ABOUT THE GAME

• Millersville navigated its non-conference schedule with a 2-1 record and now returns to Biemesderfer Stadium after a two-week road swing to open PSAC East play against West Chester, which also boasts a 2-1 record. There are plenty of similarities in the resumes after three weeks. Both teams opened the season with wins over an NE10 opponent. Both teams defeated Gannon by seven points, and both teams dropped night games at Slippery Rock. Millersville is 1-0 at home this season and has won three of its last four at home dating back to 2022.
• Millersville and West Chester facing off in the week four divisional opener has become a common occurrence as it is the 10th time since 2008 that the teams kick off PSAC East play. Millersville last won a PSAC East opener in 2007. The Marauders are also looking to start 2-0 at home for the first time since 2010.

SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS

• Millersville has excelled on both sides of the ball in the run game. Millersville has totaled at least 133 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown in each of the first three games and has held two of the first three opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing and just two total rushing touchdowns. The Marauders rank sixth in rushing offense (153.7) with redshirt freshman Jaquan Howard ranking fourth in yards per game (78.7). Since the start of the 2022 season, Millersville is 7-2 when rushing for more than 100 yards and 4-0 when producing a 100-yard rusher.
• The defense has surrendered just 83.0 rushing yards per game and its 2.9 yards per carry allowed is second best. Millersville has held eight of its last 10 opponents to 21 points or fewer.
• Even while successfully stopping the run, Millersville has managed to generate a significant pass rush in the first two games. The Marauders are tied for second in the PSAC with eight sacks, having recorded at least one in all three games. Linebacker Ryan Aument is tied for second with three, and Randy Okungu has two.
• Linebackers Garrett Cox and Hez Faison have made an impact early in the 2023 season. The duo has combined for 14 tackles for loss with seven apiece and are tied for second in the PSAC in that category. Cox has at least two TFL in each of the first three games, and he ranks second in the PSAC with 10.0 tackles per game. Faison is 11th with 7.7 tackles per game. Cox has also played a key role in generating takeaways as he leads the conference with two fumble recoveries.
• With Cox leading the way, the Marauders have become proficient at creating turnovers on defense. Four different Marauders have recovered a fumble in the first three games, and Gus Ross has an interception, giving the Marauders a plus-five turnover margin. In week one, KeShaun Jones returned a fumble recovery 84 yards for a touchdown--the longest by a Marauder since 1998. Ross has an interception and a forced fumble. Since week four of the 2022 season (11 games), Millersville has 10 interceptions and 21 turnovers created.
• Meanwhile, the offense has protected the ball with Rob Footman Jr. attempting 73 passes without throwing an interception. The Marauders have also fumbled just once in 108 rushing attempts.
• Hakim Melvin opened the Slippery Rock game with a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. It was Millersville's first touchdown on a kickoff return since 2014 and one yard shy of tying the longest in school history. In 1980, Brent Thomas returned a kickoff 100 yards vs. Mansfield, and Kevin Cannon did the same in 1995 against Shepherd. Melvin also had a touchdown return nullified by a penalty in the fourth quarter of the week two game against Gannon. Among players with at least four returns, Melvin ranks third in the PSAC in average (26.1), and his 99-yard return is the second longest in the PSAC this season. He is one of three players with a return touchdown.
• While Millersville has outrushed all three of its opponents, it is certainly looking for improvement in the passing game. The Marauders have averaged just 11.0 completions and 126 yards in the first three games. Still, Footman has five TD passes to five different players. Last week, tight end Brady Russell hauled in his first career TD reception. 
   

SCOUTING WEST CHESTER

• West Chester is 2-1 with a pair of victories decided in the final minutes. In week one, West Chester drove 71 yards in four plays to score the game-winning touchdown with 53 seconds remaining for a 20-19 win over Bentley. Last Saturday, West Chester broke a 31-31 tie with Gannon on a Trey Blair three-yard touchdown run with 1:22 remaining and then sealed the victory with a Kaleb Brown interception at the West Chester 6-yard line. The Golden Rams are no strangers to the road as Saturday marks their third away game in the first four weeks.
• West Chester’s offense has consistently moved the ball, averaging 440.7 yards per game. The Rams boast a balanced attack, rushing for 156.7 yards per game on 4.5 yards per carry while passing for 284.0 yards per game and averaging 10.9 yards per attempt. Sophomore Cooper Jordan is a true dual threat at quarterback, passing for at least 249 yards and rushing for at least 64 in all three games. Last week against Gannon, he threw three passing touchdowns. He also leads the team in rushing yards.
• One area of trouble for the Rams has been turnovers. Jordan has thrown four interceptions, and they’ve lost three fumbles. Despite the negative turnover margin, the Rams rank third in the PSAC in total offense and average 27.3 points per game.
• Defensively, the Rams rank 14th in the PSAC in scoring and total defense. Opponents have had success in the run game, averaging 196.3 rushing yards and 5.1 yards per carry. Their last two opponents have scored a combined six rushing touchdowns.

SERIES HISTORY

• West Chester has won each of the last 19 meetings with Millersville's last win in the series coming by a 31-24 score in 2002. West Chester's streak includes a streak of nine wins at Biemesderfer Stadium. Last season, the Marauders limited West Chester to six first downs, 16 yards rushing and 127 yards of total offense, but West Chester scored 26 points, using two safeties, three field goals and a defensive touchdown. Neither quarterback that played in that game should factor into the 2023 game as Millersville's Luke Thomas graduated and West Chester's Cooper Jordan has taken over as the starter. Millersville intercepted two passes and West Chester created four turnovers in the 2022 meeting. 
• Last season was just the second time in 16 games that West Chester scored fewer than 42 points against the Marauders. Millersville has topped 14 points just twice since 2007. 
• THE LAST MEETING (West Chester 26, Millersville 14 (Sept. 14, 2022): A touchdown scramble from quarterback Luke Thomas and a TD pass to Jaheim Morris, and the Millersville Marauders were in full control early Saturday against West Chester. But a disastrous second half that included three lost fumbles, a pick six and a safety led to 24 unanswered points and a 26-14 come-from-behind win for the Golden Rams. 

THE LAST TIME OUT

• Millersville: Slippery Rock 42, Millersville 21 (Sept. 16, 2023) - Hakim Melvin's 99-yard kick return started the game with a bang, and visiting Millersville raced to a 21-7 lead over No. 13-ranked Slippery Rock. But touchdowns just before and immediately after halftime turned the game in favor of The Rock, which won its 31st-consecutive night game, 42-21. Kyle Sheets hurt the Marauders on big plays downfield, finishing with 12 catches, 210 yards and three touchdowns. Brayden Long went 31-for-43 and 390 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. 
• West Chester: West Chester 38, Gannon 31 (Sept. 16, 2023) - Trey Blair's touchdown with 1:26 to play broke a 31-31 tie, and Kaleb Brown sealed the win with an interception at the 6-yard line. West Chester went 76 yards in nine plays for the go-ahead touchdown. Cooper Jordan threw for 249 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 64 yards as West Chester piled up 421 yards of total offense.