IUP Gameday Central / Complete Game Notes (PDF) / PSAC Notes

THE MATCHUP
IUP ushers in the 2011 season with PSAC East foe East Stroudsburg on Saturday. The game marks the first for new Crimson Hawk head coach Curt Cignetti as he begins a new era and tries to mimic the success of his father Frank Cignetti, who coached here from 1986-2005. ESU is coming off of a 56-14 season-opening win over Pace last weekend and hits the road for the first time this year.

THE HEAD COACHES
IUP head coach Curt Cignetti (West Virginia '82) begins his first season at the helm of the Crimson Hawks as he looks to bring the program back to national prominence.

The oldest son of legendary IUP head coach Frank Cignetti (1986-2005), he brings with him a wealth of Division I experience, serving as the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator from 2007-10 under Nick Saban at Alabama. He's also served as the recruiting coordinator at NC State and has spent time at Temple, Rice and Davidson

Warriors coach Denny Douds (Slippery Rock '63) is in his 38th year as the head coach at ESU, putting together an impressive 229-154-3 overall record, setting the PSAC mark for most career victories. The 229 wins are second among active coaches in DII and seventh among all active coaches in college football.

THE SERIES
The Crimson Hawks lead the all-time series with ESU, going 9-6. IUP has won each of the last three, including a 23-17 win over the Warriors in East Stroudsburg last season. The last victory by ESU in the series came in 1997, winning 33-31 in Indiana. The two teams have squared off twice in PSAC Championship games, with ESU coming out on top both times (1964 & 1965).

RETURNING TO FORM
After missing most of the 2010 season due to injury, So. QB Pat Smith (Hollidaysburg/Hollidaysburg) was off to a hot start in 2010 before breaking the thumb on his throwing hand against East Stroudsburg. Before the injury, Smith connected on 14 of 18 passes for a career-high 196 yards.

TUCK EVERLASTING
Jr. RB Harvie Tuck (Akron, OH/St. Vincent-St. Mary) enters his second season as the lead back in the IUP offense. He rushed for 1,134 yards and and four touchdowns in 2010, including a season-high 190 yards and a touchdown against Lock Haven. Tuck ranked third in the PSAC and tied for 19th in the nation with an average of 113.4 yards per game.

HOMECOMING FOR DOUDS
Warriors head coach Denny Douds returns home to Indiana, PA for the matchup against IUP. Douds was a graduate of Indiana High School in 1959 before playing his college ball at Slippery Rock. Douds has been with the East Stroudsburg program since 1966.

BEST IN THE WEST
IUP has been picked to finish third in the PSAC West in the 2011 preseason coaches' poll, just behind California (PA) and defending PSAC Champion Mercyhurst. Bloomsburg received all first place votes in the eastern division, while East Stroudsburg was picked to finish fifth in the east.

IMMEDIATE IMPACT
The Crimson Hawks have several newcomers that will be expected to contribute right away. Transfers including WR Terrell Barnes (Lackawanna), QB Michael Box (UCONN), WR Matt Plautz (Cranberry Township/Seneca Valley) (Monmouth) and TE Jon Ditto (Monroeville/Gateway) (Penn State) should all see playing time on the offensive side of the ball. Freshmen WRs Sean McVay (Miami, Fla./Miramar) and Kevin Berry (Coatesville/Coatesville) could also see game action in the reworked IUP receiving corp.

DEFENSE IS BACK
IUP returns just one starter to a new-look secondary. Sr. FS Johnny Franco (Altoona/Tyrone) will once again anchor the back line, while So. CB Jerell McFadden (Manassas, Va./Osbourn) and Sr. SS Andre Henderson (Erie/Strong Vincent) return after sitting out the 2010 season. Jr. CB Marvens Toussaint (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Port Charlotte) will start after playing the last two seasons at Chowan and Valley Forge Junior College.

MAKING HIS MARK
Sr. LB Mark Jackson (Canton, OH/McKinley) moves to linebacker this season after starting at safety for three seasons. Jackson tied for second on the team with 60 tackles, including six for losses. He had a career-high 11 tackles and a sack against Clarion.

THE LINEBACKING CORP
Joining Jackson as the starting linebackers are So. Alex Berdahl and So. Terrell Washington. Berdahl made 22 tackles in 11 games as a true freshman last year, while Washington is a defensive back that will play the “Star” position in coordinator Paul Tortorella's defense.

HOLDING THE LINE
Sr. C Anthony DiPasquale (Pittsburgh/Pine-Richland), Jr. LG Nick Carnicella (Greensburg/Hempfield), and So. LT Byron Dovales (Reading/Muhlenberg) all return from an offensive line that was second in the PSAC in rushing offense a year ago. The Crimson Hawks averaged 189.5 yards per game and scored 17 touchdowns on the ground in 2010. So. Mike Charmo (Hamilton, VA/Loundon Valley) and Sr. Louis Mobley (Philadelphia/St. John Neumann) step in as every day starters this season.

UP FRONT ON DEFENSE
The Crimson Hawks defensive line is anchored by Jr. DT Carl Thornton (Beaver Falls/Beaver Falls), a two-time All-PSAC West second team selection. A year ago, Thornton tied for second on the team with 60 tackles, including 13 for losses and 4.5 sacks, and tied for PSAC lead with three fumble recoveries. So. Larry Gooden (McKeesport/McKeesport) gets the nod as the starting nose tackle this season, while So. Errol Brewster (Harlem, NY/Springbrook (MD)) and Sr. Stephen Meadows (Spotsylvania/James Monroe), a transfer from Youngstown State, will start on the ends.