SLIPPERY ROCK — The PSAC’s top-ranked offense vs. the league’s top-ranked defense?

No contest.

Slippery Rock University scored five touchdowns and had a 47-yard field goal attempt blocked on its first six possessions Saturday night in rolling to a 42-21 football victory over Indiana (Pa.) at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.

IUP (3-2, 1-1) entered the game allowing an average of 14 points and 249 yards per game. The Rock (5-0, 2-0) rolled up 485 yards while its defense limited the Crimson Hawks to 184 net yards in the first three quarters.

“I thought we came out and dominated in all three phases — offense, defense and special teams — at the start of this game,” SRU coach Shawn Lutz said. “This is one of my most satisfying wins as a head coach.”

The Rock took the opening kickoff and marched 63 yards in nine plays. All but one of those plays was on the ground. SRU wound up rushing for 208 yards and throwing for 277.

“They came out and threw the first punch,” IUP linebacker Drew Dinunzio-Biss said. “We didn’t respond well enough.”

“We just started slow,” Crimson Hawks quarterback Karst Hunter said. “They executed better than we did in the first half. In the second half, we started executing better.”

The Rock did not throw a touchdown pass all night. Khalid Dorsey ran for 123 yards and three touchdowns, including a 45-yard burst. Isaiah Edwards ran for a pair of touchdowns and quarterback Brayden Long scored on a 1-yard run.

SRU’s first four possessions resulted in touchdown drives of 63, 48, 53 and 78 yards. Holding a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter, The Rock denied IUP a score when free safety Selvin Haynes intercepted a pass in the end zone.

Josh Stokes and Eddie Faulkner IV added interceptions for The Rock later in the game.

“Seeing the way we walked down the field and scored right away just fired our defense up more,” Rock linebacker Kyle Kudla said. “There’s so much chemistry in our locker room.

“I love the way this team comes together.”

IUP put together a 78-yard scoring drive in the second quarter, ending with a Dayjure Stewart 2-yard TD run, then blocked Kevin Roberts’ 47-yard field goal at he end of the half. SRU took a 28-6 lead into halftime.

The Crimson Hawks could not build on its late momentum of the first half. On the second snap of the third quarter, Stokes intercepted Karst Hunter and returned the ball 19 yards to the IUP 45. Dorsey broke free for a touchdown run on the next play and it was 35-6.

“Their offensive line took control of this game,” IUP coach Paul Tortorella said. “They won the battle up front.”

Still, IUP wasn’t done. Hunter capped scoring drives of 77 and 70 yards with short touchdown runs in the fourth quarter and the Crimson Hawks trailed 35-21 with 7:05 to play.

“When it was 35-6, I thought they were done,” Lutz said of IUP. “When they started coming back ... We needed to make something happen.”

Enter Kyle Sheets.

After The Rock recovered IUP’s onsides kick, Long found Sheets for 40 yards deep down the left sideline. Dorsey scored on an 8-yard run with 6:09 to play and the issue was decided.

Sheets had five catches for 131 yards.

“He’s just unbelievable,” Long said of Sheets. “Just throw the ball up to him ... One on one, he’s going to catch it.”

IUP ran for 217 yards in its own right, but failed to make many plays in the passing game.

“We were running the ball well, but down by that many points with the clock running, you can’t keep doing that,” Tortorella said,. “We had to try the onsides kick there, because if they get a first down or two, they run another three or four minutes off.

“We’re IUP. We weren’t playing to make the score closer. We were playing to come back and win.They hit a big play there, a good play by them.”

Lutz praised the play of his offensive line — center Jeff Burkhart, tackles Yuriy Hryckowian and Joe Cooper, guards Colton Rossi and Butler graduate Nick Stazer — for its play Saturday.

“We knew had to be able to run the ball against that defense,” Lutz said. “Those guys made it happen.”

Notes: Jalen Dangerfield led The Rock with 12 tackles, Kudla adding 10. ... SRU won its 32nd straight night game and is 34-1 in night games since 2010. ... Sheets has 549 receiving yards in the last four games. ... The teams combined for only six penalties. ... SRU travels to Mercyhurst for a 2 p.m. kickoff this Saturday.

Indiana (Pa.) 0 6 0 15 — 21

Slippery Rock 14 14 7 7 — 42

First Quarter

SRU — Isaiah Edwards 1 run (Kevin Roberts kick), 10:24

SRU — Khalid Dorsey 2 run (Dorsey kick), 2:13

Second Quarter

SRU — Brayden Long 1 run (Roberts kick), 14:33

SRU — Edwards 4 run (Roberts kick), 7:53

IUP — Dayjure Stewart 2 run (kick failed), 3:07

Third Quarter

SRU — Dorsey 45 run (Roberts kick), 13:30

Fourth Quarter

IUP — Karst Hunter 4 run (Hilton Ridley pass from Hunter), 12:24

IUP — Hunter 1 run (Nick Andrasi kick), 7:05

SRU — Dorsey 8 run (Roberts kick), 6:09

Individual Statistics

Rushing: IUP, Dayjure Stewart 16-89, Karst Hunter 14-88, JD Younger 4-39, Adam Houser 2-1, Quinn Zinobile 1-0. SRU, Khalid Dorsey 15-123, Chris D’Or 11-54, Isaiah Edwards 9-31, Brayden Long 6-1, TEAM 1-(-1).

Passing: IUP, Karst Hunter 11-23-131-3. SRU, Brayden Long, 18-23-277-0.

Receiving: IUP, Quinn Zinobile 4-64, Hilton Ridley 2-29, Adam Houser 1-19, Cole Laney 1-11, Daniel Deabner 1-6, Cyair Clark 1-4, Derek Lockhart 1-(-2). SRU, Kyle Sheets 5-131, Cohen Russell 5-86, Kam Kruzelyak 3-25, Chris D’Or 2-25, Logan Ramper 2-12, Jawon Hall 1-(-2).