2008 Woodie Awards
Rock, IUP among top rivalries in college sports
By Randy Klins
Issue date: 10/7/05 Section: Sports Extra
College football rivalries are what fans look forward to each fall.
The classics start early in the season each September when two Southeastern Conference powerhouses, the Florida Gators and the Tennessee Volunteers, square off down south. It ends with one the of the biggest games of the year when the Ohio State Buckeyes meet the Michigan Wolverines each November, usually to decide who wins in the tough Big Ten Conference.
Each Division I regional battle has had its share of memorable moments. In a game between the two Big Ten powerhouses on Nov. 22, 1997, Heisman trophy winner Charles Woodson returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown as the Wolverines went on to beat the Buckeyes 20-14 and win the National Championship.
On a much smaller scale, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) rivalry between Slippery Rock University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania in football has been priceless over the years.
"There are a lot of rivalries in college football," SRU coach George Mihalik said. "This one is just as big as any of those. The intensity is no different."
IUP leads the all-time series 40-31-2 and has won each of the last six meetings. However three out of the six wins have come by seven points or less.
"You have two programs that are proud of their tradition and being successful in football," Mihalik said. "The close victories and close losses add to the rivalry."
Over the years, the two programs have accused each other of running up the score, being slow to get off the field while the opposing team's band was trying to perform, getting into incidents involving cheerleaders and "trash-talking" on the field.
The rivalry hit rock-bottom in the 2002 match-up at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium. The Rock held a 17-7 halftime lead before the Indians came back in the second half to force overtime. After SRU failed to convert on a field goal opportunity in the extra period, IUP's Elice Parker scored on a touchdown run to win the game, 34-28.
The classics start early in the season each September when two Southeastern Conference powerhouses, the Florida Gators and the Tennessee Volunteers, square off down south. It ends with one the of the biggest games of the year when the Ohio State Buckeyes meet the Michigan Wolverines each November, usually to decide who wins in the tough Big Ten Conference.
Each Division I regional battle has had its share of memorable moments. In a game between the two Big Ten powerhouses on Nov. 22, 1997, Heisman trophy winner Charles Woodson returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown as the Wolverines went on to beat the Buckeyes 20-14 and win the National Championship.
On a much smaller scale, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) rivalry between Slippery Rock University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania in football has been priceless over the years.
"There are a lot of rivalries in college football," SRU coach George Mihalik said. "This one is just as big as any of those. The intensity is no different."
IUP leads the all-time series 40-31-2 and has won each of the last six meetings. However three out of the six wins have come by seven points or less.
"You have two programs that are proud of their tradition and being successful in football," Mihalik said. "The close victories and close losses add to the rivalry."
Over the years, the two programs have accused each other of running up the score, being slow to get off the field while the opposing team's band was trying to perform, getting into incidents involving cheerleaders and "trash-talking" on the field.
The rivalry hit rock-bottom in the 2002 match-up at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium. The Rock held a 17-7 halftime lead before the Indians came back in the second half to force overtime. After SRU failed to convert on a field goal opportunity in the extra period, IUP's Elice Parker scored on a touchdown run to win the game, 34-28.
