Box Score

INDIANA, PA – Harvie Tuck (Akron, OH/St. Vincent-St. Mary) rushed for a season-high 202 yards and two scores as the 17th-ranked IUP football team waltzed to 42-0 win over Lock Haven in the Crimson Hawks' Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West opener Saturday.

Despite the lopsided final score, Lock Haven would provide a tough test in the first half, limiting the Crimson Hawks to just 148 yards of total offense in the first period. IUP was sharp out of the gates, however, marching down the field on their first possession of the game before Tuck finally punched in the touchdown from two yards out. Tuck had six carries for 62 yards on the drive.

Good field position after an IUP fumble would allow Lock Haven to threaten late in the second quarter, but kicker Noah Heimer's field goal attempt was blocked by Terrell Holloway (Penn Hills/Penn Hills) to preserve the 7-0 lead at the half.

While the IUP defense was excellent as usual, the Crimson Hawk offense was surprisingly quiet in the first half. Quarterback Pat Smith (Hollidaysburg/Hollidaysburg) was just 2-of-10 for 12 yards through the air, while Montay Green (Pittsburgh/Fox Chapel) gained just 13 first-half yards on the ground. Tuck was the one bright spot in the IUP attack, chewing up 89 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.

If football is a game of adjustments, IUP head Coach Curt Cignetti certainly made the right ones at halftime. The Crimson Hawks wasted little time in extending their lead to 14, as Pat Brewer (Coatesville/Coatesville) took the opening kick and scampered 82 yards down the field for the first kick return for a touchdown of his career.

After a Lock Haven punt, Tuck would help IUP build a three touchdown lead when he ripped off a 69 yard touchdown run with 11:58 to play in the third quarter. IUP quarterback Mike Box (Lawrenceville, GA/Collins Hill) started the second half under center and kick-started the drive with a beautiful pass to Terrill Barnes (Gettysburg/Gettysburg) for 16 yards and a first down.

The offensive assault would not slow down in the fourth quarter, as De'Antwan Williams (Woodbridge, VA/Woodbridge) sliced through the Lock Haven defense for a score to give the Crimson Hawks a 28-0 lead less than three minutes into the quarter.

Williams would tack on his second touchdown of the game on IUP's next drive after Box methodically drove the Crimson Hawks down the field. He completed 4-of-5 passes on the drive, including three to tight end Tyler Dummermuth (New Philadelphia, OH/New Philadelphia).

As the final minutes of the game ticked away, Alex Holland (Curwensville/Curwensville) put a bow on the dominant performance when he sliced past the Bald Eagle defense for a five-yard touchdown with just over a minute to play.

Holland was just one of four IUP running backs to gash the Lock Haven defense, as the Crimson Hawks gained a total of 343 yards on the ground and five touchdowns. Box was efficient through the air as well, completing 5-of-12 pass attempts for 68 yards.

Johnny Franco (Altoona/Tyrone) and Shane Meisner (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield ) led the defense with six tackles each, while Carl Fleming (Reisterstown, MD/Franklin), Alexander Berdahl (Ashburn, Va./Bishop O'Connell) and Michael Meriwether, Jr. (Upper Marlboro, MD/DeMatha) all notched five tackles. As a team, the Crimson Hawks limited Lock Haven to 152 yards of total offense.

With the shutout, IUP has now held opponents to under 10 points for five consecutive games dating back to last season. The Crimson Hawks will take their vaunted defense on the road next Saturday when they take on ninth-ranked Cal in a Coal Bowl that will have PSAC West and National implications. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m.