SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Clarion football team faced their toughest test of the season on Saturday, keeping it close in the first half before falling 41-6 to ninth-ranked Slippery Rock on the road.  The Golden Eagles (3-5, 1-4 PSAC) will play a second straight road game next weekend when they face Edinboro.
 
The first half saw the Clarion defense put their offensive counterparts in position to steal a few points, and the Golden Eagles did just that as they converted two forced turnovers into points.  It all started on the very first possession of the game when Saif Khan brought down Roland Rivers for a strip sack on The Rock's 40-yard line.  Dante Paul scooped up the ball at the 35-yard line to give the Golden Eagles possession, and the ensuing drive finished when James Metzgar booted the ball through the uprights from 30 yards out. 
 
That gave Clarion a 3-0 advantage less than three minutes in, though the Rock responded with a touchdown drive punctuated with a rushing score by Cinque Sweeting.  The Golden Eagles defused the next offensive possession by the Rock, though, with Esaie Batoula picking off Rivers at the 32-yard line.  Metzgar kicked his second field goal of the day to cut the lead to 7-6.
 
The defense held Slippery Rock to a field goal on the second possession of the quarter, keeping the differential at just 10-6, but the Rock scored a touchdown before the halftime break to make it a 17-6 advantage heading into the locker room.  They scored 24 unanswered points in the third quarter to take complete control of the game, though, and neither team scored in the fourth.
 
Slippery Rock limited the dangerous receiving corps of the Golden Eagles, holding the Clarion passing attack to 12-of-27 for 95 yards and two interceptions.  Vaughn Wallace had a team-high eight tackles, and both Khan and Anthony Lang finished the game with sacks.