GAMEDAY CENTRAL
IUP Crimson Hawks (2-1, 1-0 PSAC West) 
vs. Edinboro Fighting Scots (0-4, 0-1 PSAC West)
Saturday, October 3, 2015 | 2:00 p.m.
George P. Miller Stadium @ Frank Cignetti Field | Indiana, Pa.

Watch: BackLight TV | backlighttv.com 
Listen: WQMU 92.5 FM | u92radio.com 
Live Stats: IUPathletics.com | Fan Stats | Media Stats

THE GAME
The Crimson Hawks return to Indiana to host Edinboro on Saturday afternoon for IUP Homecoming 2015. Kickoff at George P. Miller Stadium is set for 2 p.m. The Crimson Hawks enter the contest after knocking off previously unbeaten Mercyhurst 35-14 in Erie. They're now on a two-game win streak and will try to extend that to three against Edinboro, which comes in with a 0-4 overall record. The Fighting Scots nearly pulled a big upset last weekend, eventually falling to California (Pa.) by a score of 37-30. These two teams have split their last two meetings, but IUP has won four of the last five overall matchups. 

The game will be broadcast on WQMU 92.5 FM with the voice of IUP Athletics, Jack Benedict, calling the action. You can also listen on u92radio.com and on the u92radio app on your smartphone. 

STORYLINES
• Just how many touchdowns can the IUP defense score? The Crimson Hawks enter the weekend leading the nation with five defensive touchdowns, all on interception returns. IUP had one in each of the first two games and had three last week at Mercyhurst. 
• The Crimson Hawks are second in the PSAC and seventh in Division II averaging 290.3 rushing yards per game. IUP has rushed for at least 226 in each game this season, including 372 against Lock Haven. Last year, IUP had four 200-yard rushing games all season long. 
• IUP has had a different running back rush for 100 yards in each game this season. So. RB Chris Temple (Malvern, Pa. /Great Valley) ran for 195 yards in the season opener against Kutztown; R-So. RB Drew Harris (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) finished with 109 yards against Lock Haven; and So. RB Luigi Lista-Brinza (McKees Rocks, Pa. /Central Catholic) rushed for 164 yards against Mercyhurst. All of those totals were career-highs for each respective player.  
• The two-QB system that IUP used in its first two games could be over, as R-Fr. QB Lenny Williams took every snap last week at Mercyhurst, finishing 14-23 for 127 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 23 yards. 
• IUP HC Curt Cignetti is 3-1 all-time against Edinboro, with the only loss coming in 2013 (36-30) in Indiana. The Crimson Hawks have outscored Edinboro a combined 93-54 in the last four meetings. 
• IUP is 49-17-4 (.728) all-time in Homecoming games. The Crimson Hawks are currently on a four-game win streak on Homecoming, with their last loss coming in 2010 to Mercyhurst. IUP has played Edinboro four times on Homecoming since 2003, going 2-2. 

NOTEBOOK

IUP vs. THE PSAC WEST
Since 1986, IUP has the most overall wins and divisional wins of any team in the PSAC West. The program owns an overall record of 248-82-1 (.751) along with a conference record of 147-36-1 (.802). IUP also owns 16 divisional crowns in the last 29 seasons. 

CIGNETTI vs. THE PSAC WEST
HC Curt Cignetti is 21-8 (.724) in his previous four seasons against schools from the PSAC West, including a 6-1 mark in the Crimson Hawks' 2012 conference championship season. He is 3-1 in his previous four meetings with Edinboro, including last year's 18-8 victory on the road. IUP has outscored the Fighting Scots by a combined 93-54 since 2011.  

THE DAWN OF A NEW OFFENSIVE ERA
2015 marks a new era for the IUP offense as the Crimson Hawks have switched to an up-tempo spread set. New OC Marty Higgins joined the coaching staff this summer from Upper Iowa University, bringing with him an offensive philosophy that averaged 34.5 points and 461 yards in 11 games last season. It will be the first time since the 1970s that IUP will not run an "I" formation or pro set. The comparison below shows the Crimson Hawks' offensive numbers in 2014 and their 2015 averages under Higgins. 

THE NEW OC - MARTY HIGGINS
Higgins spent the 2013 and 2014 seasons as UIU's offensive coordinator and quarterback coach, helping the Peacocks score 680 points in 22 games (31.0 ppg). UIU boasted five All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) players last season, including QB Cole Jaeschke (304.5 pyds/game); RB Chris Smith (127.1 ryds/game); and WR Derek Giesking (9.3 rec/game). 

NEW LOOK OFFENSE HAS PROVIDED MORE BIG PLAYS THIS YEAR 
IUP's new spread offense has provided excitement early this season with 12 plays of 20 yards or more. Nine of those plays have been rushes, while four total have gone for touchdowns. IUP has three plays of 50-plus yards, including last week's 51-yard run by So. RB Luigi Lista-Brinza (McKees Rocks, Pa. /Central Catholic). Last season, IUP averaged 3.5 plays of 20-plus yards each game and only had 10 rushes that covered that distance all season long. 

IUP RANKS SEVENTH IN DIVISION II IN RUSHING YARDS PER GAME
The Crimson Hawks averaged 290.3 rushing yards per game, a mark that is second in the PSAC and ranks seventh in the country. IUP has rushed for at least 226 yards in each game, including a 372-yard output against Lock Haven. Four different players average more than 40 yards per game while the team has scored seven rushing touchdowns and averages 5.9 yards per carry. Here's a look at IUP's top individual rushers and its game-by-game totals.

IUP is 27-6 UNDER CURT CIGNETTI WHEN A RUNNING BACK REACHES 100 YARDS
In his four-plus seasons as head coach, Cignetti has a 27-6 record when an IUP running back rushes for at least 100 yards in a game. There are three running backs on the 2015 roster who have 100-yard games to their credit: So. Luigi Lista-Brinza (McKees Rocks, Pa. /Central Catholic) with six, So. Chris Temple (Malvern, Pa. /Great Valley) with two, and R-So. Drew Harris (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) with one. During the Cignetti era at IUP, De'Antwan "Rocket" Williams has the most 100-yard games with 12 while Harvie Tuck had 11. 

EIGHT DIFFERENT RUNNING BACKS HAVE 100-YARD GAMES UNDER CIGNETTI
With 109 yards by So. RB Drew Harris (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) against Lock Haven, Cignetti has how seen eight different running backs rush for 100 yards in a game since 2011. Even more proof of the depth at the position, six of those backs went over the century mark while listed as a backup on the depth chart.

CRIMSON HAWKS ARE DEEP AT THE RUNNING BACK POSITION
Even with the change in offensive philosophy, the Crimson Hawks are still a running team at heart. Three different running backs have ran for 100 yards in a game this year, including a career-high 164 by So. RB Luigi Lista-Brinza (McKees Rocks, Pa. /Central Catholic) last week. R-So. RB Drew Harris (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) ran for 109 yards against Lock Haven and So. RB Chris Temple (Malvern, Pa. /Great Valley) broke out for 195 yards in the opener against Kutztown.  

IUP IS 6-0 WHEN LISTA-BRINZA RUNS FOR 100-PLUS YARDS
Lista-Brinza was the main ball-carrier last week with career-highs of 26 carries and 164 yards at Mercyhurst. It was his sixth career 100-yard game, and IUP is a perfect 6-0 in those games. This season Lista-Brinza leads team with 274 yards and ranks seventh in the PSAC with 91.3 yards per game. Below are Lista-Brinza's six career 100-yard games. 

IUP IS ONE OF YOUNGEST TEAMS AT QB IN THE PSAC
The Crimson Hawks have one of the youngest quarterback units in the PSAC, with two true freshmen and a redshirt freshman listed among the four total players. R-Fr. QB Lenny Williams (McKees Rocks, Pa./Sto-Rox) (three games, two starts) has seen the first playing time of his career and Gr. QB Chase Haslett (Clayton, Mo./Clayton) (two games, one start) saw 10 saw his first 10 collegiate starts in 2014.  

WILLIAMS MOVES INTO STARTING ROLE, IS IUP'S FIRST TRUE DUAL THREAT QB IN YEARS
After splitting snaps - and starts - with Haslett in the first two games, Williams saw all the time behind center in IUP's win at Mercyhurst. Williams has added another dimension to the IUP quarterback position with the ability to run as well as throw. He leads the Crimson Hawks in total offense with 158.0 yards per game and is third on the team with 140 rushing yards. Here's Williams' game-by-game statistics:

CRIMSON HAWKS HAVE YOUTHFUL GROUP OF WIDEOUTS
Of the 14 wide receivers on the Crimson Hawks' 2015 roster, 11 carry freshman or sophomore eligibility. The two-deep for the Crimson Hawks' game against Edinboro includes four freshmen or sophomores, including starters So. Walt Pegues (Philadelphia, Pa. /Central), R-Fr. Swahneek Brown (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg) and R-Fr. Jordan Brown (Chambersburg, Pa. /Chambersburg Area). Pegues (18 receptions) and Swahneek Brown (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg) (10) are IUP's leading receivers this year with a combined 28 of the Crimson Hawks' 45 total receptions and 279 of the 441 receiving yards. 

PEGUES HAS 43 CATCHES IN LAST SEVEN GAMES; 14 STRAIGHT GAMES WITH A CATCH
Pegues is IUP's top receiving threat, catching 18 passes for 204 yards, including a 63-yard touchdown from Williams in the opener. Since the stretch run of his true freshman season, Pegues has come on strong with 43 receptions for 606 yards and four touchdowns in seven games. He now has a streak of 14 consecutive games with a catch, dating back to his first career game last year. Here's a look at Pegues' last seven games:

PEGUES IS AN ALL-PURPOSE THREAT
Not only is Pegues coming on as a receiver, but he has been a threat all over the field. He leads the Crimson Hawks with 353 all-purpose yards (117.7/game), totaling 204 receiving, 17 rushing, and 132 on returns. As a true freshman in 2014, Pegues led IUP with 1,466 all-purpose yards, putting up more than 200 in a game three times. Here's a look at Pegues' all-purpose yardage game-by-game:

HOLD THAT LINE
The IUP offensive line features talent and depth, with six regular players combining for 81 games played and 54 career starts. The most experienced is R-Sr. RT Jorge Vicioso (Passaic, N.J./Passaic), who has played in 26 games with 24 starts. Jr. LG Ethan Cooper (Steelton, Pa. /Central Dauphin East) has played in 20 games with 17 starts. The group is given up just one sack in three games this year and has helped the IUP rushing attack average 290.3 yards, seventh in the nation.

IUP HAS SCORED 14 DEFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS SINCE 2011; 40 SINCE 2003
Annually one of the PSAC's - and the nation's - strongest defenses, IUP has scored 14 total defensive touchdowns since 2011 and 40 since 2003. Despite playing one less game than most schools this year, the Crimson Hawks lead the nation with five defensive scores, including three last Saturday against Mercyhurst. This year's total is already the most IUP has had in a single season since the start of 2003, eclipsing the previous high of four in 2010, 2009, 2007 and 2003. 

THE IUP DEFENSE HAS MORE TOUCHDOWNS THAN FOUR PSAC TEAMS HAVE RUSHING SCORES
Those five defensive scores in three games this season is more than four fellow PSAC schools and 54 Division II schools have rushing touchdowns. Mercyhurst has rushed for three scores this year, while Lock Haven, Millersville, Cheyney and Saturday's opponent, Edinboro, each have just one. 

DORIAN "NIGHT TRAIN" LANE HAS BIG PLAY ABILITY
R-Sr. LB Dorian Lane (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Woodland Hills) has two of IUP's five interception returns for touchdowns this season. Those have come in back-to-back weeks, taking one back 19 yards against Lock  Haven and another 80 yards at Mercyhurst. Even as a linebacker, over the course of those two games, Lane is tied for the team-lead with two touchdowns and is fourth in all-purpose yards with 99. With the two this season, Lane now has three career interception returns for touchdowns. 

KEVIN CLARKE HAS SIX DOUBLE-FIGURE TACKLE GAMES
Clarke finished with 14 total tackles - eight solo - against Lock Haven two weeks ago. It was his sixth career double-figure tackle game, all in his last 14 games. A first team preseason All-American by D2Football.com, Clarke leads the Crimson Hawks with 26 tackles in three games this season after posting 117 total tackles as a first-year starter in 2014. That number led the PSAC West as he earned first team all-conference honors. He had five double-figure tackle games, including a season-high 21 against SRU. 

IUP LINEBACKERS AGAIN PROVIDE DEPTH IN 2015
The Crimson Hawks boast a seasoned linebacking corps in 2015. Three players - Lane, Clarke and Jr. Myles Catlin (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Obama) - have combined for 73 games played and 33 starts. They have each produced during their time on the field, combining for 363 tackles and 35.0 TFLs. 

KARON GIBSON MAKING SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION TO DEFENSIVE END
Sr. DE Karon Gibson (Sicklerville, N.J./Woodbury) enters this week leading the Crimson Hawks and tied for fifth in the PSAC with 1.5 tackles-for-loss per game, totaling 5.0 on the season. He also leads the team with 2.0 sacks. This is his first season as a full-time defensive end after starting all 11 games as IUP's nose guard last year. Gibson is also second on the team this year with 22 total tackles. 

THE CRIMSON HAWKS BOAST INCREDIBLE DEPTH IN THE SECONDARY
With last year's losses of R-Sr. SS Eric Williams (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) and R-So. CB Jay Watkins (Chester, Pa. /Hyde School), multiple true freshmen saw playing time for the Crimson Hawks. With the return of both players, IUP now boasts a deep secondary unit that includes seven players who have combined for 120 games and 85 starts. 

PEGUES COULD BE ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS RETURN MEN IN THE NATION
Last year as a freshman, Pegues earned first team All-PSAC West honors as a kick returner. He averaged 24.6 yards on 24 kickoff returns and a school-record 19.4 yards on 11 punt returns. His most exciting play came against Seton Hill on Homecoming, taking back a punt 96 yards untouched for a touchdown. It was the longest punt return and fourth longest play in IUP history. 

YOUTH MOVEMENT
With a different recruiting style over the last two offseasons, the Crimson Hawks go into 2015 with a very young roster of 86 players. Included in those 86 are: 35 freshmen, 25 sophomores, 16 juniors, and 10 seniors/graduate students. 11 sophomores saw playing time as true freshmen last year, combining for 41 total starts during the season. 

IUP AT HOME IN MILLER STADIUM
Since 1986, IUP has a 139-31-1 (.816) overall record at George P. Miller Stadium. In those 29-plus seasons, IUP posted a perfect 7-0 home record six times and had 25 consecutive wins between 1989 and 1992. 11 times IUP has hosted an NCAA playoff game at Miller Stadium, boasting a 9-2 mark in those games. 

EIGHT TRANSFERS JOIN CRIMSON HAWKS IN 2015
IUP welcomed eight transfers this year, including R-Fr. QB Lenny Williams (McKees Rocks, Pa./Sto-Rox) from Temple, R-Fr. WR Kyler Diehl (Loysburg, Pa./North Bedford) from Penn State, and R-So. RB Drew Harris (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) from UMass. The Crimson Hawks also have transfers from the Division II and Division III levels and a pair from junior colleges. 

THE NEW DRESS CODE
The Crimson Hawks will take the field in 2015 with brand new Nike uniforms. The "Air Attack" uniforms are made of Nike Dri-FIT fabric and include crimson home and white away jerseys, with the gray pants. IUP will also wear a new matte gray helmet with the familiar IUP football logo on the side. 

MARYLAND - THE OLD LINE STATE
70 of IUP's 88 players hail from Pennsylvania, but the state with the second most players on the roster is Maryland with eight. Three of those players are from Frederick, Md., including Fr. WR Isiah Mims (Frederick, Md./Oakdale) and Fr. LB Drew Yarborough (Frederick, Md./Oakdale) from Oakdale HS and Fr. DL Casey Alvarado (Frederick, Md./Lingapore) from Lingapore HS.