For the first time since 2006, the Shippensburg University football team will travel to Slippery Rock on Saturday for a 6 p.m. PSAC cross-divisional matchup from The Rock's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium in Slippery Rock, Pa.

The Raiders (0-1) look to bounce back from their season-opening 33-0 shutout loss at then-No. 25 Shepherd last Saturday. Slippery Rock (1-0), meanwhile, won its opener on the road at Northwood (Mich.) by a 51-36 margin.

The last time SU played at Slippery Rock, the Raiders won 28-21 on Oct. 7, 2006. SU broke the tie when Pat Ferguson caught a nine-yard TD pass from Tony Gomez with 1:40 left in regulation. The victory was former head coach Rocky Rees's 100th win at Shippensburg.

In last year's matchup, a 55-35 Raider victory in Week 2 gave the 2012 Raiders their first 2-0 start since 2004. SU totaled 566 yards of total offense — the most Slippery Rock had allowed in a game to that point since November 10, 2007 against Edinboro. SU put up 41 points in the first half -- including three touchdown passes from quarterback Zach Zulli in the final 4:24 before regulation.

A radio broadcast of the game will be available on 88.7 FM in Shippensburg and can be accessed online by fans at www.wsyc.org. Perry Mattern returns as the play-by-play voice of the Red Raiders while Jimmy Wright will provide color commentary.

Game Storylines

• SU enters 2013 as the preseason favorite in the PSAC Eastern Division for the first time in history after an 11-2 season in which it reached the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs. Shippensburg was picked atop a PSAC divisional coaches poll for the first time since 2004. SU has not been ranked higher than fourth in any preseason poll over the last nine years.

• Slippery Rock was picked to finish third in the PSAC West preseason coaches poll after finishing in a tie for third in the division last year with California (Pa.), one game behind co-division champions IUP (the PSAC State Game winner) and Mercyhurst.

• SRU returns 39 letter-winners from last season, including nine three-year letter-winners. The Rock also return 18 seniors. Shippensburg returns 29 letter-winners, including eight starters on defense, six on offense and two specialists.

• Slippery Rock ­­­— 6-5 (5-2 PSAC West) in 2012 — returns 21 starters from last season, with nine each on offense and defense as well as three specialists.

• Combined, both teams return 12 All-PSAC honorees from 2012. SU returns seven All-PSAC East selections — including four First Team picks — while Slippery Rock returns five All-PSAC West Second Team recipients.

• The Shippensburg and Slippery Rock offenses debuted to very different results in their 2013 openers last weekend. SU was humbled by Shepherd's defense and totaled just 217 yards of total offense. With the exception of one 56-yard completion, the Raiders were limited to a 2.6-yard average over 61 plays. Shippensburg committed six turnovers and possessed the ball for less than 18 minutes in the shutout.

• The SRU offense, however, accumulated 675 yards of total offense — with 472 yards and six touchdowns through the air — as Slippery Rock posted 51 points in its 51-36 win at Northwood (Mich.) on Saturday.