KUTZTOWN, Pa. – In a game featuring seven lead changes and plenty of excitement, the Kutztown University football team dropped a tough 27-24 decision to visiting Slippery Rock in its home opener Saturday night at University Field, despite torching The Rock's defense for 357 yards and controlling most of the game.

Slippery Rock improved its overall record to 3-0 while Kutztown slipped to 2-1 following the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover contest that left fans hoarse.

The Golden Bears' senior running back Dontay Wilson (Stamford, CT/Stamford) and senior quarterback Shane Martin (New Holland, PA/Garden Spot) punctured the PSAC's top-ranked rush defense by combining for 229 of KU's 242 rushing yards. Overall, the Golden Bears finished with a season-high 357 yards of total offense. Wilson ran for a game-high 134 yards on 16 carries. The Rock entered the game allowing 57 rushing yards through two games.

Defensively, the Golden Bears were dominant as they held SRU to minus-5 yards of offense after intermission and 181 yards of total offense for the game. In the third quarter, Kutztown held the high-powered Rock offense to minus-16 yards. At times, Kutztown's defense was suffocating, with maroon shirted players swarming SRU ball-carriers and harassing Rock quarterback Rocco Colavecchia into errant throws.

Unfortunately for Kutztown, the difference in the game was a pair of Golden Bear fourth-quarter turnovers that SRU used to erase a 24-17 deficit. The final seven points came courtesy of a Robert Doiley's 36-yard interception touchdown return with four minutes, 29 seconds remaining. Making the defeat tougher for Kutztown is the Rock had the ball for 3 minutes, 22 seconds in the final quarter.

Despite suffering its first defeat of the season, the Golden Bears had plenty of highlights including Martin's Michael Jordan-esque leap over 6-foot, 1-inch defender during a third quarter run. The Golden Bears moved the ball up and down the field for three quarters and the defense made plenty of plays. Martin played his best game of the season by throwing two touchdown passes and rushing for another. Each of his touchdowns gave KU the lead.

Zach Snyder (Lititz, PA/Warwick) caught a 7-yard scoring toss from Martin that gave KU a 14-10 lead with 6:24 remaining in the half. The Rock rebounded to grab a 17-14 halftime edge. The second half belonged mainly to Kutztown.

The offensive line of sophomore Joshua Alger (Sinking Spring, PA/Wilson), sophomore Aaron McGlynn (Harleysville/Souderton), senior Evan Reese (Centre Hall/State College), junior Jared Haas (Linglestown, PA/Cental Dauphin) and sophomore Chris Oliver (Philadelphia, PA/Germantown) opened up gaping holes.

They provided solid pass protection and gave Martin time to find receivers down the field. The freshman wide receiver duo of Jake Cahill (Folsom, PA/Ridley) and Chris McCormick (West Chester/West Chester East) made big catches throughout the game. On the Golden Bears' opening possession of the second half, McCormick hauled in a 29-yard TD strike that gave KU a 21-17 advantage just 2:31 into the third quarter.

Defensively, the KU defense led by the inspired performances of senior David Cressman (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge), junior Kevin Bolinsky (Ashland, PA/North Schuykill), junior Joel Irwin (Coatesville, PA/Bishop Shanahan), senior Mike Gardier (Dunmore, PA/Dunmore), junior Jay McKnight (Reading, PA/Conrad Weiser) and junior Khalief Evans (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter), applied pressure on The Rock offense all night.

Evans led KU with eight tackles, while Cressman and Irwin finished with seven stops each. The Golden Bears finished with two sacks and a host of quarterback hurries.

Kutztown defenders shut down Rock ballcarrier Sayquan Mitchell-Scott. A week after burning Millersville for 205 yards, Mitchell finished with just 43 yards on 11 carries.

The Golden Bears can take a wealth of positives into their game next week against fifth-ranked Bloomsburg in its PSAC Eastern Division home opener, which begins at 6:05 p.m. The game can be heard on KUR Radio (88.3 FM/1670 AM). Slippery Rock travels to Edinboro next week in its PSAC West opener.