LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - The Shippensburg University football team will conclude its 2010 regular season at noon Saturday from Hubert Jack Stadium with a PSAC crossover contest against Lock Haven. Twelve seniors and head coach
Rocky Rees will be in their final games as Red Raiders.
A radio broadcast of the game will be available on 88.7 FM in Shippensburg and can be accessed online through the above link. Sports information director
Bill Morgal will handle the play-by-play. Lock Haven will be producing a video webcast of the game that can be accessed via the above link.
SU has run the ball at least 25 times in 34 straight games and currently ranks third in the PSAC for average time of possession (32:45 per game). The Red Raiders are tied with Clarion in committing the fewest penalties in the PSAC.
The Raider red zone defense remains the best in the conference and has been extremely tough when it matters most. Opponents have only scored 59 percent of the time in the red zone, scoring on 16 of 27 chances. SU has also forced six turnovers while playing defense in the red zone.
Shippensburg's three-game winning streak has moved the team out of the NCAA's Top 30 in terms of playing the toughest schedule based on opponent's win-loss record. SU had the nation's fourth-toughest schedule through the first seven weeks of the season. Lock Haven, meanwhile, is playing the eighth-toughest schedule in Division II.
Last week, SU was stacked against the run and had to focus on gaining yards through the air. The result was sophomore quarterback
Steven Adams setting career highs for completions
(23) and passing yards (343) as Shippensburg totaled its most passing yards in a contest since Oct. 27, 2007.
The young core on offense continued to develop with outstanding performances. In addition
to Adams, fellow sophomores
Bryan Barley and
Mike Frenette each set career highs with seven receptions for 138 and 118 yards respectively. Fullback
Kevin Herod ran hard and had 53 of SU's 82 rushing yards in the contest.
Senior tailback
Kevin Marshall has rushed for 1,607 yards through three-plus years as a Red Raider while averaging over four yards per carry. With 94 more rushing yards, Marshall could move into the school's all-time Top 10 rushing yards leaders.
This season, Marshall has averaged 4.6 yards per carry: 494 yards on 107 attempts. His eight rushing touchdowns are the most in one season by a Red Raider since Aaron Dykes had 11 in 2007. Marshall has 18 career rushing touchdowns.
SERIES AGAINST LOCK HAVEN
The Red Raiders are in command of the overall series, leading 45-18-3. Shippensburg has won seven-in-a-row over the Bald Eagles and has only lost once to Lock Haven over the last 15 years (26-13 in 2002).
The last Lock Haven coach to beat Shippensburg will be coaching in Saturday's game, but in support of the Red Raiders. Mark Luther, the 2002 PSAC Western Division Coach of the Year with the Bald Eagles, is in his third season with SU.
Since the advent of PSAC divisional play in 1960, Lock Haven is the only opponent that Shippensburg has faced every season. The Red Raiders hold a 39-10-1 record over the PSAC's 50-year history of divisional play. Lock Haven and Kutztown are the only two teams that head coach Rocky Rees has faced in each of his 21 seasons at Shippensburg.
The two teams first met in 1929 with Shippensburg earning a 26-6 home victory. Under head coach Rocky Rees, the Red Raiders are 17-2-1 against the Bald Eagles. Shippensburg has out-scored Lock Haven 236-61 over the last seven years.
In 1999, Shippensburg earned its largest margin of victory over Lock Haven with a 68-7 decision over the Bald Eagles. In 1995, SU earned a 73-29 victory.
