The end of the regular season is always sad, but that pain is quickly dulled but the start of playoff football! There is nothing like it. Playoffs are dramatic, intense, fun, exciting...you name it. There is nothing like it. This year is particularly interesting in SR because we have some new players in the field. IUP, Slippery Rock and Shepherd certainly aren't new to the party but Bowie State and Virginia Union are in the show for the first time in decades and Charleston and Assumption are here for the first time ever....and both teams are hosting games this Saturday.

The previews this week will focus more on the opposition as the PSAC readers should be pretty familiar with IUP and Slippery Rock by this point in the season.

Virginia Union (8-2) at Slippery Rock (10-1)

Virginia Union Team Profile

Virginia Union University Panthers
Location: Richmond, VA
Conference: CIAA
Head Coach: Mark James (15-5, 2nd season)

Overall Record: 8-2
D2 Record: 8-1
CIAA Record: 6-1
D2 Record against teams .500 or better: 2-1

Key wins: Chowan (33-14), Virginia State (28-27)
Losses: Gardner-Webb (13-9), Bowie State (23-19)

Virginia Union Schedule

Virginia Union Statistics

Five Players to watch
#9 RB Hakeem Holland (164 carries, 1012 yards, 10 TD, 10 catches, 194 yards)
#12 QB Shawheem Dowdy (142-248, 2035 yards, 19TD, 12INT)
#2 LB Joseph Blanks (78 total tackles, 14 TFL, 3 sacks, 3 INT)
#53 DE Paulin Miano (49 total tackles, 23 TFL, 10 sacks)
#7 DL Miles Pace (27 total tackles, 17 TFL, 10 sacks)

Slippery Rock Team Profile

Slippery Rock University
Location: Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
Conference: PSAC
Head Coach: George Mihalik (195-110-4, 28th year)

Overall Record: 10-1
D2 Record: 10-1
PSAC West Record: 6-1
D2 Record against teams greater than .500: 8-0

Key wins: California (56-21), Gannon (41-14), IUP (40-39), Clarion (65-13), West Chester (61-12)
Loss: Seton Hill (41-38)

Slippery Rock Schedule

Slippery Rock Statistics

Five players to watch
#23 RB Shamar Greene (202 carries, 1162 yards, 10 TD)
#7 WR / KR Jaimire Dutrieuille (36 catches, 511 yards, 6TD, 12 punt returns, 23.2yards per return, 1 TD,
LB Teven Williams (77 total tackles, 13 TFL, 3 sacks, 1 INT)
#44 DL Marcus Martin (63 total tackles, 14.5 TFL, 10 sacks, 2 FF, 3 recoveries)
#9 DB Titus Howard (51 total tackles, 3 INT, 13 breakups, 16 passes defended)

Setting the sceneAnalysis Final ThoughtsIUP (8-2) at Charleston (10-1)


Charleston Team Profile

University of Charleston Golden Eagles
Location: Charleston, WV
Conference: Mountain East
Head Coach: Pat Kirkland

Overall Record: 10-1
D2 Record: 10-1
MEC Record: 9-1
D2 Record against teams .500 or better: 4-1

Key wins: Glenville State (31-30), Concord (29-21), Fairmont State (38-31)
Loss: Shepherd (45-25)

Charleston Schedule

Charleston Statistics

Five players to watch
#6 QB Jeremy Johnson (127-218, 1998yds, 16TD, 3INT, 570 rushing yards)
#3 WR Joey Augustin (45 catches, 849yards, 18.87 av. per catch, 10TD)
#21 RB Tevion Cappe (144 carries, 681 yards, 8TD)
#7 LB Rhakeem Stallings (72 total tackles, 6 TFL, 4 sacks, 1 INT, 4 breakups)
#8 DB John Knox (48 total tackles, 3INT, 8 breakups)

IUP Team Profile

Indiana University of Pennsylvania Crimson Hawks
Location: Indiana, Pennsylvania
Conference: PSAC
Head Coach: Curt Cignetti

Overall record: 8-2
D2 Record: 8-2
PSAC West Record: 6-1
D2 Record against teams .500 or better: 3-1

Key wins: California (20-15), Clarion (28-14), Gannon (26-14)
Losses: Kutztown (34-33), Slippery Rock (40-39)


IUP Schedule

IUP Statistics

Five players to watch
#5 QB Lenny Williams (101-172, 1322 yards, 8TD, 3INT, 113 carries, 994 yards, 8TD)
#27 RB Chris Temple (173 carries, 1030 yards, 6.0ypc, 16TD)
#34 WR Walt Pegues (51 catches, 665 yards, 3TD, 25 punt returns - 11.9yd average)
#25 LB Kevin Clarke (61 total tackles, 7 TFL, 2.25 sacks)
#2 DB Jay Watkins (38 total tackles, 3 INT, 15 breakups, 18 passes defended)

Setting the scene
AnalysisFinal Thoughts

Whichever way it goes, I think it will be a close and very competitive game. But if it's too close, remember that IUP has had problems with PAT's this year and that issue directly contributed to both losses.

IUP 27 Charleston 24

As always, you can send your comments, complaints, questions or suggestions to [email protected] and you can follow me on Twitter @D2Chuck