SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. — Clinging to a 3-point lead and stopped short on a fourth-and-1 at the Shepherd 6-yard line Saturday afternoon, Slippery Rock University’s football team needed a break.

It got one.

The host Rams were flagged for having too many men on the field on the play, giving SRU a first down. The 10th-ranked Rock made Shepherd pay as quarterback Brayden Long found receiver Xander McClure in the back of the end zone late in the third quarter.

Those points stood up for a 20-10 SRU victory at Ram Stadium.

“This is a huge win for us,” Rock coach Shawn Lutz said. “Opening the season facing two playoff teams — this one on the road — and going 2-0 gives us some great momentum moving forward.

“I’d have taken a 2-0 win down here. I don’t care. This was a hot day and we were playing in a tough environment. This is big.”

The flag on that fourth-down play did not come out until after the play was over.

“I wasn’t sure what was going on,” Lutz admitted. “But I was happy with the result.”

SRU took a10-0 lead in the first half as Idris Lawrence broke free for a 32-yard touchdown run and Jake Mullins booted the first of two short field goals on the day. But the Rams (1-1) quickly got back in the game.

The Rock tried a fake punt from its own 30-yard line in the second quarter, but Shepherd snuffed the play. Two plays later, Rams quarterback Lek Powell fired a touchdown pass to Malakai Brown and it was a 10-7 game.

“Stupid decision by me,” Lutz said of the fake punt. “I’m a gambler at times, but that was the wrong time. We had all of the momentum going our way and I gave it away.

“I asked the guys on the sidelines to please bail me out of that one ... and they did.”

Shepherd ran only 15 offensive plays in the first half. SRU ran more than 40. The rock possessed the ball for 39 minutes, 18 seconds for the game.

“We stopped their running game and that was important,” Lutz said.

Shepherd rushed for only 26 yards as a team. SRU had 46 carries for 182 yards.

The Rock led 13-7 at halftime. Mullins booted a 25-yard field goal with four seconds left in the half that concluded a 14-play drive that ate 6:48 off the clock. His 24-yard field goal early in the second quarter ended a 92-yard drive that took 7:27 off the clock.

Defensively, Ali Abdul-Hakim had an interception for The Rock while Josh Stokes and Eddie Faulkner IV recovered fumbles. Teddy Gregory Jr.’s six tackles led the team. SRU’s offense had no turnovers.

SRU stays on the road this Saturday, traveling to Shippensburg for a 1 p.m. kickoff.

Slippery Rock 7 6 7 0 — 20

Shepherd 0 7 3 0 — 10

First Quarter

SRU — Idris Lawrence 32 run (Jake Mullins kick), 8:09

Second Quarter

SRU — Mullins 24 field goal, 14:11

S — Malakai Brown 17 pass from Lek Powell (Keith Baker kick), 6:53

SRU — Mullins 25 field goal, :04

Third Quarter

S — Baker 29 field goal, 9:07

SRU — Xander McClure 6 pass from Brayden Long (Mullins kick), :41

Individual Statistics

Passing: SRU, Brayden Long 17-21-157-0. Shepherd, Lek Powell 22-30-240-1.

Rushing: SRU, Idris Lawrence 15-82, Chris D’Or 24-79, Brayden Long 2-15, Quentin Harrison 2-4, Demaetric Crenshaw 1-1, Reis Watkins 1-1, Kylon Wilson 1-0. Shepherd, Malakai Brown 7-19, Lek Powell 3-4, Gran Swinehart 2-3, Jordan Barnett 2-0.

Receiving: SRU, Tony Grimes 5-44, Mike Solomon 1-38, Kam Kruzelyak 4-33, Xander McClure322, Kylon Wilson 1-14, Chris D’Or 2-8, Quentin Harrison 1-(-2). Shepherd, Barry Hill 4-59, Cameron Dorner 6-55, Jeremiah Taylor 4-55, Kordell Batten 3-31, Malakai Brown 2-23, Thaddeus Stanfield 1-6, Jack Rosnage 1-6, Brian Jester 1-5.