No. 7 Slippery Rock football will travel to George P. Miller Stadium in Indiana, Pa. this Saturday to take on rival Indiana University (Pa.) in the 100th all-time meeting between the two programs.
SRU enters the contest coming off a 59-14 home victory against Seton Hill University, improving its record to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play. In the win, The Rock set a single-game program record with 458 rushing yards while totaling 723 yards of total offense. Meanwhile, then-no. 10 IUP, which also entered the game undefeated, suffered a 35-20 home loss to Lock Haven University, marking the Bald Eagles’ first victory over a ranked opponent in program history.
Saturday’s matchup will mark the ninth meeting between two of the conference’s top head coaches, Slippery Rock’s Shawn Lutz and IUP’s Paul Tortorella. Together, the pair have combined for 167 victories across 19 seasons, building two of the most successful programs in Division II football.
“It’s PSAC West play, we know IUP, we identify it’s a rivalry. We just need to get better,” said Lutz.
Last season, Slippery Rock defeated IUP in a Homecoming thriller, scoring 20 second-half points to erase a halftime deficit and secure a 30-27 victory.
Meanwhile, The Rock’s most recent trip to George P. Miller Stadium in 2024 provided another chapter in the historic rivalry, with Slippery Rock coming away with the 33-32 victory.
The ground game could once again be the focal point for both squads on Saturday. JayJay Jordan has built on his outstanding 2025 campaign, establishing himself as one of the top running backs in Division II. The Reading, Pa. native has rushed for 835 yards and 16 touchdowns, more than doubling the touchdown total of Bloomsburg’s Declan Clancy, who ranks second in the conference with seven. Behind Jordan and the rushing attack, Slippery Rock ranks among the nation’s top offenses in both scoring and total offense while ranking sixth in rushing offense.
“A lot of the cuts that JayJay had were amazing,” said Lutz following SRU’s defeat over Seton Hill. “He finds that little seam, that little hole, and all of a sudden you see he gets out and he goes.”
Meanwhile, IUP running back Leon Parson could also present a challenge for the Slippery Rock defensive front. The sophomore ranks third in the conference in rushing, behind Jordan and Shepherd University’s Ian Mauldin. Parson has tallied 467 yards on 81 carries, averaging 5.8 yards per attempt, while scoring two touchdowns. As a team, the Crimson Hawks rank 46th nationally in scoring offense, 75th in total offense and 109th in rushing offense.
Although the ground game figures to play a significant role, both teams also feature productive quarterbacks. Slippery Rock’s DaOne Owens and IUP’s Mason Maggs rank among the top three quarterbacks in the PSAC in passing production, trailing only Clarion University’s Jase Ferguson.
Maggs, a redshirt senior, spent the previous four seasons at Ohio State University before suffering a season-ending injury last year. In his lone season with the Crimson Hawks, Maggs has thrown for 1,443 yards and a conference leading 19 touchdowns.
Owens has been similarly effective for The Rock, throwing for 1,428 yards and 16 touchdowns while recording just two interceptions, while also leading the conference with a 67.3% completion percentage.
“If we worry about the rivalry and the intensity, then we lose sight of each other,” said Lutz. “I know this: we’ll show up and be ready to go on Saturday.”
