The gamut of nationally ranked opponents is over. #9 Bloomsburg (6-0, 3-0 PSAC) used quick strikes and opportunistic offense to defeat Millersville (0-6, 0-3 PSAC) by a score of 45-7.
The good news is this, and this humongous progress in one statement: Millersville's defense kept a furious Bloomsburg offense to just 292 total yards. It kept the second-ranked rushing attack to 208 yards. Up until that point, Bloomsburg rushers averaged almost 368 yards per game in that respect. They also only passed for 84 yards and had a success of about 50%.
Credit to defensive coordinator Ron Rankin and his strategy against a high-powered offense. This is a huge step in the right direction. The coaching staff wanted more size up front, inserted more size into the lineup, and it paid instant dividends. I would be surprised to see that personnel change for next week's game.
Now where it gets fuzzy: offense was extremely hard to come by in this game. Redshirt Freshman QB Curtis Frye started his first game, and to his credit, was very accurate with his passes (16-24-1, 98 yds), but he could not break past what has been a dead zone at midfield while driving down the field.
Frye was knocked out with what looked like a knee injury. His status is still unknown to this point. In his stead, veteran Connor Casey (5-10-0, 56 yds, 1 TD) admirably stepped in and showed a ton of rejuvenated moxie in his return. During a 4th quarter drive, Casey unloaded a 56 yard bomb to Kevin Porter which set Millersville up perfectly for a score.
It was then, on a 4th and Goal, head coach Greg Breitbach pulled the trigger on a bold decision. Go for it. Why not?
Why not, indeed. Casey unloaded a bullet to Porter for the score. It was monumental for the offense's confidence. They perfectly executed a drive down the field with a big play. It was the longest play of the season. Casey's TD pass was also his first since week one against LIU Post.
It solved a lot of things. Credit Breitbach for a gutsy decision.
This result was the perfect time to not only give offensive players confidence, but defensive players too. The schedule gets incredibly easier against a winless Cheyney team, a 2-4 Lock Haven team, an East Stroudsburg team without its star quarterback Matt Soltes (at least for now) and a Kutztown team with just one victory against Cheyney.
This back half of the schedule looks more than perfect for the Millersville Marauders to take advantage of. They could sweep the rest of their eastern schedule and end 4-3 in the East, which is a remarkable improvement over past years' one victory. This is a huge opportunity to seize. It likely won't be enough for playoffs, as West Chester, Bloomsburg and Shippensburg lead the way with a 3-0 mark in the East.
Let's take a look around the PSAC.
In perhaps the most stunning upset ever, unranked (and quite dangerous) Slippery Rock crushed rival #7 IUP 42-16. That will likely set IUP's national ranking back quite a bit. The Rock should get instant consideration to get into that conversation.
West Chester, down 20-10 at the half, scored 24 second half points and shut out the Warriors in that half as well to win 34-20. ESU lost Matt Soltes to an undisclosed injury. If Soltes is out a long time, that's good news for the rest of the conference. He's dangerous.
Two teams certainly made it close this weekend. Shippensburg barely held off Lock Haven's furious push, winning 30-24, and Kutztown defeated winless Cheyney 35-19. That Kutztown victory is the first under their new head coach and Millersville Hall of Fame QB Drew Folmar. Well-deserved congratulations go his way.
Up next for the Ville, it's Cheyney, during its homecoming. Sound familiar? Millersville will have to deal with one more away homecoming before hosting their own the week after against Lock Haven. Four homecomings in a row. Too many people, not enough parking spaces...
Historically, Millersville has dominated Cheyney 56-5-1 since 1951. If memory serves, Millersville's last loss to Cheyney was in 2010, and it was the first loss against Cheyney since the mid-1980s. This is a chance to reassert that dominance and pick up the first win of the year, and the first for coach Breitbach.
Game starts at 1. Pregame show at 12:30. Tune in here. www.millersvilleathletics.com/msbn
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