Slippery Rock vs IUP football what to know: Forget a PSAC West title for The Rock, playoffs are on the line
SLIPPERY ROCK — SRU vs. IUP.
Same old rivalry, but a different feel.
When Slippery Rock University and Indiana (Pa.) get together on the football field, the fate of the PSAC West Division title is often at stake. Not this time.
The teams meet 1 p.m. Saturday for SRU’s homecoming at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium, but the division crown is not on the line at all.
If the Crimson Hawks (4-1, 2-0) lose, the still control their own destiny to win the West. If The Rock (4-2, 1-2) lose, its Division II playoff streak of six successive years will likely come to an end.
“I’m not worried about any of that stuff,” SRU coach Shawn Lutz said. “This is our rival, our homecoming. I just want to win the football game.”
This is the 18th time SRU has hosted IUP for homecoming. The teams are 8-8-1 in those games. The Crimson Hawks lead the overall series between the teams — which dates back to 1907 — 53-43-2, but SRU has won seven of the last 11 meetings.
1. Crimson Hawks soar through the air: While IUP rushes for only 52.8 yards per game — last in the PSAC and 153rd out of 157 teams nationally — the Crimson Hawks attack with a vaunted passing game.
“You lean on the strength of your players, what you’re the best at,” IUP coach Paul Tortorella said. “We’re using a freshman running back right now (Leon Parson) and only have two starters back on the offensive line.
“Our quarterback is very good, we have two standout receivers and our tight ends chip in on the passing game. We are going to throw the football.”
Graduate student Matthew Rueve, a transfer from Boston College, has completed 105 of 138 passes for 1,608 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions. Receivers Maurice Massey (22 catches, 470 yards, six TDs) and Devin Whitlock (31-406-2) are speedsters on the outside. Whitlock is a transfer from Pitt.
Rueve has been sacked 15 times.
“We have to bring the pressure, hit him a few times, especially early in the game,” Lutz said of Rueve. “Those receivers are the best tandem we’ve seen. We have to make their quarterback uncomfortable.”
IUP averages 353 passing yards per game, ranking second nationally in that category.
2. Rock on the run: While the Crimson Hawks throw the ball, The Rock run it. Led by standout tailback JayJay Jordan, SRU averages 252.8 yards per game on the ground, best in the PSAC and seventh nationally.
Jordan ran for 189 yards against Seton Hill last week and leads the PSAC with 892 yards rushing. He is No. 2 nationally with 1,228 all-purpose yards. The Rock ran for 410 yards last week, their first time cracking 400 in a game since 2015.
Conversely, IUP leads the conference in rushing defense, allowing just 67 yards per game and a 2.0-yard-per-carry average. Its defense ranks No. 1 in the country, allowing only 14 points per game and nine touchdowns all season.
“We have a lot of people back on defense,” Tortorella said. “Our safeties have been great in coming up for run support. But I haven’t seen a rushing attack like that in my years as head coach here. They run the football as well as anyone in the country.”
Lutz anticipates the Crimson Hawks aggressively attacking his running game.
“If they bring safeties up in the box, we have to be willing to throw over top of them and make big plays in the passing game,” Lutz said.
3. Whatever it takes: With The Rock on a bye week Oct. 25, expect ... well ... just about anything against IUP this Saturday.
“We can’t hold anything back, and we won’t,” Lutz said. “If JayJay needs 30 carries for us to win, he’ll get 30 carries. He can rest next week. We have to do whatever it takes to win.”
SRU is getting defensive end Brett Kwoka back from injury this week, along with linebacker Teddy Gregory Jr. Defensive end Brian Young Jr. has not practiced this week with a sprained ankle and is questionable for Saturday.
“They’re getting some guys back on defense and they’re playing better on that side of the ball,” Tortorella said. “They have a big-play passing game, and we have to guard against play-action and getting sucked in.”
