Complete Game Notes

GAME INFORMATION
Millersville (1-2) at No. 4 Bloomsburg (3-0)
Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011 - 1 p.m.
Redman Stadium - Bloomsburg, Pa.

SERIES INFORMATION
Series vs. Bloomsburg: 30-38-5
Series Streak: Bloomsburg, 11
First Meeting: 1916 - L, 42-0
Last Meeting: 2010 - L, 45-10

MEDIA INFORMATION
Audio Broadcast (MSBN)
Live Stats

GAME OVERVIEW
•  After receiving a 47-0 loss at the hands of Gannon in week three, the Marauders' schedule gets no easier. They now must travel to Redman Stadium to take on unbeaten and fourth-ranked Bloomsburg. The Huskies are coming off a nationally-televised win over Indiana (Pa.).
• Millersville traveled to Gannon riding the high off a 21-20 win over Lock Haven, but the Golden Knights scored two special teams touchdowns and Millersville failed to covert three field goal attempts. The Marauders managed just 103 yards of total offense--the fewest by a Millersville team since 2007.
• Millersville's switch to a new offensive scheme has not been successful. The team ranks last in the PSAC in scoring offense with 8.0 points per game and has scored three points or fewer in two of the three games this year. It is also 15th in total offense with 159.3 yards per game. Twice already this season the team has been held to fewer than 200 yards of total offense. Millersville was held under 200 yards of total offense just nine times from 2003-2010. One year ago, when Millersville was 2-1 after three weeks, it had run 101 pass plays to 80 runs. This season, the Marauders have rushed 125 times compared to 69 pass attempts. The increase rush attempts has not helped in overall production either. The ground game  has totaled 251 yards (ranked 16th in the PSAC) and is averaging just 2.0 yards per carry.  Defenses are loading up against Mike Jones and the Millersville running game because of its struggles in the passing game. Quarterback Dan Miller is averaging 63 passing yards per game, completing 49.0 percent of his passes and has thrown three picks to three touchdowns.
• While Millersville has surrendered 122 points in three games (40.6 per game), the defense is an improved unit from last season. 16 of the points Gannon scored came on special teams and a safety. It also hasn't received much help from the offense. The offense has run 197 plays, which ranks 10 in the PSAC. The Millersville defense ranks ninth in total defense after ranking 16th each of the last three years.  It also ranks second in the league in opponent third down conversion. The big issue is allowing big plays.  It has surrendered three plays of more than 60 yards.
• Fans should expect a cleanly played game as Millersville and Bloomsburg ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in the PSAC in fewest number of penalty yards.
• Audio can be heard on the home of Millersville Athletics, the Marauder Sports Broadcasting Network (MSBN). The broadcast, featuring play-by-play announcer Ethan Hulsey, can be accessed at www.millersvilleathletics.com/MSBN.

ABOUT THE SERIES
• Saturday is the 74th meeting between Millersville and Bloomsburg with the Huskies holding a slight 38-30-5 edge all-time. The first meeting came in 1916. While Millersville dominated the series  from 1971-1999 (21-7-1), Bloomsburg has controlled it since winning 21-20 at Redman Stadium in 2000. Bloomsburg has won the last 11 games and has scored over 40 points in eight of those games. The average margin of victory during that span is 21.5 points per game.
• Millersville has lost nine consecutive games at Redman Stadium. The last win came by a 26-0 score in 1993.
• In each of the last eight meetings, Bloomsburg has rushed for no fewer than 238 yards in a game and is averaging 304.6 yards on the ground. Four times Millersville has allowed a 200-yard rusher (Jamar Brittingham three times and Franklyn Quiteh once).

THE HEAD COACHES
• Millersville's Greg Colby is in his fourth season as head coach. He is trying to rebuild a program that has not posted a winning season since 2000. Before coming to Millersville, he spent most of his career as an assistant at the Division I level. From 1979-86, he was the head coach at Schlarman High School and Naperville High School in Illinois. While at Schlarman, Colby led the team to back-to-back Illinois High School 2-A State Championships (1981-82).
•  Colby has an impressive resume. He came to Millersville after serving as the defensive coordinator at Northwestern from 2002-07 during which time the Wildcats posted three-straight six-win seasons for the first time in 70 years. He was also the defensive coordinator at Kent State for four seasons and served as a defensive assistant at Michigan State under Nick Saban and at Illinois under Lou Tepper.
•  Danny Hale is in his 19th year at Bloomsburg and his 24th as a head coach in the PSAC. He is 157-52-1 at Bloom and 197-65-1 including his five seasons at West Chester. He is the school's all-time leader in wins and is in the top 10 among active coaches in winning percentage. His teams have claimed 11 PSAC East titles and seven NCAA playoff appearances. Bloomsburg is an outstanding 59-14 with four double-digit win seasons since 2005.

SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
• Bloomsburg's formula of a power running game and stout defense is working its magic once again in 2011. The Huskies are ranked No. 4 in the country after a 3-0 start and rank No. 2 in scoring defense (15.3 ppg) and No. 3 in passing defense (148.7 ypg). Offensively, the running game is second in the league, averaging 241.7 yards per game and 5.5 yards per carry.
• Franklyn Quiteh was the nation's leading rusher last season and has picked up right where he left off. He's totaled 301 yards and averaged 5.4 yards per carry. He sharing some of the load, however. Eddie Mateo has totaled 33 carries and logged 250 yards (7.6 yards per carry). Matteo also has five touchdowns to Quiteh's one.
• Pat Carey started 13 games and led Bloom to the NCAA playoffs in 2010. With the strong ground game, he hasn't need to do much passing so far. He has not attempted more than 18 passes in a game. Last season with was extremely efficient, throwing 24 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. His ratio through three games is 3:3. His most productive game of the season came last week against IUP. He completed 9-of-18 passes for 235 yards. His favorite target is Lancaster-Lebanon League product Kyle Fisher. Fisher set a career high with 171 yards on five catches against IUP.  He leads the team with 10 catches and averages 26.3 yards per catch. No other player has more than four catches.
• On defense, Jarrett Pidgeon is producing like a PSAC Defensive Player of the Year. He leads all PSAC players with 33 tackles. He's also totaled two tackles for loss, a sack, two interceptions and five passes defensed. He was an All-PSAC East Second Team pick last year.

THE LAST TIME OUT FOR THE MARAUDERS
•  Millersville's first-ever game in Erie, Pa., is one it would soon like to forget. Gannon scored two special teams touchdowns, intercepted Dan Miller twice and sacked him nine times in a 47-0 win over the Marauders.
• Gannon's Justin Caliste was a one-man Marauder wrecking crew. In less than a three-minute stretch in the second quarter, Caliste returned a kickoff for 66 yards, broke a 70-yard touchdown run and took a punt back 85 yards for a third touchdown.
• Caliste's three scores were a part of a 23-point second quarter for Gannon, which also included a Millersville safety. Gannon improved to 1-2 on the season.
• The Marauders, now 1-2, managed just 103 yards of total offense. It marked the first time the team was shutout since Sept. 22, 2007.  Miller gained 56 yards on the ground, but lost 70 yards on sacks and negative runs. He was 7-of-13 passing for 48 yards.
• Miller's counterpart, Daniel Tapscott, completed 13-of-24 passes for 110 yards. He was picked off once by Brian Knell, who now has three interceptions and one in each game this season.
• The Marauders' special teams play had them ranked first in the PSAC in punt and kick coverage after two weeks, but along with two touchdowns allowed, Anthony Kassab missed two field goals frmo 37 and 31 yards and had a 35-yarder blocked.

BIG DAY FOR DOM
•  Without Jamal Smith, the Marauders entered 2011 needing a No. 1 wide receiver. Coaches expected Dominic Sanders to step into that role. The redshirt sophomore produced a career day against Lock Haven. He hauled in seven catches for 65 yards and also made two touchdown catches. His first touchdown catch was a leaping grab in the back corner of the end zone that displayed his skill.  It was also his first touchdown catch since the season opener of the 2010 season. His third quarter touchdown proved to be the game-winner.

TAKE IT AWAY
•  Millersville's defense has generated nine turnovers in three games--two against W.Va. Wesleyan, four against Lock Haven and three at Gannon. At Lock Haven, Millersville recovered three fumbles, which was the most since recovering four at Cheyney in 2009. With six recovered fumbles on the season, Millersville has already eclipsed the  total from the entire 2010 season.
• Brian Knell has also recorded an interception in each of the first three games. He picked off two passes as a freshman in 2009 but did not have one in 2010. His pick against Wesleyan was his first since Oct. 24, 2009.

A FAMILIAR FACE
• Jim Shiffer returned to Millersville in the offseason as the program's offensive line coach. After serving as the offensive coordinator at Kutztown and the head coach at Mansfield, Shiffer is back where he spent eight seasons from 1994-2001. Shiffer is a highly-regarded offensive line coach. He has spent 17 years in the PSAC. During his time at Millersville, he was part of three PSAC East Championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances. He also coached 10 offensive linemen to All-PSAC East honors. In three years at Mansfield, he developed 16 All-PSAC East players. He's a Lancaster County native, having graduated from Conestoga Valley High School and receiving a master's degree from Millersville in 1992.