seized every opportunity.

On a day when video game-like numbers were put up, Rivers stated his case for the Harlon Hill trophy with eight total touchdowns. He helped No. 8 Slippery Rock advance to the NCAA Division II semifinals for the first time in 21 years with a wild 65-59 win over No. 13 Notre Dame (Ohio) on Saturday at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.

Rivers threw six touchdown passes, rushed for two more and had a career-high 436 yards passing.

The Rock (13-0) moved on to the D-II semifinals for the second time in school history, earned the No. 2 seed and will host No. 3 Minnesota State at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

Slippery Rock lost at Notre Dame last season in the quarterfinals.

“It’s a special feeling,” Rivers said. “We knew the type of team that we had coming into the year, and our goals have stayed the same. Everything we have done has been with the mindset of being at the opportunity that we’re in now. From weightlifting to meetings … everything we’ve done with relentlessness. The job’s not done, though. We have to finish.”

Rivers became the first quarterback in Slippery Rock history to throw 50 touchdowns in a season and has a resume Slippery Rock coach Shawn Lutz feels is good enough for the Harlon Hill, which D-II’s equivalent to the Heisman Trophy.

“If Roland Rivers doesn’t win the Harlon Hill, then I don’t know,” Lutz said. “I usually don’t say things like this, and I’m not campaigning, but it’s just a fact. He’s the best Division II football player in the country. And there’s no argument after today.”

Henry Litwin had 12 receptions for 203 yards and three touchdowns for Slippery Rock. He is one touchdown reception shy of tying the school’s career record of 28.

The Rock led by as many as 21 points in the second half, but Notre Dame scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to six.

The Falcons got a turnover on downs at their 35 with 1 minute, 52 seconds remaining and had one final drive to win or tie the game. The Rock defense, however, got the stop it needed. On fourth down, Kiski Area grad Chad Kuhn hit Falcons quarterback Chris Brimm, causing a wobbly pass that fell into the hands of Shane Schuback near midfield.

Schuback made his first career start in last week’s win over Shepherd (W.Va.) and the senior linebacker got a moment to cherish forever.

“I looked up, and the ball was just floating up there,” Schuback said. “I tried to make a play on it, and before I knew it, I had it. Everyone was going crazy, and that was probably one of the best feelings I’ve ever had besides my son being born.”

The teams combined for more than 1,100 yards of offense and 45 first downs. Slippery Rock ran 90 plays.

The highs and lows were a unique experience for Lutz.

“I’ve been coaching for more than 20 years and had the opportunity to play Division I football at (West Virginia), and I’ve never been a part of a game like today,” Lutz said. “From a spectators’ standpoint, it had to be a great game to watch. I have to credit the opponent. You hate to have a loser in this game. When we were up like we were at halftime, and for them to come back and not give up says a lot about them.”

Notre Dame scored on its first two possessions and led 14-0 less than five minutes into the game.

That set up a back-and-forth first quarter as each team scored three touchdowns in the first nine minutes.

Notre Dame led 24-21 at the end of the first, but Slippery Rock scored four touchdowns in the second and went into halftime with a 49-31 lead.

Lutz was an assistant at Slippery Rock the last time it advanced to the semifinals, where it fell to Carson-Newman (Tenn.). The Rock will look to make history next week by reaching the finals for the first time and can become the first PSAC school to do so since Bloomsburg in 2000.

“We’re one game away now from playing for a national championship,” Lutz said. “Our guys play with heart, and they never quit. They play for 60 minutes, and I couldn’t be prouder of them.”