KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown football entered last season fresh off winning the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship. But the start to the year was not how KU had hoped to keep the momentum going from the previous campaign, as it was shutout at Assumption University.
 
Enter 2023 and the Golden Bears head back to Worcester, Mass., looking to not only score some points, but to begin a win streak as they search for another PSAC crown and NCAA tournament berth. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m.
 
Kutztown and No. 23 Assumption open up the season against each other for the eighth straight year. KU is 3-4 against the Greyhounds in that span, winning three consecutive games before last season's 3-0 defeat on the road. The Maroon and Gold are back at Brian Kelly stadium hoping to avenge last year's defeat and go 1-0.
 
The Maroon and Gold are once again set to be competitors for the PSAC title, as they were voted second in the preseason poll. They have had five straight seasons of at least eight victories. They went 8-3 overall and 5-2 in the PSAC last season under the program's winningest head coach  in program history, Jim Clements, including two victories over nationally-ranked programs in California (Pa.) and Slippery Rock. KU will be looking to win the East after taking the division title in back-to-back seasons in 2019 and 2021 (2020 season canceled due to COVID-19), while also trying to get back to the NCAA Championship Tournament, following three consecutive appearances in 2018, 2019 and 2021.
 
Kutztown is expected to return eight All-PSAC performers from 2022, including First-Teamers Darryl Davis-McNeil (Roslyn, Pa./Abington) and CJ Brown (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville), along with Second-Teamers Donny Blaine (Jefferson Township, Pa./North Pocono), Jordan Davis (Franklin, N.J./Saint Joseph Metuchen), Ryan Schernecke (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland), Tyler Whary (Hereford, Pa./Upper Perkiomen), Antaun Lloyd (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) and Nathan Millard. Offensively, it's the first time since 2019 that the starting quarterback is back for his second season behind center in Blaine. Davis-McNeil enters this season with 1,832 career rushing yards and can continue to climb the ladder of career individual milestones. For a defense that led the PSAC and ranked eighth in DII in total defense last season (252.6 ypg), Whary (56) and Kam Wolfe (Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin) (50), who were two of the top three tacklers from last year, are back to lead that unit.
 
Assumption is the defending NE10 champions and was picked second in the preseason poll. The Greyhounds went 8-3 last season and are ranked 23rd nationally.
 
Following another road trip to California (Pa.) next Saturday, Sept. 9, the Golden Bears appear at Andre Reed Stadium for the first time on Saturday, Sept. 16, for a 12 p.m., contest against Mercyhurst.