LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Coming off the program's 16th trip to the NCAA postseason, IUP is the favorite to win the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division as the league's football coaches released their 2016 preseason poll on Monday.
The poll was released during the PSAC Football Media Day, which was hosted by Slippery Rock (West Division) and Kutztown (East Division).
IUP received five of the eight first place votes in the voting to lead the West by a wide margin according to the coaches. Defending PSAC champion Slippery Rock was picked second with a pair of first place votes, with California (Pa.) following in third. Clarion landed the other first place vote and was picked fourth.
Filling out the rest of the West poll was Gannon in fifth, Mercyhurst in sixth, Seton Hill in seventh and Edinboro in eighth.
In the East, defending division champion West Chester was picked to repeat, pulling in six first place votes. Shippensburg was slotted second with a single first place vote, with Bloomsburg in third and Kutztown following in fourth. East Stroudsburg picked up the other first place vote and sits in fifth place, with Lock Haven (sixth), Millersville (seventh) and Cheyney (eighth), following.
The Crimson Hawks return 19 starters and several significant contributors from a team that went 9-3, won a share of the PSAC West regular season title, and advanced to the NCAA playoffs in 2015.
IUP debuted a new spread offense last season, with 10 starters returning from a group that averaged 36 points per game and ranked fifth in the country with 293.6 rushing yards per game. Headlining the offense is redshirt sophomore quarterback
Lenny Williams (McKees Rocks, Pa./Sto-Rox), who totaled 2,778 yards (1,229 rushing) and 21 touchdowns (12 rushing) in his first year with the program. Junior running back
Chris Temple (Malvern, Pa. /Great Valley), who ran for 1,212 yards and 17 touchdowns, and junior receiver
Walt Pegues (Philadelphia, Pa. /Central) (57 catches) also return, in addition to five offensive linemen – including All-American
Ethan Cooper (Steelton, Pa. /Central Dauphin East) – who combined for 47 starts last year.
On the defensive side, all-region senior linebacker
Kevin Clarke (West Mifflin, Pa. /West Mifflin) enters his third year as a starter with 220 career tackles. He'll be joined by two other all-region honorees in junior defensive lineman
Jemal Averette (Upper Marlboro, Md./Our Lady of Good Counsel) and junior cornerback
Jay Watkins (Chester, Pa. /Hyde School), along with all-conference safety
Steve Franco (Tyrone, Pa. /Tyrone ). They highlight a group of seven returning defensive starters who helped IUP lead the PSAC by giving up just 17.8 points per game a season ago.
IUP will have several options in the kicking game, with senior placekicker
Ryan Stewart (Indiana, Pa./Indiana) and senior punter
Jordan Spangler (Johnstown, Pa./Bishop McCort) coming returning for another season. They'll be joined by senior
Matt Spegal (Bethel Park, Pa. /Bethel Park), who was IUP's main punter for two seasons before missing last year due to injury.
IUP opens its 2016 season at East Stroudsburg on Sept. 10. The Crimson Hawks' first home game is Oct. 1 against Seton Hill.
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP football on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPfootball.
The results of the coaches' poll are listed below. First-place votes are in parenthesis.
EAST
1. West Chester (6)
2. Shippensburg (1)
3. Bloomsburg
4. Kutztown
5. East Stroudsburg (1)
6. Lock Haven
7. Millersville
8. Cheyney
WEST
1. IUP (5)
2. Slippery Rock (2)
3. California
4. Clarion (1)
5. Gannon
6. Mercyhurst
7. Seton Hill
8. Edinboro
