Game Day Central
IUP Crimson Hawks (6-3, 5-3 PSAC) 
at Gannon Golden Knights (7-2, 6-2 PSAC)
Saturday, November 8, 2014 | 12:00 p.m.
Gannon University Field | Erie, Pa.

Watch: Gannon Athletics | AmericaOneSports.com
Listen: WQMU 92.5 FM | u92radio.com 
Live Stats: GannonSports.com | Live Stats

THE GAME
The Crimson Hawks hit the road for the first time in three weeks when they travel to Erie to face Gannon on Saturday. Kickoff from Gannon University Field is set for 12 PM. IUP will be going for its second straight win after a dominant 31-0 victory over Clarion at home last Saturday. Gannon is currently in a three-way tie for 1st place in the PSAC West and faces a must-win situation against the Crimson Hawks.

The game will be broadcast on WQMU 92.5 FM with the voice of IUP Athletics, Jack Benedict, calling the action. 

RANKINGS
Neither IUP or Gannon are ranked in the AFCA coaches' or D2football.com media polls. The Crimson Hawks fell out after their week two loss at Kutztown. 

THE SERIES
This will be just the seventh meeting in this young rivalry, as IUP leads the series 4-2. The Crimson Hawks have won three straight, including a 55-20 home win last year, which Gannon will be looking to avenge. 

CLARION LEFTOVERS
• The 31-0 win over Clarion was the Crimson Hawks' first shutout of the 2014 season. 
• R-So. DB Ackeno Robertson (Philadelphia, Pa. /Parkway Northwest) returned an interception 14 yards for a TD in the 1st quarter. It was IUP's 3rd 
interception returned for a TD against Clarion in the last 4 meetings. Marco Pecora (Johnstown/Richland) had a 45-yard TD in 2013 and Johnny Franco returned one 45 yards for a score in 2011.
• The 235 rushing yards for IUP on Saturday was its 2014 season-high. It's previous high was 224 yards against Seton Hill. 
• The -8 rushing yards allowed to Clarion is the the 8th lowest in program history.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Crimson Hawks wrap up their season next weekend when they host No. 18 West Chester at Miller Stadium. The Golden Rams also enter this weekend's action as the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Division II Super Region One rankings. 

AGAINST THE PSAC WEST 
IUP has perennially been the best team in the PSAC West, boasting a 145-34-1 (.808) record against division foes since 1986. The Crimson Hawks are 20-7 (.741) in the West in three-plus years under HC Curt Cignetti, including a 6-1 season in 2012. 

SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE
Gannon boasts a well-balanced offense that ranks 13th in Division II with 502.5 yards per game. The Golden Knights' 221.0 rushing yards per game is 4th in the PSAC while their 282.1 passing yards are 5th. IUP will counter with statistically one of the top defenses in the nation, ranking 3rd with 66.6 rushing yards allowed and 15th with 295.9 total yards per game.

BALL HOGS
This game features the top two teams in the PSAC in time of possession, as Gannon is 1st with an average of 33:14 and IUP is 2nd with an average of 33:07. 

STAYING ON THE FIELD
That time of possession ranking is aided by both teams also being successful on 3rd down. Gannon is 3rd in the nation with a 52.5 conversion rate and IUP is 15th with a 46.0 percentage.  

ABOUT GANNON
The Golden Knights are currently in a 3-way tie for 1st place in the PSAC West and need a win plus a loss by Slippery Rock to guarantee a berth in next weekend's PSAC championship game.

That balanced offense is led by QB Liam Nadler, who's 3rd in the PSAC in efficiency with a 63.0 comp pct, 17 TDs and just 4 INTs. He has one of the top WRs in the PSAC in Justin Caliste, who has 61 catches for 730 yards. WR Jesstin Hamm has 38 catches for 639 yards and 8 TDs. RB Brock Jones might be the most important piece to the Gannon attack, as he leads the PSAC and is 6th in DII with 150.1 rushing yards per game. He's scored 12 TDs on the ground and has added 17 catches and 2 more TDs through the air. 

The Gannon defense cannot be overlooked, as the Golden Knights are near the top of the league in several categories, including scoring (4th - 19.1 ppg), rushing defense (87.0 ypg) and total defense (5th - 311.4 ypg). LB Luke Rankie is one of Gannon's top playmakers with 54 tackles, 7 TFLs, 2 sacks and an interception. DL Matthew Gawlik leads the team with 7.5 TFLs and 4.5 sacks.      

PK Karch Holland as been one of the top kickers in the PSAC all season, converting 9-11 FGs, including 2-3 from beyond 40 yards. Caliste is a former All-PSAC selection as a return man, although he averages just 19.5 yards on 13 KORs and 7.1 yards on 9 PRs this season. 

KEEPING THE TIME
The Crimson Hawks are 2nd in the PSAC and 19th in DII in time of possession, holding onto the ball for an average of 33:07 per game. IUP has been a big ball hog over the last six weeks specifically, 
averaging 34:51 compared to 27:03 in the opening 2 games. 

BACK TO IUP FOOTBALL
After back-to-back weeks of two of the highest passing yardage games in program history, the Crimson Hawks finally returned to "IUP football" against Clarion by running the ball 56 times for 235 yards and 2 TDs, while holding onto the ball for 34:47. The carries and yardage totals were both season-highs for the Crimson Hawks, who had rushed 63 times for just 137 yards in their previous 2 games. IUP now has three games of 200-plus rushing yards this season - 215 yards and 4 TDs against Mercyhurst and 224 yards and 5 TDs against Seton Hill. 

TEMPLE RUN
Fr. RB Chris Temple (Malvern, Pa. /Great Valley) got back on the field last week and had a breakout game with a season-high 114 yards and a TD on 20 carries. After averaging 47 yards in his first 3 games of the season, he struggled to see get on the field, playing in 3 of IUP's next 4 games and totaling just 13 yards on 4 carries. He did most of his damage in the first half with 8 carries for 72 yards, and scored the TD with 56 seconds to go in the game. 

IZZY BACK?
Also seeing his most playing time all season long was So. RB Izzy Green (Trotwood, Ohio/Trotwood-Madison), who had 12 carries for 50 yards against Clarion. He returned the lineup against SRU for the first time since week two, posting 22 yards on 4 carries. 

4-DEEP
The return of Temple and Green make for a crowded, but deep IUP backfield, as 4 different players have at least 50 yards rushing in a single game this season. Fr. RB Luigi 
Lista-Brinza leads the team with 799 yards and 10 TDs; So. RB Darian Bradley (Midland, Pa./Beaver) ran for 92 yards and 4 TDs against Seton Hill; Temple is 2nd on the team with 269 yards and Green is averaging nearly 6 yards on his 25 carries this year. 

I'M-A LUIGI, NUMBER ONE!
Lista-Brinza leads all PSAC freshmen this year with 88.8 rushing yards per game. It's also good for 5th overall in the league, as he has 5 games of 100-plus yards this season. His rushing average is also 4th amongst Division II freshman running backs. He's had 6 games this year of 100 or more all-purpose yards and leads the team in scoring with 10 TDs.

BIG PLAYS
Fr. WR Walt Pegues (Philadelphia, Pa. /Central) has been IUP's big play threat over the past 4 games, making 5 plays of at least 30 yards during that span. 

ALL-PURPOSE THREAT
Pegues had three straight games of 100-plus all-purpose yards, ending that string last week against Clarion. He totaled 568 all-purpose yards against Seton Hill, Cal and Slippery Rock. His 113.9 all-purpose yards per game leads the team and is 12th in the PSAC, as he's totaled 412 on KORs, 363 on receptions, 213 on PRs and 37 on rushes.

A PASSING FANCY
In IUP's back-to-back big passing days against Cal and Slippery Rock, the Crimson Hawks completed 63.2 pct of their passes for 720 yards, 4 TDs and 7 INTs. They attempted a combined 95 passes in those 2 games, the most attempts in back-to-back games for IUP in more than a decade. 

ALL'S WELL THAT CARSWELL
R-Sr. WR Drew Carswell (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Sto-Rox) has been IUP's top target all season long, catching 51 passes for 733 yards and 8 TDs. He had 3 straight big games against Seton Hill, Cal and Slippery Rock where he combined for 30 catches, 399 yards and 4 TDs. He's statistically one of the top WRs in the PSAC, ranking 6th in the league in receptions & yards and 7th in TDs.  

CHASING RECORDS
The triggerman during IUP's 2-game passing surge was Gr. QB Chase Haslett (Clayton, Mo./Clayton), who entered his name in the record books in a couple categories. His 34 completions against Cal tied for 1st all-time while his 373 yards of total offense was 6th most in a game. In throwing for 361 yards against SRU, he displaced his total against Cal (359) for 10th most in a game.  

BREAKING BROCK
Gr. TE Brock DeCicco (Jefferson Hills, Pa. /Thomas Jefferson) fit in nicely with that passing game plan, and has caught 21 passes for 233 yards over the last 4 games.   He snagged 11 passes for 111 yards at Cal, tied for the 7th most catching in a single game in IUP history. The Wisconsin transfer is tied for 2nd on the team with 26 receptions and 3rd with 332 yards. 

HOLDING THAT LINE
The Crimson Hawks have had just two different starting offensive line units this year, with the same one - R-Sr. LT Bruce Atkins (Pittsburgh, Pa./Woodland Hills), So. LG Ethan Cooper (Steelton, Pa. /Central Dauphin East), Sr. C Matt Sasson, Fr. RG Dan Charmo (Hamilton, Va./Loundon Valley) and R-Sr. RT Jorge Vicioso (Passaic, N.J./Passaic) - featured in each of the last 7 games. Thru 9 games a season ago, the Crimson Hawks had already had five different starting lineups along the offensive line. This current group  has combined for 77 career starts. 

21 CLARKE AVE
R-So. LB Kevin Clarke (West Mifflin, Pa. /West Mifflin) had another standout defensive performance against Slippery Rock with 21 tackles, a TFL and a FF. Those 21 tackles are the most for a PSAC player this season and tied for the 6th highest total in Division II. 

Clarke's 99 tackles leads the PSAC while his 11.0 tackles/game is tied for 21st in the nation. He's now had single game totals of 21, 19, 13 and 12. He also leads the Crimson Hawks with 10.0 TFLs and 3 FFs, and has 3 sacks and 1 interception. 

CENTURY 25
Clarke is on pace for one of IUP's best single season tackle performances nearly 30 years. If he plays all 11 regular season games, he's on pace for 121 stops, the most since Kevin McMullan tallied 156 in 1987. That total would finish just outside of the top 10 most tackles in single season school history, trailing Jim Haslett and Gregg Schmidt with 129 in 1976. 

THE NEW WAVE
Always deep at linebacker, the Crimson Hawks have found the next generation of dominant defenders in Clarke and So. LB Myles Catlin (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Obama). Filling the spots of injured R-Sr. LBs Alexander Berdahl (Ashburn, Va./Bishop O'Connell) and Dorian Lane (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Woodland Hills), Clarke and Catlin have combined for 141 tackles, 14.5 TFLs, 4 sacks, 3 passes defensed and 1 interception. To go along with Clarke's 21 tackles against SRU, Catlin also set a career-high with 15 stops, and had 1 tackle behind the line of scrimmage. 

HEAT MEISNER
The production of R-Sr. DE Shane Meisner (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield ) is starting to heat up as the temperature drops, as he's come up with big plays in each of the last 4 games. He had his best statistical game of the year against Clarion with 3 tackles, 2.5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks. He tallied his 1st sack of the year at Cal, bringing down QB James Harris as time expired in IUP territory in the 1st half, and grabbed a one-handed interception against Seton Hill, which led to IUP's final TD of the game in a 51-28 victory. 

MOWING DOWN THE LINE
R-Fr. DE Matthew Mowad (Easton, Pa. /Easton) has been a pleasant surprise after moving over from tight end in the spring. He has 33 tackles this year and is 2nd on the team with 9.5 TFLs and 4 sacks. Mowad has 5.5 TFLs in IUP's last 5 games and had a season-high 10 stops against Slippery Rock two weeks ago.  

GREAT WALL OF INDIANA
Meisner and Mowad have contibuted to the Crimson Hawks' dominant run defense this year. IUP heads into this week ranked 3rd in Division II by giving up just 66.6 rushing yards per game. Six times the Crimson Hawks have held opponents to under 100 yards rushing, including -6 yards to Edinboro and -8 yards to Clarion. Opponents are averaging just 2.0 yards per carry against the Crimson Hawks defense.

BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO
R-Sr. CB Jerell McFadden (Manassas, Va./Osbourn) is one of the best in the PSAC in breaking up passes, as his 11 breakups are 4th in the league. In 41 career games, McFadden has 34 total passes defensed (breakups-plus-interceptions). 

The Crimson Hawks have 41 passes defensed this season, led by McFadden's 11. Fr. FS Takhi Turner (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Twp.) has added 7 and R-So. DB Ackeno Robertson (Philadelphia, Pa. /Parkway Northwest) has 4. 

MOVING UP THE RECORD BOOKS
Sr. K Brett Ullman (Baltimore, Md./Perry Hall) entered this season on pace to break three career IUP scoring records, including points scored, field goals made, and extra points made. He broke the all-time extra points record against Seton Hill, and is 17 points and 3 field goals away from tying those respective school records. 

GOOD RETURNS
Pegues has proven to be a dynamic returner in his first season as he leads the PSAC and is 3rd in Division II with a 19.4 PR average. His 96-yard TD against Seton Hill broke an IUP record, and also has PRs of 36 and 23 yards this season. He's excelling on KORs as well, with a 22.9 average and returns of 50 and 43 yards. Fellow Fr. WR Tristan Davis (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne) has also seen time returning kicks, as he has a 22.0 yard average on 8 KORs and a 9.5 average on 6 PRs. 

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
Sr. PK Brett Ullman (Baltimore, Md./Perry Hall) received preseason All-American honors by both the Beyond Sports Network (BSN) and by the Collegiate Development Football League (CDFL). Sr. DE Shane Meisner (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield ) was also selected by the CDFL. 

SUCCESS IN THE PSAC
The Crimson Hawks are one of the most successful teams in the PSAC, and the winningest in the West since Curt Cignetti took over in 2011. IUP is second to only Bloomsburg with 28 wins (the Huskies have 29). Both schools have won the last two conference championships.

COACHING CONTINUITY
The 10 total coaches on the staff this season have combined to coach 83 seasons at IUP, with four coaches boasting at least 12 years of experience at the school. ST coordinator/DEs coach Bernie McQuown will enter his 28th year on the sidelines with IUP, tops amongst the staff. DC Paul Tortorella has coached 20 years while LBs coach Jim Smith has put in 15 years and OL coach Mike Campolo has logged 12. 

Cignetti and WRs coach Rod Rutherford each have three years while RBs coach Jim Chapin has two, and OC Tyler Haines has one. CBs coach Johnny Franco and DTs coach Bryant Haines are in their first years on staff.