ABOUT THE GAME

• After playing three of the last four games on the road, Millersville returns to Biemesderfer Stadium for the final two games of the 2023 season. Bloomsburg comes to Millersville Saturday fresh off an upset win over Shepherd while Millersville seeks to snap a five-game skid that includes three one-score losses. Wins in the final two weeks would give Millersville back-to-back seasons with five wins for the first time since 2005-06. Last season, Millersville ended a 21-game losing streak to Bloomsburg by rushing for 250 yards. That kind of ground production has been a key to success for the Marauders over the last two seasons as they are 7-1 since the start of the 2022 season when rushing for at least 150 yards. Millersville is 2-2 at home this season while Bloomsburg is 1-4 on the road. 

SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS

• Millersville is looking to snap a five-game losing skid and solve an offensive slump against a Bloomsburg defense that ranks third in the PSAC in scoring. In the first five games of the season, Millersville averaged 27.2 points per game but has averaged just 13.3 over the last four. Three of Millersville’s losses have come by seven points or fewer, and in four of the losses, Millersville was within a touchdown in the fourth quarter. With quarterback Rob Footman Jr. dealing with an injury and Ryan Zeltt also out with an injury, Millersville turns to true freshman Brett Nye, who is projected to make his first career start. Nye made his collegiate debut against Kutztown and went 8-for-14 for 135 and a 68-yard touchdown pass. 
• A key to Millersville’s early-season success was the ground game, but after rushing for 186.3 yards per game in the first four games, the Marauders have topped 72 yards just once and have totaled 79 yards on 62 carries the last two weeks. 
• Millersville leads the PSAC with 30 sacks and is facing a Bloomsburg team that has surrendered just seven sacks all season. Garrett Cox’s 7 1/2 sacks lead the PSAC, and Randy Okungu’s 5 1/2 are tied for eighth. Cox also ranks eighth in Division II in tackles for loss per game (1.8) with 16 total. He is the PSAC leader in tackles at 10.2 per game. 
• Mekhi Alexander has caught a pass in 23 consecutive games, and his 68-yard catch vs. Kutztown is Millersville’s longest of the season. 
   

SCOUTING BLOOMSBURG

• Bloomsburg may be 2-7, but the Huskies are coming off a 14-10 win over Shepherd, which entered last week with just one loss. The Huskies have been in nearly every game to the finish whistle with five losses of seven points or fewer. Bloomsburg has not scored more than 21 points since week one, but the defense keeps games close, allowing just 19.0 points per game. Despite playing in low-scoring games, Bloomsburg has struggled to stop the run, allowing at least 114 yards in every game and at least one rushing touchdown in eight of nine. The Huskies gave up 328 yards rushing to Lock Haven three weeks ago, and 202 to East Stroudsburg on Oct. 21. The last three opponents have averaged 5.5 yards per carry. Bloomsburg ranks 11th in the PSAC in opponent first downs and 14th in opponent third down conversions. Millersville’s defense, meanwhile, is third-best on third down.  
• While teams have generated yardage against the Huskies, they are as tough as it gets in the scoring situations. Bloomsburg ranks third in the PSAC in red zone defense, allowing just one red zone passing touchdown while picking off three passes. 
• The Huskies also play sound football, committing just 44 total penalties through nine games, ranking second in the PSAC in fewest penalty yards per game (45.2). 
• Millersville will need to slow running back Kaleb Monaco. Monaco is third in the PSAC in yards per game (89.6) and boasts a 5.4 yards per carry average. He has four 100-yard games and also caught a season-high six passes last week. 

SERIES HISTORY

• Millersville went from 2000 to 2021 without a win against Bloomsburg, but the Marauders' 25-17 road win last season put an end to that slide. Those 17 points for Bloomsburg were the fewest scored against Millersville since 1998. The Marauders have not won back-to-back games against Bloomsburg since 1998-99 and have not won a home game against the Huskies since 1998. Winning streaks of any kind are rare in the series that began in 1916. Millersville has won two or more games in a row six times. Aside from a five-year stretch during World War II, Millersville and Bloomsburg have played once each season since 1930. 
• THE LAST MEETING (Millersville 25, Bloomsburg 17 (Nov. 5, 2022): Millersville dominated on the ground, rushing for a total of 250 yards. Jaheim Morris led the team with his new career-high, rushing for 177 yards on 28 attempts. That was the most rushing yards by a Marauder since 2017. He also rushed for two touchdowns, including a 32-yard touchdown run to begin the fourth quarter. Marcus Pierce Jr. also impacted the run game with 59 yards rushing on 15 attempts with one touchdown. Jack Stagaard was effective running the ball before exiting the game with an injury after his touchdown run in the second quarter. Millersville needed three quarterbacks to get through the game.