Adding to The Rock's motivation is the fact the game will be a rematch of last fall's PSAC Championship Game, which KU won by a 21-14 score on its home field.

Saturday's game will also be part of SRU Athletic Hall of Fame Day festivities. The 29th class of inductees will be added to the Hall's roster during ceremonies starting at 1:30 p.m. in the Robert M. Smith Student Center Ballroom.

Sour tastes: The Rock and Golden Bears both enter this week's game with the bitter taste of defeat lingering in their mouths. SRU dropped a 38-23 decision at Mercyhurst, while Kutztown lost its third straight game, a 45-24 verdict vs. West Chester in Kutztown.

Neither team is having a championship-caliber season at this point this fall. SRU brings a 2-2 overall record into the game, while Kutztown owns a 1-3 win-loss mark.


Home-field advantage: The Rock are glad to be home at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium, where they are unbeaten in seven games since the facility formerly known as N. Kerr Thompson Stadium was renamed Sept. 10, 2011. The Rock own a 135-62 (.685) record in games played the last 37 seasons at the stadium, have a 32-17 (.653) home record since artificial turf was first installed in the summer of 2003, are 2-0 on the artificial turf installed last summer, 93-40 (.699) in home games under 25-year head coach George Mihalik and 28-11 (.718) in home games since 2005.

Road warriors: Last week's loss was The Rock's fourth straight in a road game dating back to the final two games of the 2011 season. Mihalik-coached Rock teams now own a 68-59-4 (.534) road record since he assumed The Rock coaching reins in 1988.

Rock vs. PSAC-East: The Rock, members of the PSAC's Western Division, own a 31-17-1 (.643) all-time record against PSAC-East teams since 1988 when Mihalik assumed the head coaching reins. The Rock has won 13 of their last 20 games against PSAC-East teams.

This week's game is the second of three stiff challenges The Rock will face this fall in trying to maintain that level of success this fall as their three PSAC “crossover” games are against Shippensburg, Kutztown and Bloomsburg, the last three teams to win a PSAC-East championship and two of the last three teams to win the PSAC title game.

The series: Last year's loss in the PSAC title game was SRU's first in nine meetings with the Golden Bears.

The coaches:  George Mihalik owns a 163-100-4 (.618) career win-loss record in 25 seasons as The Rock's head coach. He is SRU's all-time leader in career wins and ranks third among active PSAC coaches, fifth on the conference's all-time wins chart and is tied for fifth among active NCAA D-II head coaches. Mihalik has compiled a 6-1 record against Kutztown.

Raymond Monica has compiled a 39-32 (.423) career record in seven seasons as Kutztown's head coach. He owns a 1-4 record against The Rock.


Scouting the Golden Bears: Kutztown's offensive attack is led by freshman quarterback Josh Luckenbaugh, who is expected to make his second collegiate start this week in place of injured senior first-teammer Kevin Morton.Luckenbaugh has passed for 522 yards and three TDs this fall, capped off by a 306-yard, one-TD performance last Saturday vs. West Chester. The Golden Bears' top receivers are sophomore wide receiver Shahaid Smith, who had 12 catches for 86 yards last week and has 32 catches for 292 yards (0 TDs) this fall, and senior wideout Colby Tuell, who has 26 catches for 315 yards and four TDs. Kutztown averages 368.0 passing yards per game. The running game, which averages 117.8 yards per game, features junior running back Curtis Wortham, who has rushed for 325 yards and three TDs this fall. Defensively, the Golden Bears are led by sophomore linebacker Sam Dixon-Dugan (27 tackles) and sophomore defensive end Zach Greenwald (25 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 2 QBS), the top two tacklers on the team.

Last year's game: The 24th-ranked Rock's bid for their first PSAC championship since 1974 was denied as eighth-ranked Kutztown handed the Green and White a 21-14 setback in Kutztown. Backup quarterback Marshall Vogel spelled Morton, who was injured midway through the second period, and completed 25 of 39 passes for 300 yards and two TDs to lead the winners' 413-yard offensive attack. The Rock gained 353 total yards, led by a 19-of-39, 233-yard, one-TD passing effort by senior QB Cody Endres. Senior wide receiver Devin Goda caught six passes for 67 yards and one TD for The Rock. Schademan had four catches for 71 yards and senior wideout Kevin Sanders caught four passes for 39 yards. Satterfield celebrated his return to action after being sidelined four weeks with a 25-carry, 103-yard, one-TD rushing effort. The Rock moved 74 yards in 11 plays on the game's opening drive to take a quick 7-0 lead. Satterfield capped the drive with an eight-yard run at the 10:05 mark of the first quarter. Unfazed, the Golden Bears marched 99 yards in eight plays to tie the score at 7-7 with 2:42 left in the first quarter. Morton hit Erik Frazier for a 41-yard TD to culminate the drive. Neither team scored again until Endres hit Goda for a 28-yard TD to put The Rock on top by a 14-7 score with 8:02 left in the third period. The TD came two plays after Endres and Schademan hooked up for 35 yards. Kutztown took advantage of an interception at The Rock 18 to tie the game at 14-14 on a 16-yard TD pass from Vogel to Josh Mastromatto with six seconds left in the third quarter. Kutztown then scored the game-winning points with a six-play, 67-yard scoring drive that culminated with a 14-yard Vogel-to-Frazier TD with 2:59 left to play.

Road trips: Following their meeting with Kutztown, The Rock will hit the road for back-to-back PSAC-West games, beginning with the renewal of the rivalry vs. Indiana (Pa.) next Saturday. The Rock visit Clarion, coached by former Rock defensive coordinator Jay Foster, Oct. 13.