ABOUT THE GAME

• Winners of three of the last four, the Millersville Marauders take to Chryst Field at Biemesderfer Stadium for the final time in 2022 on Saturday at noon, hosting 6-2 Kutztown for Senior Day. 
• Millersville is coming off its first win over Shippensburg since 2000, ending a 17-game skid against the Raiders. The Marauders now have three PSAC East wins for just the second time since 2006 and have won two home games for the first time since 2017. It is also the second time since 2006 that Millersville has won three games in a four-game span. 
• Kutztown is still playing for the PSAC East title, although Shepherd can clinch it with a win over Bloomsburg Saturday. Kutztown's lone PSAC East loss came by seven points at home against Shepherd, and it has since won four in a row, allowing just 37 total points in those games. 
• Millersville currently sits in third place in the PSAC East with a 3-2 record and can jump Kutztown in the standings with a win Saturday. Millersville has not finished higher than fourth in the standings since a runner-up finish in 2000. 
• Fans can still support the Morgan family's campaign for METAvivor--an organization that provides research and support for patients with stage four metastatic breast cancer. The campaign runs through October and Coach J.C. Morgan and Millersville fans have generated over $6,000. Click here to read the story of Coach Morgan and his wife, Melissa. 

SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS

• Millersville's recent run of success has been built on the run game and defense. The Marauders have allowed 13.3 points per game in the three wins. Millersville ranks 11th in the PSAC in scoring defense but take three safeties and three defensive touchdowns out of the mix, and the defense is allowing just 23.0 points per game overall. The Marauders have held opponents to fewer than 21 points four times.
• It has been feast-or-famine for Millersville's opponents in the run game. Millersville has held four of the last five opponents to no more than 70 yards on the ground and an average of 2.05 yards per carry. But three times (Gannon, Slippery Rock and Shepherd), teams rushed for at least 215 yards. Outside of the game against Shepherd in week seven, Millersville has held four of the last five opponents to one total touchdown run. All four of Shepherd's rushing touchdowns came in the second half. Millersville recorded a season-high five sacks and totaled 12 tackles for loss against Shippensburg. Millersville has 15 sacks in the last five games and now rank sixth in the PSAC.
• Linebacker Garrett Cox leads the team in sacks (5) and tackles for loss (9 1/2). Cox is eighth in the PSAC in sacks and 12th in TFL.
• Conner Snyder had played in one career game before becoming the Marauders' starter at defensive tackle in 2022. He recorded a career-high seven tackles last week against Shippensburg, has 5 1/2 TFL in the last five games and has recorded at least a half-sack in three of the last five games. His three fumble recoveries rank second in the PSAC.
• On the other side of the ball, the Marauders have leaned into their rushing attack, which after averaging 65.3 yards per game in the first four games, has averaged 190.3 over the last four. Millersville has rushed for 4.86 yards per carry in the three wins--totaling at least 169 yards in each win. Freshman QB Robert Footman Jr. took over under center at Lock Haven and has rushed for 221 yards in four games. He's averaged 5.3 yards per carry, and in each of the team's three wins, he's rushed for at least 45 yards. Footman recorded 127 yards rushing last week against Shippensburg, making him the first Millersville QB with 100 yards rushing since Tony Staffieri totaled 118 vs. East Stroudsburg in 2018. Footman's 127 yards were the most by a Marauder QB since Staffieri rushed for 162 against East Stroudsburg in 2016. Millersville's statistical records date back to 1970, and Footman's 75-yard touchdown run against Shippensburg was Millersville's longest run by a quarterback to date. It was the longest rush by any Millersville player since Ian Sadon's 75-yarder in 2012.
• Footman has made plays with his arm as well, especially in high leverage situations. In Millersville's three wins, he's attempted 23 third down passes. He's completed 13 and moved the sticks 10 times. His last seven third down completions have all gone for first downs. Nine of the 10 conversions have been with passes of nine yards or longer. His 10 third down completions averaged 18.5 yards per play. Against Shippensburg, he connected on third down four times for 93 yards.
• Mekhi Alexander recorded a career-high 124 yards receiving last week against Shippensburg, and he's now topped 100 yards twice this season. Alexander has caught at least two passes in each game this season and has caught at least two passes in each of the last 11 games dating back to 2021. He's emerged as a top big-play threat with three catches of more than 50 yards this season. His 88-yarder at Lock Haven was the longest by a Marauder since the school record was set at 91 by Sean Scott in 1999. It was the longest reception by any player in the PSAC this season. Alexander ranks 11th in the PSAC in yards and 12th in yards per catch (15.0).
• Millersville has recorded six pass plays of at least 41 yards. Those plays have been made by four different players: Alexander (53, 55, 81), Hakim Melvin (41), Christan Drayton III (49) and Jaheim Morris (68).
• Kicker Christian Makanoeich made the go-ahead field goal last week against Shippensburg, giving him makes on five of six tries this season. He's made four in a row while hitting all 18 PATs. Makanoeich has made a field goal in three-straight games. 
   

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN BEARS

• Kutztown's two losses were by a total 10 points--losing 3-0 in the season opener and 42-35 to Shepherd in week four. Assumption (5-0) and Shepherd (7-2) now have a combined record of 13-2. Since giving up 31 points and 42 points in back-to-back weeks to Mercyhurst and Shepherd, Kutztown has surrendered just four touchdowns with a shutout of Bloomsburg included in that stretch. Kutztown ranks fourth in the PSAC in scoring defense and first in total defense, allowing just 250.1 yards per game with a PSAC-best 14 touchdowns allowed. Teams average just 66.3 rushing yards and 183.9 passing yards per game. Kutztown has generated just 17 sacks but has at least one interception in each of the five wins six total turnovers caused in the last two games.
• Millersville must find a way to slow Darryl Davis-McNeil who is riding a hot streak of three-straight 100-yard rushing games. He's gone for 122, 136 and 147 with five touchdowns in his last three games. He's just 128 yards shy of 1,000 for the season and ranks second in the PSAC in rushing yards per game (109.0).
• Quarterback Donny Blaine is efficient and doesn't make many mistakes. He's completed 60.6% of his passes with just five interceptions (to 10 touchdowns). Three of those picks came in the season opener. He isn't asked to pass much, as he's attempted more than 20 passes just three times and passed for over 200 yards just twice. His primary target is Jerome Kapp, who has 595 yards and six touchdowns. No other Golden Bear has more than 11 catches, and Kapp is the only Golden Bear with at least 200 receiving yards.

SERIES HISTORY

• Kutztown has won the last 11 matchups against Millersville with the Marauders' last win coming in 2009 (41-35 (2OT)). Kutztown has won six of the last seven games played at Biemesderfer Stadium. Kutztown has scored more than 30 points in 12-straight meetings while Millersville has scored more than 17 points just once in the last nine games against Kutztown. 
• THE LAST MEETING (Kutztown 30, Millersville 7 (Oct. 30, 2021): Kutztown passed for just 46 yards and outgained Millersville a mere 262-222, but Millersville surrendered a safety and threw three interceptions--one of which was returned for a touchdown. Kutztown started four drives in Millersville territory and needed more than 40 yards to score one of its three offensive touchdowns. Four times, Millersville started drives inside its own 11-yard line. 

THE LAST TIME OUT

• Millersville: Millersville 17, Shippensburg 14 (Oct. 22, 2022) - Robert Footman Jr., rushed for 127 yards including 75-yard touchdown scamper and threw for 192 yards, completing 11-of-19 passes. On the drive that set-up Christian Makanoeich's go-ahead field goal, Footman went 5-for-6 for 66 yards, converting three third downs while also rushing for 15 yards on three carries. It was a 14-play, 73-yard drive that chewed up more than six minutes of game clock. 
• Kutztown: Kutztown 35, Lock Haven 7 (10/22/22) - Kutztown rushed for a season-high 289 yards while allowing just 13 rushing yards. Darryl Davis-McNeil rushed for 147 yards and three touchdowns on just 15 carries.