The Slippery Rock University football team moved up three places to finish the year ranked No. 7 in the final Division II national rankings released Dec. 21 by the American Football Coaches Association. The No. 7 national ranking is the highest of the season for Slippery Rock and is the highest the program has reached since hitting No. 2 in the final regular season poll in 1999. Slippery Rock finished the 2015 season with a 12-2 record and a trip to the NCAA quarterfinals, bowing out to national runner-up Shepherd on the road. The 12-2 record ties the 1998 team for the best record in program history.
Slippery Rock won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division title for the third straight year and the fourth time in the last five years. The Rock won the PSAC overall championship for the second straight year and became one of just six programs in Division II that have reached the playoffs in each of the last three years.
Along the way, the 2015 team shattered multiple single-season program records.
The Rock defense allowed just 2.2 rushing yards per carry and 71.7 rushing yards per game. Those numbers gave Slippery Rock the second best rushing defense in the country. The Rock also led the nation in takeaways with 47, finished first in the nation in fumble recoveries with 23 and finished third in the country in interceptions with 24. The defense led the country in scoring with eight touchdowns of their own, ranked sixth in tackles for loss with an average of 9.4 per game and ranked seventh in sacks with an average of 3.43 sacks per game. Slippery Rock also shattered program records for most passes defended (112), fumbles recovered (23), fumbles forced (19), tackles for loss (132.0) and interceptions returned for touchdowns (4) on the defensive side of the ball.
The Rock offense finished the 2015 season with the highest scoring offense in the country, averaging 45.2 points per game. Slippery Rock had the most first downs (351) of any team in the nation, the fifth best total offense in the nation at 490.3 yards per game and the 12th best rushing offense at 257.7 yards per game.
The Rock offense also shattered multiple single-season school records this fall, including rushing yards (3,608), rushing attempts (741), rushing TDs (46), total offense (6,864), all-purpose yardage (8,599), scoring (633 points) and total TDs (87).
Along the way, the 2015 team shattered multiple single-season program records.
The Rock defense allowed just 2.2 rushing yards per carry and 71.7 rushing yards per game. Those numbers gave Slippery Rock the second best rushing defense in the country. The Rock also led the nation in takeaways with 47, finished first in the nation in fumble recoveries with 23 and finished third in the country in interceptions with 24. The defense led the country in scoring with eight touchdowns of their own, ranked sixth in tackles for loss with an average of 9.4 per game and ranked seventh in sacks with an average of 3.43 sacks per game. Slippery Rock also shattered program records for most passes defended (112), fumbles recovered (23), fumbles forced (19), tackles for loss (132.0) and interceptions returned for touchdowns (4) on the defensive side of the ball.
The Rock offense finished the 2015 season with the highest scoring offense in the country, averaging 45.2 points per game. Slippery Rock had the most first downs (351) of any team in the nation, the fifth best total offense in the nation at 490.3 yards per game and the 12th best rushing offense at 257.7 yards per game.
The Rock offense also shattered multiple single-season school records this fall, including rushing yards (3,608), rushing attempts (741), rushing TDs (46), total offense (6,864), all-purpose yardage (8,599), scoring (633 points) and total TDs (87).
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