ERIE, Pa. — The Shippensburg University football team will play its second consecutive road game at noon Saturday from University Field in a contest against Gannon. The teams have only met once before, and that matchup occurred last season at Seth Grove Stadium.
Gannon will be providing live web video and audio coverage of the game along with live stats. The links are available above.
Shippensburg had a four-game winning streak snapped last week at Shepherd. The Red Raiders have lost six consecutive season openers dating back through 2005.
In its last three seasons as a member of the PSAC Eastern Division, Shippensburg is 6-3 against teams from the PSAC Western Division, including a 4-1 mark on the road. SU's last road loss to a PSAC West team came in the final game of the 2008 season at Mercyhurst (in Erie).
Shippensburg was picked sixth in the PSAC Eastern Division coaches poll while Gannon was picked fifth in the PSAC Western Division coaches poll.
The Red Raiders unveiled multiple offensive sets in its season opener at Shepherd but struggled in the second half in a loss to the nationally-ranked Rams. Sophomore quarterback
Zach Zulli made his first career start at quarterback and threw for 277 yards and four touchdowns.
Eight different players had at least one reception on Saturday, including four each by junior
Mike Frenette and sophomore
Zack Kinney. Frenette paced the squad with 188 all-purpose yards – including 124 on returns. He also recovered a fumble on a punt in the fourth quarter that set up the game's final touchdown.
SU has four opponents on its schedule ranked among the nation's Top 25 teams per the preseason poll released in June by The Sporting News. Those schools are #8 Mercyhurst (2010 PSAC champions), #10 Bloomsburg (2010 PSAC East champions), #14 Shepherd (2010 NCAA Semifinalists) and #21 Kutztown.
Shippensburg's first five opponents in 2011 combined for a 39-20 record last season. That group includes Shepherd and Kutztown along with private school opponents C.W. Post and Gannon, which both finished above .500 in 2010.
Gannon, who lost to Lake Erie in its season opener, is coming off back-to-back 6-5 seasons, which has marked the first time since 1994-95 that the Golden Knights finished with winning records in consecutive seasons.
The Golden Knights return seven starters to a defensive unit that posted one of the best single-season improvements in the PSAC by allowing the second-fewest points and fifth-fewest yards in the league. Senior Randy Colling, a two-time All-PSAC First Teamer, returns after a 12-sack season.
Gannon is looking to replace several talented players on the offensive side of the football, including quarterback Zach Boedicker, backup quarterback Bob Bartley, last year's leading rusher Tyler Batts, and all three of its leading wide receivers from a season ago.
Gannon leads the all-time series 1-0 after winning the only previous meeting between the two teams last season, 22-19.
Shippensburg has never played at Gannon University Field and will be playing in Erie for just the second time in history.
