KUTZTOWN AT #15 SLIPPERY ROCK NCAA DIVISION II FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP | QUARTERFINALS SATURDAY, DEC. 2, 2023 | 12:00 PM SLIPPERY ROCK, PA. | MIHALIK-THOMPSON STADIUM

 

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TICKETS
• Stadium gates will open at 10:30 a.m.
• Chair-Back Reserved Seat - $15
• Reserved Bench Seat - $15
• Adult General Admission - $10
• Children and Students – $5
• Students from Other Colleges - $5 with valid student ID

All fans are encouraged to purchase tickets online in advance and use the mobile QR code for entry on game day. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS. All bags will be searched at the gate.
 

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LIVE COVERAGE
Live Stats | Provided by SRU Athletic Communication
Live Streaming Video ($$$) | Provided by SRU Athletic Communication
Live Audio (FREE) | Provided by Kutztown University Radio (KUR)

NOTE: The NCAA is requiring all schools to stream playoff football games behind a paywall beginning this year. The cost is $9.95 per game or $19.95 for access to all Division II football playoff games during the first three rounds. Host institutions will produce the games, which can still be watched through the Golden Bear Sports Network as normally promoted during the regular season by clicking HERE. Fans will have to purchase access upon selecting the game.
 

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GAME PREVIEW

KUTZTOWN, Pa. – For the second time in three seasons, the Kutztown University football team has advanced the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division II Championship. Now, the Golden Bears will look to do something they've never done before: win a regional title and move onto the national semifinals.

Standing in Kutztown's way is familiar foe, No. 15 Slippery Rock, whom the Bears defeated 31-7 for the PSAC championship three weeks ago at Andre Reed Stadium.

Kutztown, the third seed in Super Region 1, has gotten to this point with a 38-14 victory over unseeded 13th-ranked Virginia Union in the first round and a thrilling come-from-behind 32-31 victory at second seed No. 24 Charleston (W.Va.) last week. Slippery Rock, seeded fourth in SR1, defeated unseeded East Stroudsburg 45-14 in the opening round before taking down top seed No. 9 Tiffin, 45-35, in round two.

The Golden Bears bewildered The Rock in their last meeting, forcing three turnovers and holding SRU to 229 yards of total offense. PSAC Championship game MVP Darryl Davis-McNeil (Roslyn, Pa./Abington) ran for 146 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. Quarterback Judd Novak (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) completed 14-of-23 passes for 137 yards and two scores, while also rushing 14 times for 80 yards.

Kutztown did a masterful job defensively, shutting out The Rock until the final minute. The Golden Bears neutralized star receivers Kyle Sheets and Cohen Russell, with the two combining for just four catches for 38 yards and Sheets' late TD grab. Quarterback Brayden Long, a finalist for the 2023 Harlon Hill Trophy given to Division II's top player, was picked off by KU three times after coming into the game with just two interceptions all season.

Expect both teams to have a chip on their respective shoulders. Slippery Rock certainly wants to avenge its worst showing of the year and snap a three-game slide to the Maroon and Gold, while Kutztown, the higher seed in this game, is having to travel across the state after not bidding to host this round of the NCAA playoffs. Kutztown (11-2) has won three straight over The Rock, the first team to do so since Gannon in 2009, 2010 and 2011. A victory by Kutztown, Saturday, would make the Golden Bears the first time to down SRU in four straight since California (Pa.) won five in a row from 2006-10.

The Golden Bears tied a program record for wins in a season with last week's comeback win over Charleston, while also setting a new record for consecutive victories (11). Kutztown has achieved double-digit victories for the fifth time in team history and has 11 wins for the third time in the last four seasons.

Kutztown's only prior appearance in the NCAA quarterfinals came back in 2021 when it fell to Shepherd, 30-28, on a last-second Hail Mary by current Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent. The Golden Bears are 5-5 all-time in NCAA playoff games and have won multiple playoff games in the same year for the first time ever.

Much like it was three weeks ago, the story of this one will be Kutztown's defense against the Slippery Rock offense. KU ranks ninth in the country in scoring defense (15.3 ppg), 13th in total defense (266.1 ypg) and 16th in rushing defense (95.6 ypg). In the last meeting, the Golden Bears won the physical battle and controlled both the offensive and defensive lines on its way to a commanding win. KU got off to a quick start by not allowing a Rock first down in the first quarter and scoring touchdowns on back-to-back possessions.

Jim Clements' team also held a distinct advantage in field position, not allowing SRU to start a drive beyond its own 33-yard line and work into KU territory once only in the first half. The Bears started their first three possessions beyond their own 40-yard line.

Another fast start will be imperative for the Bears as they venture into a raucous Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. The Rock is 54-6 at home (.900) since the beginning of the 2013 season. Kutztown is 6-3 in its last nine against SRU dating back to 2011.

Saturday's winner will represent Super Region 1 in the NCAA semifinals on Dec. 9. The PSAC is the only conference assured of a semifinal participant as the other three regions pit teams from difference conferences against one another. A PSAC team has advanced out of SR1 in each of the last four years (Slippery Rock - 2019, Shepherd - 2021 and 2022, Kutztown or Slippery Rock - 2023). The semifinal teams will be reseeded with No. 1 facing No. 4 and No. 2 facing No. 3. The semifinal games will be carried on ESPN+, with the championship game in McKinney, Texas scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on ESPNU on Dec. 16.