SRU-Kutztown rematch with another title at stake
SLIPPERY ROCK — The site is different. Slippery Rock University football coach Shawn Lutz hopes the outcome changes as well.
The Rock (12-1) hosts Kutztown (11-2) for a noon kickoff on Saturday at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium for the Super Region One championship. The teams last met three weeks ago in Kutztown, where the Golden Bears throttled The Rock in a 31-7 victory for the PSAC title.
That’s the only game this season that SRU hasn’t won by double digits and is the only time in the past 12 games The Rock failed to score at least 35 points.
“That was our worst performance in a big game in a long time,” Lutz said. “We couldn’t have laid a bigger egg. But we’ve owned it and we’ve grown from it.”
The Golden Bears have won 11 straight games since opening the season with 31-20 setbacks to Assumption and California (Pa.). Kutztown lost two starting offensive tackles and its starting nose-guard to ACL tears early in the season.
One of the Golden Bears’ prime running backs, Jordan Davis, broke his foot in the Slippery Rock game and is out for the duration of the playoffs.
“We’ll never use injuries as an excuse for anything,” Kutztown coach Jim Clements said. “The next guy comes in and we carry on. Thirteen games is a long grind. Everyone is a little beaten up at this point.”
While the PSAC title game was at Andre Reed Stadium, this Saturday’s game was supposed to be there as well. Kutztown is the No. 3 seed in the region while SRU is at No. 4.
But Kutztown’s administration failed to submit a bid to host a playoff game in this round. The Rock did and was awarded the game.
“It’s disappointing, but it’s out of my control,” Clements said of the snafu. “We only worry about things we can control.”
One thing the Golden Bears have controlled is The Rock. Though trailing in the all-time series between the teams 11-6, Kutztown has defeated SRU in their last three meetings. The last team to defeat The Rock in three successive meetings was Gannon from 2009-11.
Kutztown used a time-consuming ground game while taking advantage of SRU mistakes to win the PSAC championship game.
“What we can’t allow is for them to control the ball for eight or nine minutes, then put a touchdown up at the end,” Lutz admitted. “That limits our possessions and throw us off our game.
“That No. 26 (Darryl Davis-McNeil) is the best running back we’ve faced all season. That guy moves straight ahead and is just hard to bring down.”
David-McNeil leads the Golden Bears with 865 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns. Quarterback Judd Novak, a red-shirt freshman, has thrown for 1,984 yards and 19 scores, run for 553 yards and four touchdowns.
Kutztown rallied from a two-touchdown deficit in the fourth quarter to nip Charleston, 32-21, last week to get to this game.
“Their quarterback only completed nine of 22 passes in that game, but he has a habit of producing big plays when they need them,” Lutz said.
SRU is well-represented on the all-region team this season. Receiver Kyle Sheets and left tackle Yuriy Hyrckowian on offense, cornerback Josh Stokes and linebacker Eddie Faulkner IV made first team while tight end Kam Kruzelyak and left guard Colton Rossi made second team.
Hyrckowian is also a finalist for the Gene Upshaw Award as Division II Lineman of the Year.
Lutz said his defense will be making an adjustment to combat Kutztown’s running game this week. Defensive end Andrew Vince will move to linebacker with Mehki Twillie taking over his vacated position.
“That adds more size to our linebacking corps to take on their backs,” Lutz said.
Clements said SRU’s upset of region No. 1 seed Tiffin last round made preparations for this week a little easier.
“We know them and they know us,” the Kutzown coach said. “Both teams will make adjustments from that last game, I’m sure. We just have to go out and play our brand of football and play it well.”
SRU is 8-2 in 10 home playoff games. Its last home playoff defeat was to Minnesota State in the national semifinals in 2019.
With a win, The Rock will likely venture to North Carolina or Michigan for the national semifinals this season.
