Box Score

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University football team put up 41 points in the first half of Saturday's PSAC crossover against Slippery Rock – including three touchdowns in the final 4:24 before halftime – en route to a 55-35 victory over The Rock from SU Student Association Field at Seth Grove Stadium.

Shippensburg achieved its first 2-0 start since 2004 by putting up 566 yards of total offense against a Rock squad that led the PSAC a year ago in total defense (261.2 ypg). After two games in 2012 against defenses that finished last season ranked among the Top 5 in Division II, the Red Raiders have totaled 1,026 yards of total offense and scored 93 points.

Junior quarterback Zach Zulli threw for 320 yards and four touchdowns in the first half of Saturday's game and also caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from senior fullback Kevin Herod. Zulli finished the game 22-of-41 for 348 yards. Through two games, he has thrown for 740 yards and eight touchdowns.

Senior tailback Mike Frenette ran the ball 16 times for 139 yards and two touchdowns. His 70-yard run to paydirt in the fourth quarter marked the third time in his career he has had a touchdown carry of 70 yards or more. He also had two receptions for 42 yards and another touchdown.

Frenette's 251 all-purpose yards marks a new career high and is the 10th-most in SU single game history. It is the most all-purpose yards in one game by a Red Raider since Kevin Marshall had 263 in a 35-14 win over Millersville on Sept. 27, 2008. He also entered SU's all-time Top 10 for career rushing yards and has 1,734 in his career.

Senior Jacob Baskerville had six catches for a career-high 126 yards and a touchdown to pace the receivers. Sophomore Trevor Harman racked up five receptions for 79 yards and a touchdown. 

SU opened the game with an 8-play, 57-yard drive for a touchdown that was capped off with a 3-yard pitch and catch from Zulli to Harman. On Slippery Rock's ensuing drive, lightning and inclement weather resulted in a delay that lasted almost one hour. When play resumed at 2:13 p.m., The Rock quickly advanced into SU territory but had their drive stall out six plays later with a turnover on downs.

The Red Raider defense notched the game's second score, as junior Jake Metz made an outstanding read on a screen pass and returned his interception for a touchdown to put SU up 14-0 with 2:28 to go in the first quarter. However, The Rock used a 45-yard kickoff return and a 46-yard touchdown pass to get a score of its own just 40 seconds later, and the game's frenzied offensive pace was in full force.

The turning point came late in the second quarter. A Baskerville 35-yard touchdown reception capped a four-play, 80-yard series that put the Red Raiders up 28-14. With 4:18 on the clock, The Rock then began a drive on its own 18-yard line.

On the first play of the series, junior Dainen Green knocked SRU quarterback Jared Buck out of the game with a devastating blind-side sack. The play resulted in a 12-yard loss, and The Rock ended up having to punt from just in front of its end zone.

Given good field position, SU reached the 30-yard line of The Rock before Zulli converted a fourth-and-10 with a high-arcing toss to Frenette for a touchdown that put SU up 35-14. After a three-and-out, the Red Raiders got the ball back again with 1:04 left on the clock. Zulli orchestrated a seven-play, 75-yard drive in just 43 seconds, concluding the series with a 20-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Sheldon Mayer that gave SU a 41-14 halftime lead.

Other than its kneel down at the end of the game, SU had just five possessions in the second half. The Red Raiders cemented the victory with 10:01 to play in the contest when Frenette's two-yard touchdown plunge capped off a 13-play, 75-yard drive that lasted almost six minutes.

The Red Raider defense had six tackles for loss in the game, including three sacks. Sophomore Brian Sourber led the team with eight tackles, including half a sack. Fellow sophomore linebacker James Brennan also had a sack.

Shippensburg will open PSAC Eastern Division play next weekend at Eiler-Martin Stadium with a 6:05 p.m. clash against East Stroudsburg. The Warriors opened their 2012 season Saturday night with a shutout of Lock Haven - SU's Week 4 opponent.

Notes: SU's five scoring drives came on just 31 plays, as the Raiders amassed 348 yards on those sequences and used just 8:15 of clock to attain its 34 points…Herod's touchdown was the first pass attempt of his career...Slippery Rock allowed its most yards in a game since Nov. 10, 2007, against an Edinboro offensive attack led by current SU offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich coaching for the Fighting Scots...SU only got in the red zone three times on Saturday despite scoring 55 points but came away with touchdowns all three times...the Red Raiders have won six straight games dating back to last season.