SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Kutztown University scored touchdowns on its first three possessions and received a game-altering 100-yard interception return from Antaun Lloyd (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) with 11:06 left in the fourth quarter to defeat 15th-ranked Slippery Rock, 28-16, and win its first-ever NCAA Division II Super Region 1 championship Saturday afternoon at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
 
The victory sends the Golden Bears (12-2) into the national semifinals next Saturday, Dec. 9, against an opponent, and at a location, to be determined. The NCAA Football Committee will reseed the four remaining teams left following the completion of the three remaining regional championship games.
 
Kutztown also set a new school record for wins in a season and extended its school record for consecutive wins (12) by knocking off The Rock for the fourth time in a row and seventh time in their last 10 meetings dating back to the 2011 PSAC Championship game. In doing so, the Maroon and Gold became the first team to win four straight against the PSAC West titans since California (Pa.) won five in a row from 2006-10.
 
In similar fashion to the PSAC title game three weeks back, Kutztown got off to a blazing fast start. On the fifth play of the Bears' opening drive, redshirt freshman quarterback Judd Novak (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) dropped a short pass across the middle to Mekhi Gibson (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) and the speedster took off from midfield blowing by Rock defenders on his way to a 53-yard TD that lifted KU to an almost immediate 7-0 lead.
 
Slippery Rock (12-2), which couldn't find a rebuttal in the conference championship game, had a few answers this time. DII's eighth-highest scoring offense (42.8 points per game) pieced together a 10-play, 70-yard drive capped by Khalid Dorsey's 8-yard run.
 
On the ensuing kick, Sincere Thomas (Bristol, Pa./Harry S. Truman) fielded the ball at the KU 7-yard line and took it 61 yards into Rock territory. It was the second straight week Thomas broke off a long return. In last week's 32-31 second round win at Charleston (W.Va.), the Bristol, Pa., native from just outside of Philadelphia turned in an 82-yarder.
 
KU capitalized a short time later, Novak rolling left before tucking it and running for a 3-yard TD and a 14-7 advantage at 4:05 of the first half.
 
Slippery Rock was on the move again, but Jalen DeVose (Lansdale, Pa./La Salle College H.S.) knocked the ball loose from a scrambling Brayden Long and Eden Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Governor Mifflin) recovered at the KU 28.
 
The Golden Bears were able to open a two-score lead when Novak found Darryl Davis-McNeil (Roslyn, Pa./Abington) along the KU sideline for a 16-yard TD on 3rd-and-10. Dawson Evitts (Auburn, Pa./Schuylkill Haven) added his third point after for a 21-7 lead.
 
As expected, things were tense the rest of the way. SRU went 72 yards in 13 plays and closed to within 21-14 on a 3-yard Chris D'Or touchdown with just eight seconds left in the first half and The Rock in position to get the ball to start the second half.
 
Defense and turnovers became the name of the game in the second half. Kutztown didn't run an offensive play in SRU territory over the final 30 minutes, but the SR1 fourth seed could not protect the ball.
 
Three total turnovers plagued The Rock's comeback efforts, the same amount they committed at Andre Reed Stadium back in mid-November. While giving up the ball was bad enough, where the turnovers occurred took the wind out of SRU's sails.
 
SRU forced a Davis-McNeil fumble at the KU 47 that was recovered by Eddie Faulkner IV, but the celebration was short-lived. Six plays later, Jalen Hill (Dover, Del./Dover) stripped The Rock's Isaiah Edwards inside the KU 10 and DeVose recovered at the four-yard line.
 
Following a three-and-out by the Golden Bear offense, SRU moved 49 yards in 12 plays and faced a 4th-and-goal from the KU 5. This time, Lloyd zeroed in on a pass intended for Rock leading-receiver Kyle Sheets, undercut the throw and intercepted it deep in his own end zone. With only Sheets needing blocked, Lloyd sprinted down the sideline 100+ yards for a pick six and a 28-14 lead with 11:01 to go in the fourth. The interception officially went in the books at 100 yards (NCAA stats rules) and marked Lloyd's third-career interception return for a touchdown.
 
Rock drove into KU territory on their last three possessions but turned the ball over on downs each time. The only points SRU scored came on a snap over punter Nate Millard's (Birdsboro, Pa./Daniel Boone) head with 1:58 to go and KU pinned back against its own end zone. It turned out to be a relatively positive scenario for the Maroon and Gold as its lead remained at two scores (28-16) and Millard had room for the free kick.
 
Kutztown stopped Long's fourth-down run short of the line to gain and the Bears ran the final 40 seconds off the clock as a sizable KU visiting support section roared its approval.
 
Kutztown was playing in just its second regional championship game all-time, after falling to Shepherd, 30-28, on a last second Hail Mary from current Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent at Andre Reed Stadium in 2021.
 
Slippery Rock held a 502-203 advantage in total yards and a 27-11 first-down advantage. Even though The Rock ran for 180 yards and threw for 322, KU's limited SRU's longest passing play to 26 yards and its longest run to 14.
 
Novak went 11-of-16 for 127 yards and two TDs. He also ran eight times for 29 yards and another score. SRU's defense was much better against the run this time around, allowing just 76 yards, but Kutztown's defense made stops when they were needed most.
 
SRU failed to get Sheets involved the way it would have liked. He finished with three catches for 28 yards. Cohen Russell was much more active after a one-catch effort in the PSAC title game, but had to rely on plenty of yards after catch (YAC) on his way to 11 grabs for 83 yards. Kam Kruzelyak led The Rock with seven catches for 90 yards.
 
Gibson totaled three catches for 66 yards to lead KU and Kurtis Ravenel Jr. (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle) had three for 36.
 
Drew Hensor (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) and Brandon Hile (Winfield, Pa./Selinsgrove) were credited with a team-high nine tackles for Kutztown. Justin Harris (Deptford, N.J./Salem) and Hill added seven for a unit that was called upon time-and-time again, Saturday. DeVose added five tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Devon Jones (Claymont, Del./Mount Pleasant) and Nigel Wilson (Bound Brook, N.J./Bound Brook) provided a lift with huge fourth-quarter sacks of Long.
 
The Golden Bears now know which three teams will be joining them in the national semifinals next Saturday. Lenoir-Rhyne claimed a 35-7 victory over Valdosta State to win SR2, Harding edged Grand Valley State, 7-6, to claim SR3 and top seed Colorado School of Mines withstood an early challenge from Central Washington to pull away for a 38-14 win in the SR4 title game.
 
The NCAA Football Committee is expected to release the reseeded semifinal pairings later Saturday night. Next week's semifinal games will be carried on ESPN+. The national championship is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 16, in McKinney, Texas, at 1 p.m. ET. The title game will be carried on ESPNU.
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