Kutztown University quarterback Judd Novak is entering his sophomore year. Courtesy photo

SHEPHERDSTOWN — Slippery Rock’s Brayden Long and Kutztown’s Judd Novak are PSAC quarterbacks with impressive credentials from the 2023 season that will earn them considerable preseason recognition. Both will probably receive 2024 Harlon Hill Trophy looks even before playing a game this coming fall.

And both will be on Shepherd’s schedule.

Long was a statistical whiz in Slippery Rock’s 12-2 overall season that had its only losing bumps against Kutztown. Novak was a redshirt freshman who quietly gave the Golden Bears his early-season leadership and later on his gifted passing that helped carry them to a 7-0 regular season record in the East Division of the PSAC. Kutztown finished with an eye-catching 12-win season that only ended far down the NCAA Division II playoff trail.

Slippery Rock comes to Ram Stadium on Sept. 14 as one of the three West Division PSAC teams the Rams play in 2024. The other two West Division teams to be played are Clarion and Seton Hill.

The Rams lost just two conference games a year ago when they were stopped by Kutztown and upset-minded Bloomsburg. Despite its overall record of 3-8, Bloomsburg defeated Shepherd, 14-10, on its home field.

The NCAA placed Shepherd against Lenoir-Rhyne (NC) in the 2023 playoffs. Lenoir-Rhyne held the Rams scoreless in the second half of a 63-17 first-round playoff win on its homefield.

With Kutztown going undefeated in its seven-game East Division schedule it qualified for the conference championship game where it defeated Slippery Rock.

Other overall East Division records from last season showed East Stroudsburg at 9-3, West Chester at 6-5, Lock Haven at 5-6, Bloomsburg with a 3-8 record, Shippensburg at 3-8 and Millersville finishing with a 3-8 record.

Clarion was only 2-9 and Seton Hill finished at 6-5 overall.

The Rams will open against Southern Connecticut State for the third consecutive season. Shepherd beat SCSU on the road in 2022 and by one point at home just last season. The Owls, a team with a 4-6 record a year ago, and the new-look Rams will play this season on Thursday evening, September 5.

Long and Novak probably won’t be the only first-rate quarterbacks the Rams have to attempt to manage this season, but they will be the most dangerous and the most capable.

All of Shepherd’s home games have noon start times. The first one is against always-talented Slippery Rock on Sept. 14. The Rams want it to be “The Showdown at High Noon.”