INDIANA, PA – Chris Temple (Malvern, Pa. /Great Valley) ran for 114 yards and a touchdown and the Crimson Hawks defense allowed negative eight rushing yards to Clarion as IUP shutout the Golden Eagles 31-0 on Saturday afternoon at George P. Miller Stadium.
 
The Crimson Hawks pounded out a total of 235 rushing yards on 56 carries, holding onto the ball for 34:47. Temple's 114 yards came on 20 carries, as it was his first career 100-yard rushing game. Luigi Lista-Brinza (McKees Rocks, Pa. /Central Catholic) added 71 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries while Izzy Green (Trotwood, Ohio/Trotwood-Madison) finished with 50 yards on 12 carries.
 
The IUP defense sacked Clarion quarterback Connor Simmons three times, with Shane Meisner (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield ), Bryce Gilbert (Brookfield, Wis./Central) and Karon Gibson (Sicklerville, N.J./Woodbury) each making a play in the backfield. The Crimson Hawks also suffocated running back Bobby Thomas, who totaled just nine yards on 12 carries. Backup quarterback Darelle Carson was Clarion's leading ball carrier with 19 yards on four carries, all in the fourth quarter.
 
Fans didn't have to wait long for the first score of the game, as Ackeno Robertson (Philadelphia, Pa. /Parkway Northwest) intercepted Simmons on the second play and returned it 14 yards for a touchdown. The pick came after a sack by Gibson and Meisner on Simmons' first drop back of the day.
 
IUP was then helped out by Clarion punter Scott Ayers, who fumbled a snap after a three-and-out on the Golden Eagles' next possession, giving the Crimson Hawks the ball inside the Clarion 10-yard line. That drive would only yield three points, as Brett Ullman (Baltimore, Md./Perry Hall) connected on his seventh field goal of the year to put IUP on top 10-0.
 
Another Clarion three-and-out on the ensuing possession gave the Crimson Hawks the ball at the Golden Eagles' 43-yard line. IUP used a heavy dose of the run – eight straight plays on the ground – before ending the drive with a four-yard plunge by Lista-Brinza, his team-leading 10th of the season.
 
IUP got the ball back once more in the quarter and the Crimson Hawks made it count, as backup quarterback Eddie Stockett (Dravosburg, Pa. /McKeesport) found receiver Walt Pegues (Philadelphia, Pa. /Central) on a post for a 30-yard touchdown strike to make it 24-0 at the end of one quarter.
 
Starting Chase Haslett (Clayton, Mo./Clayton) and Stockett split time under center on Saturday for the Crimson Hawks, although neither saw many attempts. The Crimson Hawks finished just 3-of-12 for 64 yards through the air, with that touchdown and an interception from Stockett. Haslett's longest completion was 24 yards, as he found tight end Brock DeCicco (Jefferson Hills, Pa. /Thomas Jefferson) on a second-and-long play in the fourth quarter. That play put the Crimson Hawks at the Clarion eight yard line, where they would use to carries by Temple to pound it into the end zone for the final touchdown of the game.
 
There was very little action in the second and third quarters, with the exception of a 76-yard pass play from Simmons to Jaron Moorer. Defensive back Allen Wright (McKeesport, Pa. /McKeesport Area) prevented a touchdown as he caught Moorer from behind at the IUP four-yard line on the big catch-and-run play for the Golden Eagles. Wright had another hand in keeping Clarion off the scoreboard, as he batted down a pass intended for Matt Lehman near the corner of the end zone. A rush and two more passes yielded just one yard and Clarion turned it over on downs.
 
Several players contributed to the dominating IUP defensive effort. Defensive tackled Bryce Gilbert (Brookfield, Wis./Central) had a team-high six tackles, including that sack and a blocked field goal. Robertson had five tackles and broke up a pass in addition to his interception returned for a touchdown.
 
Kevin Clarke (West Mifflin, Pa. /West Mifflin), Matthew Mowad (Easton, Pa. /Easton), Myles Catlin (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Obama), Takhi Turner (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Twp.), Meisner and Gibson all made stops behind the line of scrimmage as the Crimson Hawks totaled eight tackles-for-loss on the day.
 
Jerell McFadden (Manassas, Va./Osbourn) broke up three Clarion passes while Wright and Turner both swatted away a pair.
 
It was the second time this year that IUP limited an opposing offense to negative rushing yards, and the negative eight today is the eighth fewest given up in program history.
 
The Crimson Hawks improve to 6-3 on the year, with a 5-3 record in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play. Clarion falls to 2-7 and 2-6.
 
IUP will hit the road next week, traveling to Erie to face Gannon next Saturday. The Crimson Hawks can act as spoilers as the Golden Knights are currently in a three-way tie with California (PA) and Slippery Rock for the top spot in the PSAC West with identical 6-2 league records. Kickoff next week is set for 12 p.m.