Complete Game Notes (.pdf)
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TICKET/FAN INFORMATION
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QUICK SIX
-Saturday marks the first time Bloomsburg has hosted the PSAC Championship Game at Redman Stadium since 1985. The Huskies won over IUP that day 31-9.
-The Huskies have won their 14th PSAC East crown in school history (1984-85, '94-'97, 2000-03, 2005-06, 2010, 2013).
-The PSAC Championship Game features the conference's top rushing team (Bloomsburg, 313.4 yards/game) vs. the top passing team (Rock, 375.5/game)
-Bloomsburg's last loss to a PSAC West team outside of the NCAA Playoffs came in the 2010 State Game at Mercyhurst. BU has won eight straight games over Western Division teams.
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Franklyn Quiteh (Tobyhanna/Pocono Mountain West) leads the nation in yards per carry (8.4) and ranks third in total rushing yards (1,756).
-Only one starting PSAC quarterback (Matt Soltes of ESU) has thrown fewer interceptions than
Tim Kelly (Camp Hill/Cedar Cliff)'s five this season.
THE MATCHUP
Bloomsburg and Slippery Rock square off to determine the champion of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. inside Danny Hale Field at Robert B. Redman Stadium. The Rock brings its electrifying offense which averages over 86 plays and 46.2 points per game anchored by senior quarterback Nigel Barksdale (3,326 yards passing, 28 touchdowns). Slippery Rock does its work extremely quick – it has scored the most points in the league while averaging the least amount of average time of possession at 27:03 per game.
The Huskies will attempt to use its grind-it-out style to dominate time of possession, averaging 32:16 per game on the year while leading the PSAC in rushing at 313.4 yards per game. Defensively, Bloomsburg will try to slow Barksdale and The Rock passing attack with its at times electric pass rushing ability – BU ranks third in the PSAC in sacks with 31 this season.
SENIOR DAY
The Huskies will honor their 11 seniors before Saturday's game. For more information on this year's senior class, see the complete version of the game notes.
LAST YEAR'S MEETING
Bloomsburg closed out the 2012 regular season by holding off Slippery Rock for a 49-41 shootout victory at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Bloomsburg stormed to a 42-13 lead at halftime, but The Rock closed to 42-34 following a touchdown run from Akeem Satterfield with 7:40 to play. A
Franklyn Quiteh (Tobyhanna/Pocono Mountain West) 21-yard TD run two minutes later effectively put the game on ice before a touchdown from The Rock in the final minute for the final scoring. The Rock held the edge in total yards (571-457) and put up a whopping 36 first downs on the day while being led by 181 yards rushing from Satterfield and 341 yards of passing from Jared Buck.
Tim Kelly (Camp Hill/Cedar Cliff) tossed for 185 yards and two scores while Quiteh racked up 183 yards rushing and four touchdowns.
SERIES HISTORY
The series between Bloomsburg and Slippery Rock dates back to the first meeting in 1934, but they've played sparingly since then - BU has owned the series, holding a 10-3 record. The Huskies are 5-1 at home vs. The Rock and have won nine straight overall, dating to 1983. Legendary Rock head coach George Mihalik is 0-7 against the Huskies. Bloomsburg's only home loss vs. Slippery Rock came in 1936.
BU PSAC TITLE GAME HISTORY
Bloomsburg will play in its fourth-ever PSAC Championship Game on Saturday. The Huskies are 1-2 in the "State Game," with their last appearance coming in 2010. Bloomsburg fell 21-14 to California (PA) in 1984 but bounced back at home in 1985 with a 31-9 win over IUP. The Huskies were defeated 56-37 in 2010 at Mercyhurst. In the 2010 State Game,
Franklyn Quiteh (Tobyhanna/Pocono Mountain West) rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown. The only other starter from that game still on the Huskies roster is center
Chris Steck (Mt. Carmel/Mt. Carmel), although Glenn Hutton Jr.,
Matt Wenrich (Selinsgrove/Selinsgrove),
Dylan Spangler (Waynesboro/Waynesboro),
Matt Feiler (Strasburg/Lampeter-Strasburg),
Chris Kennedy (Phoenixville/Archbishop Carroll),
Ian Murray (Lock Haven/Central Mountain) and
Danny Fisher (Liverpool/Central Dauphin) all played in that game with Fisher kicking a 26-yard field goal.
CONTRAST OF STYLES
Saturday's PSAC Championship Game will see two teams with very different ways of finding success. Bloomsburg's old-school run-first attack ranks fifth in the nation and first in the PSAC in rushing yards per game at 313.4. On the other side of things, the Huskies will face Slippery Rock's explosive passing attack which ranks fourth in the nation and tops in the conference at 375.5 yards per game. Bloomsburg averages 482.9 yards of total offense, fourth in the PSAC and 24th in the nation, while Slippery Rock is the nation's most prolific offense at 573.4 yards of offense per contest.
FIRST HALF FIREWORKS
Both Bloomsburg and Slippery Rock have been outstanding in seizing control of games during the first half this season. The Huskies have scored opponents 221-78 in the opening half while Slippery Rock has bludgeoned its opposition before halftime 285-67.
PLAYING THE SPOILER
Bloomsburg's victory over No. 8 West Chester last week was the first for the Huskies over a top 10 team in nearly three years. The last victory over a team ranked within the national AFCA top 10 came on Nov. 20, 2010 in the first round of the NCAA Playoffs when the Huskies knocked off No. 7 California (PA), 28-26. Bloomsburg also defeated a fifth-ranked Cal squad, 24-17, on Sept. 6, 2008 and No. 6 Shepherd (W. Va.) in the 2006 NCAA Playoffs.
TO 2,000 AND BEYOND
Franklyn Quiteh (Tobyhanna/Pocono Mountain West) enters Saturday with 1,921 yards of total offense this year. He's seeking his third season of 2,000 all-purpose yards – he totaled 2,206 last season and 2,062 in 2010. The school record for single season all-purpose yards is 2,563 set by Jamar Brittingham in 2005.
PATRICK PICKS ANOTHER
Senior safety
Jonathan Patrick (Somerset, NJ/Franklin) ranks tied second in the PSAC with five interceptions and tied first in touchdowns with two. His 45-yard INT and touchdown return during the fourth quarter at West Chester was the final blow in sealing BU's upset victory over No. 8 WCU.
ANOTHER RECORD-SETTING WEEK FOR QUITEH
Franklyn Quiteh (Tobyhanna/Pocono Mountain West) turned in yet another week for the record books in Week 10 at West Chester. With his 154 yards on the ground on the day, he moved from fifth to second all-time in Division II rushing and just the third player in D-II history to reach the 7,000-yard mark. He leapfrogged over Brian Shay (6,958 yards), Germaine Race (6,985) and Xavier Omon (7,084), joining Omon and Danny Woodhead (7,962) in one of the most elite clubs in college football - the 7,000-yard rushing club. Quiteh also set two more PSAC records in the West Chester game - his 86th overall touchdown gave him 518 career points, moving past former Husky Jamar Brittingham in both categories. Nearly the only school and conference rushing record yet to fall to Quiteh is that of rushing touchdowns. With 82 rushing scores in his career, Quiteh is just one away from Brittingham's BU and PSAC record of 83.
THEY'RE PRETTY GOOD TOO
Entering the season, Bloomsburg was searching for a compliment to All-American tailback
Franklyn Quiteh (Tobyhanna/Pocono Mountain West) in the backfield. The Huskies have certainly found it, offering three strong options on the ground. Quiteh (1,756 yards),
Dai'Shon Munger (Westampton, NJ/Holy Cross) (644 yards) and
Joe Parsnik (Wilkes-Barre/Coughlin) (450 yards) have given the Huskies three rushers with at least 450 yards for the first time since 2008 when Derrick Price (1,279), Kenny Domzalski (878) and Dan Latorre (545) all reached the total.
PINNING THEM DEEP
One of two true freshmen on the active roster to start the season,
Will Wagner (Wernersville/Conrad Weiser) has taken over the Huskies' punt duties. The native of Wernersville has impressed this season and he, along with some help from the rest of the special teams unit, was especially impressive in the Week 10 win at West Chester. Wagner pinned three straight second half punts inside the WCU 1-yard line to help the Huskies preserve a 31-28 victory. So far this season, Wagner averages 38.1 yards per punt in 35 attempts and has turned in 16 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line. He booted a career long of 59 yards at Kutztown, one of five punts of 50-plus yards.