No 11 SRU football has a big advantage when it faces reeling Millersville — quarterback
SLIPPERY ROCK TWP — Slippery Rock is unsure who the opposing quarterback will be when it travels to Millersville for a noon kickoff Saturday at Biemesderfer Stadium.
It won’t matter if the Marauders (0-2) can’t stop Rock quarterback DaOne Owens.
Owens threw for 250 yards in last week’s 59-34 win at East Stroudsburg. He’s completed 30 of 43 passes — finding eight different receivers — in SRU’s first two games despite not starting the season opener.
“He’s solidified himself as our starting quarterback,” SRU coach Shawn Lutz said. “We had a couple of packages ready for (fellow QB) Brad Hoffman, but we couldn’t take DaOne off the field, he was so hot.
“Millersville has used three quarterbacks already this year due to injuries. We have no idea who’s playing for them Saturday. We have to be ready for all of them.”
Tommy Hunsicker has thrown for 177 yards and a touchdown, ran for 225 and two scores. Eddie Corley is a drop-back passer who has thrown for 115 yards. Both played last week.
SRU (2-0) is now ranked No. 11 nationally by AFCA. The Marauders are coming off losses of 24-21 to Glenville State and 40-17 to California (Pa.). Millersville is allowing an average of 493 yards per game, including 330 through the air.
“We need to go out there and jump on them,” Lutz said. “We’re ranked 11th and need to play like it.”
First-year Millersville coach Drew Folmar won 30 games in four years as the Marauders’ starting quarterback from 1997-2000. He inherits a team that has won 28 total games in the past 13 years, including a 1-10 record a year ago.
“He’s trying to get something started there, but was hired late (March) and missed out on last year’s recruiting season,” Lutz said.
SRU owns a 21-4-1 advantage in the all-time series between the teams and has won the last 11 meetings. Millersville’s last win in the series was in 2004.
The Rock is playing the middle game of a three-game road trip, the first time it’s played three straight regular season road games since 1995.
