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Millersville

Titus Kruah

Marauders seek Homecoming breakthrough versus IUP

| By: Ethan Hulsey, Director of Athletic Communications

COVERAGE LINKS

  • Series: 5-15
  • Series Streak: IUP, 7
  • First Meeting: W, 27-24 (1988)
  • Last Meeting: L, 0-54 (2019)
  • Largest Margin of Victory: 19 (2005)
  • Largest Margin of Defeat: 60 (2008)
  • Record at Home: 3-6 (since 1968)
  • Most Millersville Points: 30 (2001)
  • Most IUP Points: 63 (2008)

ABOUT THE GAME

  • After an extended break, Millersville football returns to Biemesderfer Stadium for the first time since the Aug. 29 opener to take on a 2-0 IUP team that is playing its third consecutive road game. Saturday is Homecoming at Millersville, and the Marauders are 24-27-1 all-time in Homecoming games. It is the first time on record that Millersville has played a Homecoming game in the month of September, first time that IUP is the Homecoming game opponent, and the first time in 21 years that a PSAC West team is the Homecoming opponent. Millersville's last Homecoming win was in 2022 as it beat Shippensburg, 17-14. 

WHAT TO WATCH

  • Dating back to 2023, IUP has won four in a row overall and three in a row against PSAC East teams. Millersville has dropped its last nine, averaging 15.3 points per game in that stretch. Millersville has totaled 13 points in its first two games of 2024, and it won't be easy to get the offense untracked against IUP. Through the first two games, IUP has allowed 13.5 points per game and ranks first in the PSAC against the run, allowing just 50 total yards on 54 carries. Millersville's ground game is averaging 2.8 yards per carry.
  • IUP's defense is led by a pair of former Marauders in Garrett Cox and Randy Okungu, both of whom were All-PSAC East honorees in their time in Black & Gold. Cox is the reigning PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week, totaling 2 1/2 tackles for loss and a sack against Lock Haven. Okungu recorded a sack and forced a fumble in week one against Ashland. As a unit, the IUP defense has forced three fumbles and recovered two, and it has totaled three sacks in each of the first two games.
  • IUP utilizes a balanced, ball-control offense. It rushed for 159 yards and passed for 176 in week one and rushed for 158 and passed for 159 last week at Lock Haven. IUP ranks second in the PSAC in time of possession (34:50), and that's a challenge for Millersville, which ranks 14th (25:15). Quarterback Karst Hunter exited last week's game against Lock Haven with an injury. Nico Marchitelli went 7 for 13 for 54 yards off the bench. 
  • Against Lock Haven, IUP gave up two touchdown passes totaling 103 yards, and Ashland passed for 279 yards with three completions of at least 27 yards. Millersville has shown the ability to hit on big plays in the passing game as Titus Kruah, Jose Lopez and Nakhi Bullock all have catches of 35 yards or more. The key for Millersville, however, has been its run game, and Jaheim Morris, a two-time All-PSAC East honoree, has experienced tough sledding in the first two games, managing 79 yards on 26 carries. Morris is just 190 yards from 2,000 career yards, and in week one, he became the 11th player in Millersville history to log 400 career carries.
  • With five catches for 63 yards, Kruah has already matched his total in catches (5) and yards (60) from all of 2023. Sophomore Isaac Sines recorded career highs in catches (5) and yards (47) in the season opener but was blanked at Frostburg State in week two. The team's returning receiving leader, Hakim Melvin, caught two passes in an injury-shortened outing against Clarion and missed the game at Frostburg State.
  • Nick Romano has quickly settled into a starting safety role after totaling three tackles playing primarily on special teams in 2022 and 2023. Romano recorded a career-high 10 tackles against Frostburg State after intercepting a pass in the opener.
  • Millersville has generated one interception and one fumble recovery but is -1 in turnover margin with three interceptions thrown.

SERIES HISTORY

  • IUP and Millersville first met in the 1988 NCAA playoffs, with Millersville winning 27-24 behind Darren Ryals' two interception returns for touchdowns. The teams again collided in the NCAA playoffs in 1999 with IUP winning at Biemesderfer Stadium, 26-21. IUP has won 15 of the 20 meetings all-time, and Millersville's last win came by a 17-14 score at home in 2006. The teams have not played since 2019 and have played just twice in the last decade. IUP has won seven consecutive meetings, including three in a row at Biemesderfer Stadium. IUP has averaged 46.1 points per game in its recent winning streak while Millersville has averaged 3.3. Millersville has not scored more than seven points in any of the last seven games against IUP and has scored 20 or more just once in the last 12 match-ups--a streak that dates back to 2002. 
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