SLIPPERY ROCK — Just another game? Hardly.

“We’d love to treat it that way,” Slippery Rock University football coach Shawn Lutz said. “But the rivalry factor is there. Nobody can deny that.”

SRU (4-0, 1-0) ventures to Miller Stadium for a 2 p.m. kickoff Saturday against Indiana, Pa. (3-0, 1-0) in a critical early-season PSAC West game.

“Both sides know what is at stake here, even though there are a lot of games left to play” IUP coach Paul Tortorella said.

Saturday’s winner controls its own destiny toward winning the Western Division. IUP came to Mihalik-Thompson Stadium last year and stunned previously unbveaten SRU, 48-21, to assume control of the division race. Subsequent Crimson Hawk losses to California (Pa.) and Edinboro enabled The Rock to claim the West crown in the end.

“It doesn’t happen that way very often,” Lutz said. “You certainly can’t count on that.”

Saturday will mark homecoming for IUP, which owns a 52-41-2 advantage in the series between the teams. The series dates back to 1907.

Both head coaches have followed similar paths. Lutz is 52-14 in his sixth year as Rock head coach after spending 20 years as an assistant there. Tortorella is 41-9 and in his fifth year as IUP head coach after spending 22 years as an assistant.

Both teams are led by transfer quarterbacks. Noah Grover, from North Dakota, has thrown for 1,109 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions for The Rock. Mak Sexton, a transfer from Pittsburg State in Kansas, has thrown for 787 yards, eight touchdowns and five picks for IUP.

Sexton was a two-year starter at Pittsburg State, completing 61 percent of his passes and throwing for 16 touchdowns.

“He’s a heady kid with a lot of experience,” Tortorella said of his quarterback. “Mak has a strong arm. He gets rid of the ball quickly.”

He has a prime target in Duane Brown, the Crimson Hawks’ receiver who has 26 catches for 414 yards and four touchdowns.

“I don’t think there’s a better perimeter receiver in Division II,” Tortorella said.

Lutz won’t argue.

“Duane Brown can take over a game,” Lutz admitted. “He won the East Stroudsburg game (38-35) for them. Mercyhurst tried to overload on him and IUP’s running back had a monster game. We’re going to put our best guy on their best guy. That’s our plan of attack.”

Dayjure Stewart rushed for 256 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries in the Crimson Hawks’ 33-16 victory over the Lakers last week.

Sexton has only been sacked once in three games this season. SRU’s defense has 14 sacks thus far, including six in last week’s 30-2 win over Seton Hill.

“No. 1, we have to stop their running game and make them one-dimensional,” Lutz said. “We want to pressure the quarterback, force him into mistakes. He can zip the ball in there, but he’s a pocket guy and we need to take advantage of that.”

Tortorella said: “The key to this game will be turnovers. Our teams are pretty evenly matched. The one that makes the fewest mistakes and turns the ball over the least will likely be the winner.”

IUP has a quality kicker in Nick Andrasi, who’s drilled all three of his field goal attempts, one from 42 yards. Rock kicker D .J. Opsatnik has converted 43 consecutive PATs, but is only two-for-five in field goal attempts.

Both teams have allowed the opposition fewer than 300 yards of offense, on average. SRU is giving up 200.5 yards per game, IUP 291.3.

“IUP’s offense is much better than any we’ve played so far,” Lutz said.

SRU, ranked No. 8 nationally, has won 13 consecutive PSAC West road games. Its last road loss in the division was Oct. 21, 2017, at Edinboro. IUP has received votes, but not enough to crack the AFCA Division II Top 25.

“Slippery Rock used the transfer portal well this year,” Tortorella said. “They filled holes and they have a lot of weapons on both sides of the ball. They’re a solid team. It’s going to take our best game to date to get a win.”