(Note: Every week, Jordan Kuhns will take you inside the game with the scoop from the booth. This edition will highlight the 47-16 loss to LIU Post.)
Millersville fell in week one to the LIU Post Pioneers. The margin of defeat may have looked large on the scoreboard, but consider the following:
1. The score was 20-9 at the half. Millersville was to receive the ball in the second half, and had a chance to score with over 30 seconds to go in the first half. With a little more success on just one of those drives, the score could have read 20-16.
2. Barring the two key turnovers, this game could have been remarkably closer. If those offensive drives were successful with the ball, that could have swayed the game. It could have at least made it a two score game. Manageable.
3. Millersville went 7 for 17 (41%) on third down. Last year, the Marauders only held a 34% conversion rate. However, LIU Post went 8 of 12 (75%) on Saturday. They must be better in that regard defensively in the future.
As the mysterious Marauder Football Insider tweeted, there is no reason to panic after week one. It's tough to stop a dual-threat QB (Stephen Laurino was a 2009 PSAC East Freshman of the Year). Especially one so fast, or so accurate. Laurino scored on a 48 yard run by his lonesome on Saturday, and threw for 249 yards.
Additionally, Millersville saw a lot of production out of redshirt freshman wide receiver Dante Barkley (8 rec/86 yds), redshirt junior Kevin Porter (4 rec/48 yds/TD) and junior Brent Collins (7 rec/62 yds/TD). Those players possessed key roles because of the limited participation from redshirt senior captain Dominic Sanders (ankle) in the receiving game. That was no easy hole to fix.
QB Connor Casey (24/44...232 yds) got the chance to be the surefire starter. He took some unbelievably late hits, including two consecutive roughing the passer penalties that contributed to Post's 12 flags for 111 yards. Otherwise, he looked good. Bloomsburg's former coach Danny Hale said of Casey "It looks like they found their QB," adding that Hale had been recruiting Casey as well.
Not a bad accolade coming from one of the winningest coaches in Division II history.
Body language says a lot about commitment, and in my honest opinion, this team has bought in at all positions. You can tell these players wanted to win. Rasheed Johnson set the tone with a gigantic hit on the first play from the line of scrimmage. It will be a process to institute a new system and a new way to accomplish the ultimate goal of winning, and a fun one to take part of, win or lose.
Next up for the Marauders is the Mercyhurst Lakers next Saturday up in Erie. Mercyhurst fell 17-16 to Bentley, dropping its second consecutive season opener. The Lakers came to Millersville last season, dispatching the Marauders 45-7 in a thunderstorm-delayed game in week two.
The Lakers are led by Sr. QB Anthony Vandemia, who is now fourth in career yards with 3,665. He threw for 207 yards and a touchdown during week one.
It won't be easy. Mercyhurst was picked to finish second in the PSAC Preseason Coaches Poll, with one first place vote. IUP received the other seven votes at the top.
We will see you next Saturday from Erie, Pa. at 12:30 on the Marauder Pride Pregame Show presented by Homewood Suites by Hilton Lancaster. You can listen here: www.millersvilleathletics.com/msbn
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