EAST STROUDSBURG – East Stroudsburg University football head coach Jimmy Terwilliger announced the Warriors' 2024 schedule on Thursday afternoon.
The Warriors will play five of their 11 games at Gregory-Douds Field at Eiler-Martin Stadium, including the first three contests under the lights. ESU will hit the road for six games and will also have a bye week for the first time since 2007.
"We're really excited to kick-off the 2024 season," said ESU head coach Jimmy Terwilliger. "There is a lot to build on from the 2023 playoff season. Our team continues to work relentlessly to reach new heights. We return a lot of great leadership on both sides of the ball and our young students gained great experience from a very competitive spring ball. There will be many new faces and challenges this fall, but our values will remain the same: WORK HARD- COMPETE- Do it RIGHT. We're looking for more in 2024 and Saturdays will be LIVE ACTION in the Poconos. We can not wait to kick it off!"
The Warriors open the season with a pair of Thursday night road contests, starting with a week zero PSAC crossover against Edinboro on Aug. 29 (7:00 p.m.). ESU and Edinboro will meet for the first time since 2019, when the Warriors prevailed 34-14. ESU seeks their first win against the Fighting Scots at Sox Harrison Stadium since 2014, after falling 49-24 in their most recent trip in 2018.
The next week, ESU heads to a familiar non-conference foe in Pace on Thurs., Sept. 5 (7:00 p.m.). ESU dominated the Setters in a 62-9 triumph in the home opener last season. Pace picked up its lone win in the all-time series when the teams last met in Pleasantville, N.Y., in 2022, with the Setters earning a 31-16 win.
The Warriors return to PSAC crossover action in their home opener against Gannon on Sept. 14 (6:05 p.m.) for the annual "Get In The Game, Be The Match Game" in partnership with The Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation and the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). The Warriors will host the annual #RelentlesS Marrow Drive in Memory of Ryan Smith and Alyssa Oxenford in conjunction with the contest against the Golden Knights. The Warriors and Golden Knights will meet at Eiler-Martin Stadium for the first time since 2021, when Gannon escaped the Poconos with a 13-10 victory in the season finale.
Following the Gannon matchup, ESU will enjoy its first bye week in 15 seasons on Sept. 21.
The Warriors will have a week to prepare to face the 2024 PSAC Champions and NCAA Semifinalist Kutztown, hosting the Golden Bears for Family Weekend and their annual "Shirt Off My Back Game" on Sept. 28 (6:05 p.m.) in the PSAC East opener. Each Warrior will present a jersey to an ESU faculty or staff member who has made an impact during their time in the Poconos prior to kickoff. ESU and KU have battled down to the wire in each of the previous three matchups, with each contest decided by seven points or less in favor of the Golden Bears.
ESU hits the road for back-to-back contests against Millersville (Oct. 5, Noon) and Bloomsburg (Oct. 12, 2:00 p.m.). The Warriors defeated both squads at Eiler-Martin Stadium last season, with a 38-17 win over the Marauders on Homecoming and a 21-16 win over the Huskies.
The Warriors will host West Chester for their final night game of the regular season on Oct. 19 (6:05 p.m.) for Homecoming. ESU recorded a 28-14 win over the Golden Rams last season at Farrell Stadium, snapping a nine-game losing streak.
Following the matchup with WCU, ESU will host Lock Haven on Oct. 26 (12:05 p.m.) for Youth Day. Along with honoring Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Pennsylvania, ESU encourages youth teams to attend the game. ESU holds a four-game winning streak against the Bald Eagles, including a 35-21 victory last season and a 48-7 win in their last contest in East Stroudsburg in 2022.
ESU will head to Shippensburg to open November on Nov. 2 (1:00 p.m.). ESU has won back-to-back meetings against the Raiders (2023: 41-17, 2022: 23-16) for the first time since 1960-61 and seeks their first three-game winning streak in the all-time series since 1929-31.
The Warriors close the 2024 home regular season slate against Shepherd on Nov. 9 (1:05 p.m.) for Senior Day. ESU seeks its first conference win over the Rams, having fallen in four consecutive meetings since SU joined the PSAC. ESU looks to down Shepherd for the first time since 2003, in what could determine a spot in the PSAC Championship.
ESU seeks its first PSAC Championship since 2003, needing to win the PSAC East regular season championship to earn a spot in the State Game on Nov. 16. The game will be played at the PSAC West regular season champion's home stadium. If ESU does not qualify for the PSAC Championship, the Warriors will close the regular season at Clarion on Nov. 16 (Noon).
ESU looks to build off a successful 2023 campaign, which saw a five-win improvement from 2022 with a 9-3 record. ESU reached the NCAA Playoffs for the fifth time in program history and the first since 2009. All three losses came against NCAA Playoff qualifiers on the road, with the Warriors scheduled to host both Kutztown and Shepherd in 2024. The Red and Black's nine wins are the most since 2008 and mark the ninth time the Warriors registered at least nine wins in a season in program history (2023: 9-3, 2008: 9-2, 2004: 10-2, 1982: 9-2, 1978: 10-1, 1976: 9-0-1, 1965: 10-0).
