Kickoff: 6:00 PM ET
Venue: Mihalik-Thompson Stadium, Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania (Capacity: ~10,000)
Broadcast: ESPN+ / PSAC Digital Network
Weather Forecast (Slippery Rock, PA)
Temperature: ~80°F (27°C) at kickoff, cooling into the low 70s by evening
Conditions: Mostly sunny, light winds (5–8 mph)
Impact: Excellent early fall football weather; no disruptions expected.
Injury Report
Shippensburg (0–2, 0–1 PSAC East):
QB Riley Gunnels – Healthy; 517 passing yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT through two games.
RB rotation – Healthy, but rushing attack has just 146 net yards (1.8 YPC) through two games.
WR corps – Healthy; top targets averaging 60+ yards per game.
Defense – No major injuries reported, but unit has allowed 27 PPG.
Slippery Rock (2–0, 1–0 PSAC West):
QB DaOne Owens – Healthy; redshirt freshman starter who led comeback OT win vs. Shepherd.
RB committee – Healthy, averaging 150+ rushing yards per game.
WR top unit – Healthy, balanced production across multiple receivers.
Defense – No major injuries; forced 3 turnovers in first two games.
Key Player Matchups
QB Riley Gunnels (SHIP) vs. SRU Secondary
Gunnels is a pocket passer with accuracy, but SRU’s defense thrives on pressure and disguising coverages.
RB Committee (SHIP) vs. SRU Front Seven
Shippensburg’s run game has been ineffective; they must improve to avoid becoming one-dimensional.
QB DaOne Owens (SRU) vs. SHIP Pass Rush
Owens’ mobility and poise in his first start will be tested by a Raiders defense desperate to create turnovers.
WR Corps (SRU) vs. SHIP Corners
SRU’s balanced passing attack could stretch Shippensburg’s secondary thin.
Recent Team Form
Shippensburg Raiders (0–2, 0–1 PSAC East)
9/13: L 31–24 @ Clarion
9/6: L 23–7 vs. Bowie State
Trend: Offense averaging 15.5 PPG; defense allowing 27 PPG; struggling to establish run game.
Slippery Rock The Rock (2–0, 1–0 PSAC West)
9/13: W 35–28 (OT) vs. Shepherd
9/5: W 24–13 @ Franklin Pierce
Trend: Offense averaging 29.5 PPG; defense allowing 20.5 PPG; resilient in close games.
Series History
All-time series: Slippery Rock leads 42–22–4.
Last meeting (2024): Slippery Rock won 33–7 at Shippensburg.
SRU has won 25 of 32 meetings at home.
The teams have met just five times since 2007.
Betting Trends
Shippensburg:
0–5 SU in last 5 games (dating back to 2024).
1–4 ATS in last 5.
Unders hit in 3 of last 5.
Slippery Rock:
4–1 SU in last 5 games.
3–2 ATS in last 5.
Overs hit in 3 of last 5.
Head-to-Head: SRU has covered in 3 of the last 4 meetings.
Historical Betting Results
Shippensburg: Struggles ATS as a road underdog; unders common when offense sputters.
Slippery Rock: Profitable ATS at home; overs frequent when offense is rolling.
PSAC Trends: Ranked home favorites cover ~62% of the time in September conference games.
Game Odds
Shippensburg Raiders 50.5
Slippery Rock The Rock – 13.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, September 19, 2025
