Kutztown University football picked to finish second in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East
Aug. 4—The Kutztown University football team received four first-place votes and was picked to finish second in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East in balloting by the league's coaches released Thursday.
The defending division and PSAC champion Golden Bears were picked to finish behind Shepherd, which also got four first-place votes.
West Chester finished third in the voting, followed by Shippensburg, East Stroudsburg, Bloomsburg, Millersville and Lock Haven.
KU went 7-0 in the PSAC East last season, 11-2 overall, advancing to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals. In that game at Andre Reed Stadium, Shepherd won 30-28 on a last-second touchdown pass. KU had beaten the Rams 37-29 on the road in the regular season.
Kutztown, which is looking to win its third straight PSAC East title, will host Shepherd in this season's PSAC East opener on Sept. 24 at noon.
The Golden Bears return five all-conference players from a team that beat Slippery Rock 38-32 in last year's PSAC final. They are expected to have seven returning starters on offense and five on defense.
The four first-place votes are the most KU has received since 2012, when it received five. The second-place finish in the voting is the program's best since 2017.
The Golden Bears have won 15 straight PSAC East games, dating to 2018; the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19.
Shepherd (6-1, 13-2 last season) returns quarterback Tyler Bagent, a senior who won the Harlon Hill Trophy last season as the top player in Division II. He led the nation last season in completions (391), yards (5,000) and touchdowns (53).
In the PSAC West, IUP and Slippery Rock finished tied for first. Each received three first-place votes. Cal was third and Gannon fourth. Edinboro and Seton Hill tied for fifth and were followed by Mercyhurst and Clarion.
