SLIPPERY ROCK — Looking for fireworks? Visit Mihalik-Thompson Stadium Saturday night.

The air will be filled with footballs and the scoreboard will likely be filled with points as Slippery Rock hosts Shippensburg for a 6 p.m. college football kickoff.

“This really could be one of those games where the last team that has the ball wins,” SRU coach George Mihalik said.

The Red Raiders (0-1) are making their first trip to SRU since 2006 and bring last year's Harlon Hill Trophy winner, Zach Zulli, with them as their quarterback. Zulli led the nation with 4,747 yards and 54 touchdowns through the air last season.

“He was the best player in Division II last year ... and he hasn't gotten any worse,” Mihalik said.

SRU counters with Nigel Barksdale behind center. All he did was throw for 465 yards and six touchdowns in last week's 51-36 win at Northwood (Mich.). Barksdale was recognized as the Division II Player of the Week by D2football.com for his efforts.

“They are very fast at the skilled positions and they've got a defense that can make you turn the ball over,” Shippensburg coach Mark Maciejewski said. “We have to find a way to control both sides of their game.”

The Red Raiders defeated The Rock last year, 55-35, racking up 41 points in the first half. They scored 83 touchdowns and averaged 46.8 points per game a season ago.

They were a far cry from that last week. Picked in the top 10 nationally in most polls and the preseason favorite to win the PSAC East, Shippensburg turned the ball over six times and was limited to 217 yards of net offense in a 33-0 loss at Shepherd (W.Va.) in its season opener.

“We couldn't have played much worse,” Maciejkewski said. “We didn't make plays defensively, either. We let one interception go right through our hands and into their receiver's for a touchdown.

“That's the kind of day we had.”

Mihalik is not anticipating Shipp having that kind of day again.

“No way,” he said. “The Shepherd game just got away from them. That can happen to a team in a season opener. You won't see it again.

“When Zach Zulli is on the field, that team can score from anywhere at anytime.”

Zulli won't be on the field alone, either.

Trevor Harman had 75 catches for 1,200 yards and 19 touchdowns last season. Defensive end Jake Metz had 11.5 quarterback sacks to break the single-season school record in 2012. He only needs 16 tackles for loss to set the career mark in that category.

“Harman is very good at receiver and NFL scouts are looking at Metz,” Mihalik said. “We're still trying to decide whether to put (all-conference corner) Anthony Saunders on Harman or how to play him.”

The Red Raiders return eight starters defensively, including all four starters in the secondary. That quartet has a combined 120 career games and 89 career starts.

“That is a tough defense and we have to prove we can move the ball on them,” Mihalik said.

SRU redshirt freshman Shamar Greene rushed for 91 yards last week and four Rock receivers — John Schademan, Ken Amos, Jaimire Dutrieuille and LaQuinn Stephens-Howling — had at least 96 receiving yards.

Defensively, Mars graduate Austin Miele led the team with nine tackles while senior middle linebacker Gary Allen had eight. Rock punter James McCombie averaged a national best 53 yards per boot.

“We have to make plays this week,” Maciejewski said. “Our young receivers have to grow up fast and we dropped three interceptions last week.

“When plays are there, we have to execute.”

The Rock leads the all-time series between the teams 39-21-2. SRU is 95-42 — a .693 winning perce tage — in home games under Mihalik.