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Millersville

Millersville football vs. Shippensburg

Millersville takes aim at No. 4 Kutztown

10/30/2024 8:00:00 AM

By: Ethan Hulsey, Director of Athletic Communications

COVERAGE LINKS

  • Series: 57-36-3
  • Series Streak: KU, 13
  • First Meeting: W, 16-6 (1903)
  • Last Meeting: L, 12-17 (2023)
  • Largest Margin of Victory: 52 (1960)
  • Largest Margin of Defeat: 56 (2012)
  • Record at Home: 18-9-1 (since 1968)
  • Most Millersville Points: 59 (1960)
  • Most KU Points: 62 (2018)

ABOUT THE GAME

  • Millersville football faces its toughest test of the season in undefeated and fourth-ranked Kutztown. Kutztown is the last remaining undefeated team in the PSAC and has won 17 consecutive regular season games. Saturday is Senior Day at Biemesderfer Stadium and the 2024 home finale for the Marauders. 

WHAT TO WATCH

  • Millersville has been much-improved on offense in recent weeks, scoring 21 or more points in four of the last five games and in three in a row. The offense has topped 400 yards of offense in two of the last three games. They rushed for 205 yards last week against West Chester, which was the third time in five weeks they topped 200 yards. Millersville has also passed for at least 200 yards in three consecutive games for the first time since 2018. 
  • Jaheim Morris had his best performance of the season at West Chester, rushing for a season-high 92 yards and a touchdown. That outing put him over 2,000 career rushing yards. Morris now ranks fifth all-time in career carries and is 121 yards shy of Troy Smith (1982-85) for 10th in career yards. 
  • Rob Footman Jr. returned to the starting lineup for the first time since week three and passed for a season-high 178 yards and two touchdowns against West Chester. He also logged a season-high 17 rushes for 75 yards. Tyler Tinson and Steven Graves III both caught the first TD passes of their careers. 
  • Linebacker Bryce Beutler has recorded double-digit stops in back-to-back games, totaling 12 against Shepherd and 10 against West Chester. 
  • Millersville's primary issues on defense has been the inability to get to the quarterback and create turnovers. Millersville's three interceptions is 14th out of 15 PSAC teams, and their six sacks are last in the PSAC. Millersville did not force a turnover in the month of October. That is a stark contrast to Kutztown's defense, which ranks among the best in Division II in multiple categories. Kutztown is second nationally in both total defense and scoring defense, allowing just 6.6 points per game. They have already pitched three shutouts, and they haven't allowed an offensive score since the third quarter of the Oct. 5 game against Bloomsburg. No team has scored an offensive point against Kutztown in 13 quarters. Kutztown leads the PSAC and ranks fourth in the country in turnovers created and is seventh in turnover margin. If teams can manage to enter the red zone, it does not guarantee a score. Kutztown is first in the nation in red zone defense, allowing four touchdowns and a field goal on just 12 trips. They have not surrendered a single red zone passing touchdown this season. 
  • With a smothering defense, the Golden Bears don't have to be overwhelming on offense. Judd Novak averages 180.6 passing yards per game, but is efficient, completing 63.6% of his passes and has 16 touchdowns to five interceptions. Kurtis Ravenel Jr. and Mekhi Gibson both have five touchdown catches and both have 50-yard receptions. Jaedyn Stewart is the leading rusher, averaging 51.3 yards per game and 5.0 yards per game. Novak can also hurt teams on the ground. He averages 5.2 yards per carry. 
  • Kutztown also boasts a solid special teams unit. Kicker Will Smith is 5-for-5 on field goal attempts. Punter Nate Millard averages 41.3 yards per punt. 

SERIES HISTORY

  • Kutztown has won 13 consecutive games against Millersville, but the Marauders still lead the all-time series 57-36-3. Kutztown has six consecutive wins at Biemesderfer Stadium. The last two match-ups have been closely contested. Kutztown held on for a 20-13 win in 2022 and edged Millersville 17-12 last season. In the 2022 match-up, Millersville pushed to the Kutztown 29 on the final drive before Rob Footman Jr. was injured on a sack in the final minute. Footman went 14-for-28 with a touchdown and Morris rushed for 66 yards in the game. Last season at Kutztown, Millersville trailed 14-0 early but rallied and had the ball with a chance for the go-ahead score with three minutes to play. Brett Nye played quarterback off the bench and went 8-for-14 for 135 yards and a touchdown, but the final drive stalled on the Millersville 43 when Nye was sacked on third down. 
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