Marauders eye Huskies’ booty

    For the second straight Saturday, Husky football will be squaring off with a PSAC-East opponent at home, when Fourth ranked and undefeated Bloom will welcome the 1-4 Millersville Marauders.  BU is coming off a 28-14 win over CW Post, while MU is trying to bounce back from two consecutive games in which their opponents, West Chester and Shippensburg, dumped 63 points each on them in two embarrassing losses.
    Bloom leads the series against the Marauders 35-30-5 all-time, with the Huskies taking nine of the last 10 games.  In their last meeting, Derrick Price and Kenny Domzalski acted as a two-headed monster out of the backfield, combining for 251 yards rushing and three touchdowns.  Dan Latorre also added two passing touchdowns in last year’s rout of the Marauders.
    BU continued its dominance in the running game last weekend versus CW Post with Derrick Price rushing for 185 yards and three touchdowns.  Price seems to be back in the swing of things following a suspension that held him out the first couple of games.  He seems to be rushing the ball as effectively as he did last year when he averaged 106 yards per game and seven touchdowns.
    Anthony Smith continued to lead Bloom’s defense against Post and Coach Hale looks for the leadership to continue.  Hale praised Smith and spoke about how happy he is for Anthony because this is his first year of contribution after making 14 tackles in the small amount of time he saw on the field in his first three years.  In just five games this season Smith has earned the PSAC-East Defensive Player of the Week Award three times, most recently following BU’s game versus Post last week in which he tallied 19 tackles, including one sack.  He has made 56 stops this season along with two sacks and two interceptions.
    The Huskies are allowing just 85 yards rushing per game, a stat that was at 122 yards per game last season.  Hale credits a consistent and emotional defense for the small amount of rushing yards given up per game.  Alongside Smith, linebackers Mike Varanavage and Thomas McFarland have done a great job in teaming up to stop the run.  Varanavage has racked up 42 tackles and McFarland has made 24 stops this season.
    As for injuries among the Huskies, kicker/punter Jon Koenig missed the game last weekend and Hale noted that whether he plays will be determined Friday or Saturday.  Also, Jesse Cooper and Stefan Adams re-aggravated injuries that kept them out earlier in the season.  Hale was unsure of whether or not Cooper and Adams will be playing versus Millersville on Saturday.
    For a Millersville team with very good skill players, it has been a rough season through five games.  They are led offensively by Bill Shirk, their quarterback that is in his second year starting under center.  Shirk has thrown for 869 yards and five touchdowns while completing nearly 54% of his passes.  Most often on the receiving end of those passes are Jamal Smith and Matt Egenrieder, a duo that has accounted for 47 receptions, 488 yards, and four touchdowns this season.  Coach Danny Hale mentioned that Shirk and Smith are key to whether or not MU moves the ball.  The Marauder rushing attack is led by Brad Lantz.  On the season, Lantz is averaging just over four yards per carry and 60 yards per game, and has also recorded two touchdowns this year.
    Safeties Matt Sutjak and Julius Carter lead the MU defense in tackles with 45 and 43, respectively.  Also, they have each recorded an interception this season.  Defensive tackle Chad Miller leads Millersville’s defense with two sacks.  He also has 19 tackles, seven for a loss.  Unusual for a defensive lineman, he has also intercepted a pass. 
    Saturday’s kickoff between the Huskies and Marauders is slated for 5:00 at Redman Stadium.  BU has a chance to become 6-0 (3-0 PSAC East) with a win over MU.  Be sure to get your fill of fair food before making your way to Redman to cheer on the Huskies.  And do not forget your poncho because this one should be cool and rainy.