The final statistics don’t tell the story.

No. 15 Slippery Rock ran roughshod over Kutztown, outgaining the Golden Bears, 502-203. Kutztown finished with just 11 first downs, two in the second half, when it held the ball for only about 8 minutes.

And it ran zero plays from scrimmage inside Slippery Rock territory after halftime.

Despite it all, Slippery Rock’s football season came to a close Saturday with just its second loss. Both against Kutztown.

Antaun Lloyd’s 100-yard interception return in the fourth quarter sealed Kutztown’s second victory against Slippery Rock in less than a month. Judd Novak threw two touchdown passes as the Golden Bears came away with a 28-16 decision in the NCAA Division II Super One Region championship game at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.

“I never really saw stats before where we got 500 yards and we gave up 200,” Slippery Rock coach Shawn Lutz said. “Give Kutztown credit. They caused (three) turnovers. We didn’t. That must have been the difference in the game.”

Kutztown (12-2), which defeated Slippery Rock, 31-7, at Kutztown on Nov. 11 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship game, advances to the Division II semifinals next Saturday at a site and time to be announced.

Quarterfinal-round winners of the four super regions were to be reseeded Saturday night with the No. 4 seed ticketed to travel to the No. 1 seed and the No. 3 seed visiting the No. 2 seed.

The Division II championship game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Dec. 16 in McKinney, Texas.

Kutztown will be playing in its first national semifinal, while Slippery Rock was attempting to reach the semis for a third time. The Rock lost to Carson-Newman in 1998 and to Minnesota State in 2019.

“We didn’t get it done. Give credit to Kutztown. It just wasn’t our day,” Lutz said. “Two first downs they got in the second half, and we lost this football game. It’s not good enough. We want to compete for a national championship. We don’t ever expect to lose. We’re disappointed, and I really feel bad for our seniors.”

Slippery Rock lost the ball inside the red zone in the second half four times on downs and also was within 2 yards of the goal line when Isaiah Edwards fumbled, and Kutztown’s Jalen DeVose recovered.

“We made some mistakes,” Lutz said. “It starts with me. We should have kicked a field goal there.”

Overall, the Rock were just 2 for 7 on fourth-down opportunities.

Kutztown survived Slippery Rock’s offensive onslaught that saw the Rock outgain the Golden Bears by more than twice as many yards while racking up 27 first downs. Kutztown held on, despite gaining just 53 yards in the second half.

“Our offense was 6 for 6 in third-down conversions in the first half,” Kutztown coach Jim Clements said. “To me, that was a big key to the game.”

Trailing by a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, the Rock advanced deep into Kutztown territory. But quarterback Brayden Long, a Harlon Hill Trophy candidate, who was 33 for 43 for 322 yards, threw his only interception of the game.

Lloyd stepped in front of Slippery Rock wide receiver Kyle Sheets 5 yards deep in the end zone and returned the ball down a wide-open right sideline to give Kutztown a 28-14 advantage.

“It was great, but I was exhausted,” Lloyd said.

Did he consider taking a knee?

“No, not at all,” Lloyd said.

Clements called it “a huge moment for us.

“That’s not the first time he’s done that. You figure, fourth down, just catch it, get a knee, we’ll take it at the 20. He saw that and he’s got some fast wheels. He just took off.”

Long felt that Sheets was interfered with but said he wasn’t making an excuse.

“If anything, I was trying to get a call because he got held up,” Long said. “Guess it didn’t get called. It can’t happen in that situation. I thought it was pretty clear he got held up, and I think it was a missed call.”

Lutz backed his quarterback, saying: “I don’t disagree with him.”

Long added: “They clearly missed that one, but, at the end of the day, it’s on us. We just have to be better.”

It marked the third interception for a touchdown in nine career picks for Lloyd.

Both teams scored on their first possession.

Novak, who completed 11 of 16 attempts for 127 yards, threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to Mekhi Gibson to put Kutztown in front 7-0. Slippery Rock countered on Khalid Dorsey’s 8-yard touchdown run to tie it at 7-7.

Novak put Kutztown ahead for good on a 3-yard keeper with 4 minutes, 5 seconds left in the first quarter.

The teams traded touchdowns late in the second quarter as Kutztown took a 21-14 advantage into halftime.

Novak fired a 16-yard touchdown pass to Darryl Davis-McNeil, giving Kutztown a 21-7 lead, before Slippery Rock’s Chris D’Or scored on a 3-yard touchdown run with 8 seconds left before halftime, cutting the deficit to 21-14.

Afterward, a distraught Kyle Kudla thanked his teammates and coaches for an opportunity to play at Slippery Rock. The 5-foot-11, 227-pound linebacker, who transferred this year from Division II Hillsdale, had a prediction on his way out the door.

“These guys will be back,” Kudla said. “You can write that down right now. These guys will be back.”

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