ABOUT THE GAME

• Millersville is on the road for the first time in 2025, playing one of just four road games this season. IUP plays its third consecutive home game, where it is 1-1 and coming off a 42-10 drubbing of Lock Haven in which it totaled 370 yards passing and got five passing touchdowns from Matthew Rueve. Millersville is coming off back-to-back weeks with strong offensive output. The Marauders, averaging 31.0 points per game, last scored 28 or more points in back-to-back games at the start of the 2023 season. Millersville has generated at least 102 yards rushing and at least 261 yards passing in each of the first two games. The offense has generated three rushing touchdowns and five passing touchdowns. Last week, the Marauders threw for 401 yards and rushed for 186, totaling the most offensive yards in more than 23 years. 
• Saturday's game pits the PSAC's top-ranked offense against the top-ranked defense. Millersville's 475 yards per game leads the league, while IUP has surrendered just 175 yards and 11.5 points per game. IUP ranks first in total defense, second in scoring, second against the run (1.7 yards per carry), and second against the pass (4.7 yards per completion). Millersville ranks first in first downs at 25 per game while IUP ranks second in opponent first downs, allowing just 26 all season. IUP is also tied for first in third-down defense, allowing a conversion just 25.9% of the time. 

'VILLE STORYLINES

• While Millersville's new offensive coordinator Brian Ferguson has certainly made an impact, the Marauders' improved offensive production actually goes back to the final two games of the 2024 season. During the recent four-game stretch, the Marauders have averaged 453 yards per game, rushing for more than 100 yards and at least 261 passing yards with 11 passing touchdowns. Quarterback Ryan Zeltt has led the charge with at least two passing touchdowns in each of his last four games and in five of his last seven. Through two weeks, Zeltt leads the PSAC in yards (654) and attempts (90). Zeltt is looking to limit mistakes moving forward, as he has thrown two interceptions in each game this season. 
• Isaac Sines and Colin Hastings have emerged as Zeltt's favorite targets. The duo has combined for 23 catches, and among PSAC duos, only Gannon's top tandem has more. Sines and Hastings both have exactly 189 yards receiving, ranking first among PSAC duos. Millersville has also thrown the ball downfield well. Among receivers averaging at least 4.0 receptions per game, Hastings ranks first with 17.2 yards per catch, and Sines is tied for second. Kam Taylor is also averaging 5.0 catches per game, making Millersville the only team in the PSAC with three receivers in the top 10 in receptions per game. 
• Millersville totaled four interceptions in the entire 2024 season, and the Marauders picked off two passes last week against Glenville State. Kahlen Watt and Kai Stiansen both recorded their first career interceptions. 
• Bryce Beutler has been busy in the middle of Millersville's defense. He led the Marauders in tackles in 2024 and ranks third in the PSAC with 10.5 per game. 
• Jermaine Tillery has given the Marauders some explosiveness in the return game. Among PSAC returners with at least three kick returns, Tillery ranks third at 24 yards per return, and he is fifth in punt returns at 9.7. 
   

IUP STORYLINES

• IUP's stifling defense is led by Noah Johnston, the PSAC's leading tackler with 11.5 per game. Johnson totaled 13 stops in the season opener and 10 last week. He's also recorded at least 1 1/2 tackles for loss in each of the first two games. 
• Millersville will need to be at its best in pass protection. IUP has totaled six sacks with seven different players recording a half-sack or more. Logan Goodwin leads the team with 1 1/2. IUP also has 11 QB hurries. 
• Through two games, IUP has not had much success running the ball. Even without the -60 yards totaled through sacks and losses by the quarterback, IUP has averaged 2.2 yards per carry. The team's longest rush of the season is nine yards. 
• Rueve has offset the sluggish running game by averaging 293 passing yards per game and six TD tosses. He threw three INTs in week one, but bounced back with a big game of five touchdowns and one INT against Lock Haven. IUP is Rueve's third stop. He also previously attended Boston College and Findlay. 
• Rueve has thrown a touchdown pass to five different players. Four different players have a catch of at least 53 yards. Jeremiah Coleman's 72-yard catch is the longest in the PSAC this season. Devin Whitlock is the top target with 12 catches and 195 yards. He totaled 150 yards against Lock Haven last week. 

SERIES HISTORY

• While Millersville and IUP were charter members of the PSAC, which celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2025, the teams have met just 21 times, and played for the first time in the 1988 NCAA playoffs, with Millersville winning 27-24 behind Darren Ryals' two interception returns for touchdowns. IUP won the first two regular season meetings (1990 and 1991) by scores of 38-0 and 47-0. The teams again collided in the NCAA playoffs in 1999 with IUP winning at Biemesderfer Stadium, 26-21. IUP has won 16 of the 21 meetings all-time, including eight in a row. Millersville's last win came by a 17-14 score at home in 2006. Millersville's last win at IUP was by a 28-9 score in 2005. IUP has won the last four meetings at home. Scoring has been the primary issue for Millersville in recent games against IUP. Millersville's 14 points scored in the 2024 meeting were its most scored since 2006--a stretch of seven games. Since the Marauders' 2005 win, they have not scored more than 17 points and have averaged 5.7 points per game over the last nine meetings. IUP, meanwhile, has scored at least 41 points in five consecutive and seven of the last eight matchups. 
• In last season's meeting, Millersville out-gained IUP 315 to 269 and out-rushed the Crimson Hawks 163 to 79. Millersville even went 10 of 20 on third-down conversions while IUP went 2 of 9. The difference was turnovers and special teams play. IUP started six drives inside Millersville territory. Millersville committed three turnovers and was flagged for three personal foul penalties. Of IUP's 11 offensive drives, only two started deeper than the IUP 41, and the three second-half scoring drives totaled only 31 yards.