Unbeaten Kutztown and Slippery Rock set for Saturday night showdown

Kendell Coleman and the KU football team is ready for its home opener against unbeaten Slippery Rock Saturday night.

KUTZTOWN, PA. (September 7, 2009) – Fresh off of a pair of road triumphs, the Kutztown University football team hosts Slippery Rock University in its 2009 home opener at University Field on Saturday September 12 beginning at 6:05 p.m. CLICK HERE TO READ GAME NOTES

The game can be heard on KUR starting at 5:50 p.m. with the pre-game show. Fans throughout the world can listen to the game at www.kubears.com.

Both teams enter the game with perfect 2-0 records. Kutztown has defeated Saint Anselm (17-13) and Clarion (25-6) in its first two games. Meanwhile, Slippery Rock took care of Bowie State (31-27) and Millersville (31-14). The Rock is 7-0 all-time against Kutztown following last year’s 38-24 home victory. The Golden Bears are seeking their first 3-0 start since 2001 when they beat Elizabeth City State, Lock Haven and Millersville to begin the season.

This is the first of two straight home games for Kutztown. Slippery Rock will be playing its first away game of the season. Kutztown has won three consecutive home openers beating Saint Anselm, 35-0 (2008), Shippensburg, 27-16 (2007) and Clarion, 27-10 (2006). Since, 1995, Kutztown is 13-1 in home openers.

In this intriguing matchup, something has to give. Slippery Rock leads the PSAC in scoring offense at 31.0 points per game. Kutztown, which has yet to allow a point in the fourth quarter, is second in scoring defense, yielding just 9.5 points per contest.

Both teams have been stingy against the run through two weeks. Slippery Rock leads the PSAC in rush defense, allowing just 57 yards on the ground per game while KU is second in the same category, permitting 80.5 yards per game. Ironically, both Kutztown and Slippery Rock are first and second, respectively in rushing offense. KU leads the PSAC in rush offense with 195 yards per outing thanks to senior running back Dontay Wilson (Stamford, CT/Stamford), who is the conference’s second leading rusher. SRU is averaging 183.5 yards per game on the ground.

Wilson gained a team-high 90 yards in KU’s victory over Clarion. For the second straight week, Wilson scored a touchdown that covered a distance of 10 or more yards. He scored on a 14-yard run early in the second quarter. Junior kicker Matt Dineen (Wilmington, DE/Concord) made four field goals including a career best 44-yarder. Jay McKnight (Reading/Conrad Weiser) returned an extra point for a score against Clarion, becoming the first KU player since Alex Daecher, who accomplished the feat in 2001 against West Chester, to score off of an opposing team’s PAT attempt.

Defensively, Joel Irwin (Coatesville/Bishop Shanahan) and McKnight have been the twin-engine jets that have fueled the KU defense. Irwin is tied for second in the PSAC in tackles, averaging 11.5 per game. Irwin had 14 tackles against Clarion. McKnight also had 11 tackles against the Golden Eagles while David Cressman (Sellersville/Pennridge) and Chris Medina (Kennett Square/Kennett), made an immediate impact playing in their first game of the season by finishing with eight tackles each.

Along with its unblemished record, Slippery Rock brings with it across the state, the current PSAC West Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week in sophomore running back SayQuan Scott-Mitchell (Harrisburg/Central Dauphin) and sophomore linebacker Jayson Nickson (Erie/Mercyhurst Prep).

Making his first career collegiate start, Scott-Mitchell ran for a career-high 205 yards and a touchdown (7.3 ypc) last week against Millersville. His touchdown came on his final carry of the day, a 22-yard run that put the game out of reach. Nickson led Slippery Rock with eight tackles in its win over Millersville, including five solo stops. He also broke up a pass. His efforts helped Slippery Rock hold Millerville to just 264 yards in total offense and only 50 rushing yards.

Kutztown remains home to battle nationally-ranked Bloomsburg University in its PSAC East Division opener. SRU opens PSAC West play by visiting Edinboro.

NOTES: The Golden Bears have thrown 20 passes in each of their first two games. Dontay Wilson has 1,703 career rushing yards. Matt Dineen is 4-for-4 on field goals this year including a career-best 44-yarder. The Golden Bears have not intercepted a pass or thrown a touchdown pass through two games. Shane Martin has completed a 39-yard pass to a freshman wide receiver in each of KU’s first two games: Chris McCormick (Saint Anselm) and Jake Cahill (Clarion).