STORYLINES
CATCHING UP
The Warriors exorcised their demons last weekend, defeating the Kutztown Golden Bears for the first time since 2013 with a 32-25 overtime win at Eiler-Martin Stadium. ESU led 22-10 halfway through the fourth quarter, but Kutztown outscored the Warriors 15-3 to tie the game and force overtime. ESU scored on its first drive, and after getting in a goal-to-go situation, Kutztown stalled out and turned the ball over on downs to end the game.
WHAT’S ON THE LINE
After defeating the Kutztown Golden Bears last weekend in overtime, ESU clinched a share of the PSAC East title, their first since being co-champs in 2003. With a win on Saturday at Millersville, the Warriors would secure their first outright division championship in 36 years. ESU has already punched their ticket to the conference championship game, regardless of their result this weekend. Since they have the head-to-head tiebreakers over both Kutztown and Bloomsburg, who play each other, their spot is safe in the PSAC title game. Next weekend, they’ll travel to Slippery Rock, eyeing their 13th PSAC Championship and first since 1982.
SWITCHING GEARS
After taking on one of the top teams in all of Division II last week, the Warriors face a young Millersville team in its first season under HC Drew Folmar. The former Marauders quarterback spent one season as the head coach of Kutztown, going 4-7 in 2012, before working in assistant and coordinator roles since then. Folmar got his first win as head coach of his alma mater last weekend, when Millersville defeated Lackawanna on the road, 31-28. It was the Marauders’ first win in 19 games, going winless in 2025 and ending their 2024 season on a victory at Edinboro. Although four of their losses have been within one possession, Millersville ranks inside the bottom four in the conference in most major stat categories. Their scoring offense and defense both rank last, putting up 16.7 PPG and allowing 34.9 PPG, and their total offense and defense stats are in similar positions. The lone bright spot looking through the statistical summary of Millersville is its 3rd-down offense. The Marauders have converted 41.1% of their attempts, which is 6th in the conference and 62nd in Division II.
A HISTORIC PERFORMANCE
HC Jimmy Terwilliger has talked all season about his specialists giving the Warriors an edge in close games, and that could not have been more true last week in their win over Kutztown. Kicker Ty Quintois went 6-for-7 on field goal attempts and made both of his PATs, accounting for 20 of ESU’s 32 points. He set a laundry list of records — the conference and program single-game record for made field goals, the program single-season record for made field goals (20), the program career record for consecutive made field goals (11), and the program single-season record for made 40-yard field goals (7). Additionally, he also ranks first in the career ranks for FG% (73.6%) and PAT% (98.1%). Quintois earned multiple accolades last week, most notably D2Football.com Special Teams Player of the Week and PSAC East Special Teams Athlete of the Week. It was his first time receiving the former award and third time for the latter, which gives him the second-most in ESU history.
DEFENSIVE TAKEOVER
DL Ashton Blose had his best game of the year last week, and the tape and awards reaffirmed that. The senior captain had seven tackles and a strip sack, leading the charge in holding the Golden Bears, an offense that scored 45.6 PPG, to only 25 points. Blose was wrecking the Kutztown offensive line off the edge, creating constant pressure on Judd Novak in the pocket and stuffing runs, including a 4th-and-1 deep in ESU territory. Blose was recognized as the PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week with Quintois, giving him the second-most weekly awards on the defensive side in program history, with three.
PASSING THE TEST
As ESU’s defense has improved week-by-week and made its case to be one of the top units in all of Division II, they left no doubt after their play over the last two weeks. Taking on Shepherd, who was receiving votes in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Coaches Poll, and Kutztown, who was ranked third, ESU stifled both offenses throughout both games. ESU held Shepherd to 31 rushing yards on 29 attempts, and it forced Kutztown into seven punts, one interception, and another turnover on downs. They’ve had a plethora of players step up during their midseason rise, including the linebacker duo of Camerin Gross and Mason Smith. Gross is the team leader in tackles for loss, racking up 10.5 in his first season as a full-time starter, and Smith has made 34 tackles in eight games, including 14 over his last two.
NO FLY ZONE
ESU’s secondary has rounded into form, stopping one of the best quarterbacks in Division II last week. The Warriors held Novak to below a 50% completion percentage, with Defensive Backs Armonie Torres and Cam Jefferson playing a large role in the effort. Jefferson had an interception and four breakups, while Torres made nine tackles and had a pair of PBUs. As they patrolled the middle of the secondary, defensive backs Harold Hill IV and Leyden Hertz held up on the perimeter. Outside of Noah Kracyla, no Kutztown WR had more than 38 receiving yards.
PEAKING AT THE RIGHT TIME
WR Elijah Ford has given the Warriors an elite perimeter threat, moving into the top-five in the PSAC with an average of 66.3 YPG. Over his last three contests, he’s totaled 15 receptions for 297 yards and two touchdowns for an even 99.0 YPG during the stretch. He exploded for a career-best 140 yards on five catches against the Golden Bears, putting the Warriors in front with a 54-yard score and coming up with a crucial reception late in the game to move the chains for ESU. Ford has quickly developed a connection with QB Matt Machalik, who has started the last two games for ESU, accounting for 55.7% of the Palmerton native’s passing yards.
RANKINGS TALK
After breaking into the AFCA poll with a No. 24 ranking last week, the Warriors jumped up to 18th in the poll this week. ESU won its first game as a ranked team since 2005, climbing into the top-20 for the first time since 2006. Most importantly, the Warriors leapt to second in the Super Region 1 NCAA Power Index Rankings, only trailing Slippery Rock in the region and six other teams overall. Rounding out the other notable poll, ESU moved four spots up from 20th to 16th in D2Football.com’s rankings.
SERIES HISTORY
The Warriors have historically had the upper hand against Millersville, and they’ve extended their lead in the all-time series history over the last 10 meetings. ESU is 7-3, including 5-1 under Terwilliger, winning most times since 2015 handily. All of the Warriors’ wins have been by double digits, coming out on top by an average margin of 29.3 PPG in those games. Prior to ESU winning 57-17, the Marauders defended home turf successfully in consecutive matchups. Millersville won 11-10 in 2018 and then 20-14 in 2022, taking back-to-back games as the home team for the first time since 1996-98. Since 2001, the Warriors are 19-5.
MARAUDERS TO WATCH
Millersville has a pair of players leading its team, one on each side of the ball. LB Bryce Beutler has ranked at or near the top of the PSAC in tackles all season long, leading the conference with 10.4 per game, the only player in double figures. RB Mekhi Ashby is coming off a career game with 167 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries against Lackawanna, ranking fourth in the conference with 73.9 YPG.
