BROOKVILLE, N.Y. — The Shippensburg University football team will begin PSAC Eastern Division play at 1 p.m. Saturday from Hickox Field as it heads to Long Island for a clash with C.W. Post. The Red Raiders have lost the last two meetings to the Pioneers but lead the overall series matchup 3-2.
A student-radio broadcast of the game will be available on 88.7 FM in Shippensburg and can be accessed online at the link above. Student broadcasters Sean Gallagher and Chris Field are expected to call the action on the radio.
Shippensburg has scored 122 points in the first three games of the season — more than any other Red Raider team in school history. The 1991 team had 118 points through the first three games and the 2004 team totaled 115 points over the same span.
The Red Raiders set a school record in Saturday's win over Clarion with 33 first downs – 15 by rushing, 13 by passing and five by penalty. Shippensburg ran the ball on 34 of its 44 first-down plays and totaled an incredible 272 yards on first-down runs. Only four first-down rushes ended with negative yards.
SU is running a ton of plays: 229 through the first three games. The Red Raiders ran 91 plays in the Week 2 victory over Gannon — the third-most in SU single-game history and the most since Nov. 12, 1983 against James Madison.
After being held without a sack in the season opener at Shepherd, Shippensburg has totaled 11 sacks in the last two games - including four by sophomore
Dainen Green and 1.5 sacks by sophomore
Jake Metz and freshman
Brian Sourber. The Red Raiders had seven sacks in Saturday's win over Clarion – its most in one contest since recording eight against Lock Haven on Sept. 30, 2000.
The Pioneers are in uncharted waters with an 0-3 record to start the season, losing its home opener in overtime to American International before dropping road matches to nationally-ranked California (Pa.) and Mercyhurst. The problem for C.W. Post has been its offense, scoring just 27 points in the first three games of the season.
C.W. Post has thrown for just 302 yards and one touchdown in three games. Talented running backs Anthony Brunetti and Thomas Beverly are both returning weapons for the Pioneers and have played in all games but have been stymied with 189 combined yards on 57 carries.
Shippensburg was picked sixth in the PSAC Eastern Division coaches poll while C.W. Post was picked fourth in the same poll.
Shippensburg's first five opponents in 2011 combined for a 39-20 record last season. That group includes nationally-ranked Shepherd and Kutztown along C.W. Post and Gannon, which both finished above .500 in 2010.
The Red Raiders lead the overall series 3-2. SU renewed its series history with the Pioneers in 2008 by recording an impressive 27-10 win from Seth Grove Stadium.
C.W. Post earned its first victory in the series in 2009 in a cloudy and rainy affair from Long Island and also won at Shippensburg last year, 31-14. The two teams had previously met in 1981 and 1983 under legendary head coach Vito Ragazzo.
The Red Raiders are 28-33 all-time in divisional openers — with all but three of those meetings being against a PSAC Western Division opponent.
Shippensburg is beginning its divisional schedule on the road for the first time since 2008, when the Red Raiders dropped a 44-41 overtime decision at East Stroudsburg.
Full notes will be available Wednesday evening via the link at the top of the page.
