INDIANA, Pa. – The IUP football program finds itself in somewhat unfamiliar territory heading into the second half of the season, looking to bounce back from consecutive losses on Saturday hosting Edinboro. Kickoff from Miller Stadium is set for 2:00 p.m.
IUP enters the week with a 3-3 mark and a 1-2 record in PSAC play, looking to return to the win column after a 30-20 loss to rival Cal U last week. Needing to shuffle players in on the offensive side of the ball due to injury, the Crimson Hawks struggled to find a rhythm from midway through the second quarter and into the second half.
Edinboro fell to 2-4 on the season following a loss to nearby Gannon. The Scots fell behind 10-0 at halftime and battled back to within five points in the fourth quarter. Matt Carlisle and Issac Bernard split time at QB, while Mike Watkins reeled in eight passes for 93 yards and a touchdown. On defense, CJ Waldier registered 16 tackles (seven solo) with a fumble recovery.
For fans attending the game, please note that VIP Tailgating spots are sold out for the 2023 season. Gates to Miller Stadium open one hour prior to kickoff, while parking lots open four hours prior to kickoff for $10 per spot. All fans are encouraged to allow extra time when arriving on gameday for parking and entering the stadium. Tailgating procedures can be found here.
QUICK NOTES/STORYLINES
- IUP has lost consecutive games in the regular season for just the third time since the 2015 campaign.
- IUP has won seven of the last eight meetings with Edinboro, but the Fighting Scots clipped the Crimson Hawks back in 2021 during their last trip to Miller Stadium.
- IUP has posted 30 points or more against Edinboro five times since 2014, racking up some big offensive performances.
- IUP’s playoff hopes were all but dashed in last week’s 30-20 setback to rival Cal U, the team’s third loss of the season. The Crimson Hawks were without several key playmakers on the offensive side of the ball, losing QB Karst Hunter and TE Cole Laney in the contest.
- IUP turns to a new starting QB this week with the injury to Hunter. Either Nico Marchitelli or Blayne Romano will take the reigns of the IUP offense this week against the Fighting Scots.
- Edinboro features one of the most dynamic players in the conference in 2022 All-American Reed Martin. A two-time PSAC West Special teams Athlete of the Week in 2023, Martin serves as the Fighting Scots’ starting corner, kicker and punter. He ranks second in the PSAC in punting average (42.8), providing an athletic element in the special teams game.
- Drew DiNunzio-Biss set a Coal Bowl record with 17.0 total tackles last week, jumping to fourth in the PSAC in tackles/game (8.3). Additionally, the IUP front seven generated eight tackles for loss, three sacks and seven QB hurries collectively against the Vulcans.
- Edinboro has seen an upward trajectory of its program since the hiring of head coach Jake Nulph in January 2020. Nulph briefly served at IUP as a defensive/special teams assistant in 2019.
- Cyair Clark continues to make the most of his opportunities for IUP, accounting for 232 all-purpose yards (80 receiving, 152 kickoff return) last week against Cal U.
- Edinboro is surrendering 373.2 yards/game and nearly 30 points per contest. The Fighting Scots rank second to last in passing yards allowed, surrendering nearly 244 yards through the air per outing.
NOTEBOOK
TORTORELLA FOURTH IN IUP HISTORY IN WINS
IUP head coach Paul Tortorella was named the PSAC West Coach of the Year for 2022, a reflection on the overall strength of the program under his leadership. Coaching his 50th career game in 2022 against Mercyhurst and now in his sixth season, Tortorella is 51-14 (.785) overall with a 30-8 mark against PSAC West opponents. His 51 wins just surpassed the legendary Bill Neal (50) for fourth in IUP history, now two wins shy of tying Curt Cignetti (53) for third.
In his 62nd game on Sept. 16, 2023, against Shippensburg, Tortorella become the second fastest coach to reach 50 wins in IUP history, behind Frank Cignetti (59 games). He reached 30 wins faster than any other IUP coach (35 games), and has three NCAA playoff berths (2017, 2019, 2022), two PSAC West titles, two PSAC Championships and a regional title.
IUP IS NO STRANGER TO CLOSE GAMES
IUP has seen its fair share of one-score games, dating back to the 2021 season. Since the start of 2021, IUP is 9-4 in one-score games. IUP was 5-1 in one-score games last season, now 6-2 since the start of the 2022 campaign. The opening two matchups of the 2023 season (ASH/ESU) were decided by a combined margin of eight points.
CRIMSON HAWKS IN FAMILIAR TERRIOTY; PICKED AS PRESEASON FAVORITE IN PSAC WEST
For the eighth time in the past 11 seasons, the IUP football program was picked as the preseason favorites in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
IUP picked up six first-place votes in the PSAC West, followed by Slippery Rock, Cal U, Gannon and Edinboro in the top five. Shepherd was picked as the preseason favorite in the PSAC East.
ROAD WARRIORS
IUP has been particularly strong on the road since Tortorella took over as head coach in 2017. IUP boasts a 24-4 (.857) mark in road games since 2017. The 24 road wins is more than six PSAC schools overall number of wins during that span.
IUP has a pair of undefeated seasons on the road under the direction of Tortorella, posting a 5-0 mark in 2017 and 2021.
DEFENSE HAS BEEN SUCCEPTABLE TO THE BIG PLAY OF LATE
Returning a plethora of starters on the defensive side of the ball in 2023, the Crimson Hawks entered the matchup against Slippery Rock as the top defense in the PSAC in scoring average (14.2) and yards/game (249.0).
Since then, the Crimson Hawks have been gashed against some high-powered offensive units the last two weeks. Slippery Rock and Cal U have combined for 72 points and 892 yards over the last two weeks against IUP.
CRIMSON HAWKS ARE 26-1 SINCE 2011 WHEN THE DEFENSE SCORES
IUP has one defensive touchdown this year – coming on a 21-yard scoop and score by LB Jay Holmes against Shippensburg on September 16. The single defensive TD this season mirrors the team’s output 2021, 2018 and 2014. In every other year since 2011 the Crimson Hawks have had multiple defensive scores, including 4 in 2017, 5 in 2016, and 6 in 2015. In 2022, IUP had a pair of defensive scores, including a blocked punt in the postseason against Ashland’s first team offense along with a pick-six at Shippensburg.
NEW IUP SIGNALCALLER TAKING OVER IN WEEK SEVEN
Highly-touted transfer QB Karst Hunter had started all six games for IUP to begin the 2023 season, but left the game in the second quarter against Cal U due to injury. Hunter passed for 1,090 yards and accounted for 16 total touchdowns (11 passing, five rushing) for the Crimson Hawks.
Nico Marchitelli and Blayne Romano both saw time in relief of Hunter during the Coal Bowl matchup against Cal U. Marchitelli has thrown for 119 yards and a touchdown, which came late in the game against Shippensburg on September 16. Romano, a transfer from Mars Hill, completed two passes in limited action against the Vulcans in week six.
IUP OFFENSE PREDICATED ON “SPLASH PLAYS”
IUP has posted 48 total “splash plays” over four games, which is listed as a pass of 20+ yards or a run of 10+ yards. IUP has 13 plays spanning 30 yards or more this season.
RECEIVING OPTIONS APLENTY IN 2023
IUP features some top-caliber receivers on its roster in 2023. Returning All-PSAC honoree Hilton Ridley, a 6-3 redshirt-junior scored eight touchdowns last season for the Hawks, is among the most experienced. Ridley has four more receiving touchdowns this season on 18 receptions, including one over the middle against Cal U last week
Graduate student Quinn Zinobile, a 6-3 transfer from Clarion and most recently from Albany, has stepped in as the leading statistical threat for IUP through five games. Zinobile enters week seven among the top receivers in the league in receiving yards (5th; 423), receiving yards/game (6th; 70.5), receptions/game (11th; 4.5) and receiving touchdowns (3rd; 4). His father, Michael, played at IUP for legendary head coach Frank Cignetti in the early 1990s.
Former All-PSAC wideout Derek Lockhart (52 rec, 851 yds, 12 TD) is still working back from an injury at Slippery Rock, providing a chance for others to step in. Cole Laney provides a big target at the tight end spot at 6-6, including a 74-yard catch and run in the season opener against Ashland. Cyair Clark has stepped up in a bug way in the kickoff return and receiving game for IUP, reeling in a 54-yard catch last week against the Vulcans. Isaish Houser has returned to the lineup, providing another receiving thrat for the Hawks.
VETERAN LEADERSHIP HEADLINES OFFENSIVE LINE
Despite filling the void left by two All-Americans last season, the IUP offensive line is an experienced unit going into the 2023 season. Shuffling around positions, the Hawks will rely on veterans Gerald Comedy and McLean Djouha.
Djouha was granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA just before the start of camp. Both Comedy and Djouha were starters on last season’s offensive line that allowed just five sacks in 2022. Chad Layton stepped into the starting center spot in the opener, with transfers Chance Battle, Kelechi Okoro and Daric Cotman seeing action on the line.
DYNAMIC STABLE OF BACKS SPEARHEADING RUSHING ATTACK
IUP returns its top three leading rushers from last season, accounting for 12 combined touchdowns on the ground in 2022. The trio of JD Younger, Adam Houser and Dayjure Stewart have all seen carries at various points of the season. Houser is just 15 rushing yards shy of 1,000 net yards for his collegiate career.
Stewart has seen a heavier workload over the few weeks, surpassing 1,500 career rushing yards with 13 career rushing touchdowns at IUP (292 rush yards, 1 TD in 2023). Also returning in the IUP backfield is Parker Gregg, who has transitioned into a fullback and short-yardage back for IUP in 2023. Randy Washington, who has been limited with injury, converted from the secondary to running back during spring football, providing another option in a deep stable of backs.
NO-FLY ZONE: HAWKS BOAST EXPERIENCED SECONDARY IN 2023
The IUP secondary features a pair of returning All-PSAC honorees in Darius Bruce and Jaheim Howard. The Crimson Hawks ranked 18th in the nation in 2022 with 15 total interceptions, with the duo of Bruce and Howard accounting for seven last season. IUP ranks seventh in the PSAC in passing yards allowed (198.3) with 28 pass breakups entering week seven.
Naszhir Taylor (53 tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 1 INT 11 PBU in 2022), Kalen Frazier (19 tackles, 1 INT, 4 PBU in 2022) and Chuck Ingram (24 tackles, 1 INT in 2022) were all starters in the IUP secondary last season and make up the most experienced unit in terms of games played on the roster. Every starter except for Frazier, who was a true freshman in 2022, have played at least 20 college games. Outside of that experienced unit, IUP has worked in Noah Johnston, Devin Barren, Isaiah Towler and Bo Waddell across the secondary.
DYNAMIC DUO OF DINUNZIO-BISS, HOLMES IN THE MIDDLE OF IUP DEFENSE
Drew DiNunzio-Biss paced the team with 88.0 tackles last season and has 170 total stops over two-plus seasons as a Crimson Hawk. An All-PSAC West First Team selection in 2022, DiNunzio-Biss racked up 17.0 tackles last week against Cal U, bringing his mark to 50 stops in 2023.
He’s joined by Jay Holmes in the middle of the IUP defense, adding 26 stops and a 21-yard fumble return for a touchdown against Shippensburg. Holmes emerged as the season progressed in 2022, tallying 29 tackles with 3.5 TFLs.
MULTIPLE CONTRIBUTORS ALONG THE DEFENSIVE LINE
Tyrone Fowler Jr. is back along the defensive line after missing most of 2022 to injury. The 2021 PSAC West Freshman of the Year, Fowler has 67 tackles and 12.0 sacks in just 20 games with the Crimson Hawks. Fowler played the best statistical game of his career last week against Cal U, racking up 11 tackles with 3.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks and two QB hurries.
He’s joined on the defensive line by Cole Weightman, named the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week on September 18. Logan Danielson, Terell Williams, Cyler Rozina, Maurice Feazell (20 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 2.5 sacks) and Mysir Mayo have all ben key parts of the rotation for the Hawks on the defensive line.
A WINNING TRADITION
IUP has a long winning tradition with its football program, recording 601 total victories since 1927. IUP has 20 NCAA DII Playoff appearances, the most in the PSAC and fourth most all-time. Additionally, IUP is eighth in NCAA DII history with 23 playoff victories.
UP NEXT
IUP visits Seton Hill on Saturday, October 21 at 3:00 p.m.
FOLLOW
For coverage of the IUP football program, follow the Crimson Hawks on Twitter and Instagram @IUPfootball and online at IUPAthletics.com.
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