Rock football takes their 2-0 record into Shippensburg University for a meeting with the Raiders this Saturday at 1 p.m. The game will be SRU’s third of three matchups outside of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West division play before they begin their conference schedule.
The Raiders will also be playing their third and final game out of division before embarking on their PSAC-East schedule.
Shippensburg comes into the game with a 1-1 record having lost their Sept. 7 opener to American International College 28-3 before rebounding against Clarion University with a 24-21 victory. The Raiders finished 3-8 overall and 2-5 in conference last year.
SRU has fared better in both the offensive and defensive scoring departments through two weeks, averaging 21 points scored to just 8.5 allowed. Kutztown is averaging 13.5 points on offense against 24.5 points allowed defensively.
The two squads have not lined up against each other since 2019, a matchup the White and Green took 54-19. SRU holds the all-time series at 41-22-2 over Shippensburg dating back to 1924.
The 2019 game featured several well-known Rock players who have since graduated. Roland Rivers, Henry Litwin, Jermaine Wynn Jr. and Cinque Sweeting had big games amid their storied Slippery Rock football careers to name a few.
The Rock is preparing to continue their trend of placing one spot higher in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division-II poll each week. They ranked No. 11 in the preseason poll, sat at No. 10 in week one and moved up to No. 9 for week 2.
There may be more motivation to not only win but also put up outstanding numbers when it comes to the AFCA rankings. No. 7 Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is the lone PSAC school ranked above SRU in the poll.
Conference rivalry aside, The Rock is undoubtedly looking for any shot at revenge they can get against Kutztown after the 2023 season. The Golden Bears assumed the role of the ultimate villain in the White and Green’s story a year ago.
After SRU cruised out of the gates to 10-0 overall and 7-0 in conference play, the Golden Bears handed them their first loss in the PSAC Championship game. This was the final blow in The Rock’s Division II College Football Playoff run after a third-round, 28-16 loss.
An impressive showing against Shippensburg combined with any kind of Kutztown misstep could allow The Rock to jump them in the poll soon. This would give SRU the perfect opportunity to exact revenge against a team they could very well meet in the PSAC Championship and the national playoff again this year.
After the battle with Shippensburg, the White and Green return home for their PSAC-West opener versus Edinboro University on Sept. 28 at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
