JEFFREY REINHART jreinhart@LNPnews.com
THE GAME: Millersville (2-6 overall) @ Cheyney (1-7 overall), Saturday, 1 p.m., Cheyney, Pa.
ON THE AIR: The game will be broadcast by WPDC-AM 1600, and you can hear live streaming audio at redzonemedia.com.
AROUND THE PSAC: Also Saturday – Cal @ Slippery Rock, 1 p.m.; IUP @ Clarion, 1 p.m.; Lock Haven @ Shippensburg, 1 p.m.; St. Joe’s (Indy) @ West Chester, 1 p.m.; Edinboro @ Kutztown, 1:05 p.m.; Bloomsburg @ East Stroudsburg, 2 p.m.
THE SERIES: This is the 57th meeting between MU and Cheyney, and the Marauders lead 50-4-1. MU has won the last 21 games in a row in the series. Cheyney’s last win was in 1983. Wow, I was like 12 then.
THE COACHES: MU’s Joe Trainer and Cheyney’s Tim Newton are both in their third seasons.
MILLERSVILLE SCHEDULE/RESULTS: 8-25 @ Shepherd (L 36-7), 9-8 @ Slippery Rock (L 21-5), 9-15 Lock Haven (W 19-10), 9-22 @ IUP (L 45-0), 9-29 @ East Stroudsburg (W 36-24), 10-6 West Chester (L 42-14), 10-13 Shippensburg (L 23-14), 10-20 @ Bloomsburg (L 42-28), 10-27 @ Cheyney, 11-3 Bentley, 11-10 Kutztown.
LAST WEEK: Jamar Brittingham became the leading rusher in Bloomsburg history when he bolted for 257 yards on 22 carries and scored four touchdowns in Bloom’s 42-28 win over MU.
CHEYNEY SCHEDULE/RESULTS: 9-2 @ Central State, Ohio (L 28-22), 9-8 @ IUP (L 80-14, yep, 80), 9-15 Cal, Pa. (L 57-0), 9-22 @ Edinboro (L 41-23), 9-29 Lock Haven (W 30-19), 10-6 @ Howard (L 41-14), 10-13 East Stroudsburg (L 42-6), 10-20 @ Kutztown (L 40-21), 10-27 Millersville, 11-3 @ Bloomsburg, 11-10 West Chester.
LAST WEEK: The Wolves dropped a 40-21 conference decision to Kutztown. It was Cheyney’s third loss in a row after its lone win – a 30-19 victory over seemingly everyone’s punching bag this season, Lock Haven.
ABOUT MILLERSVILLE: Leading rushers are FB Brad Lantz (156-547, 3.5 avg, 1 TD) and QB Jamal Smith (128-462, 3.6 avg, 4 TD). … Smith is just 49-of-127 through the air for 657 yards with four TD and four picks. He’s completing just 38 percent of his throws…. Leading receiver is Randall Eggleton (18-258, 14.3 avg, 2 TD). … K John Banzhof, a McCaskey grad, has 15 PATs and four field goals for a team-best 25 points. … Marcus Banks leads the Marauders with 60 tackles – 41 solos.
ABOUT CHEYNEY: Leading rusher is Billy Mitchell (94-361, 3.6 avg, 1 TD). … Two QBs have seen action for the Wolves this season: Derrick Murry (76-of-146 for 1,081 yards, 9 TD, 8 picks) and Bo Thompson (34-of-91 for 506 yards, 2 TD, 4 picks). … Leading receivers are Dominique Curry (29-492, 17.0 avg, 3 TD) and Charles Johnson (27-372, 13.8 avg, 2 TD). … Wolves are giving up 43.5 points a game, and have been outscored 348-130.
THE PICK: Man, MU hasn’t lost to Cheyney since 1983? That’s incredible. Sounds like a good week to me for the Marauders to get out of their funk and do some things. This hasn’t been the most fun season ever at MU (suspensions, freshman QB learning on the fly), but if the Marauders can finish strong (starting this week with an extremely winnable game), it just might smooth over those rough patches earlier this season. Millersville 38, Cheyney 12. 1983? Wow.
