GAMEDAY CENTRAL
#10/14 IUP Crimson Hawks (0-0, 0-0 PSAC West)
at East Stroudsburg (1-0, 0-0 PSAC East)
Saturday, September 10, 2016 | 6:05 p.m.
Gregory-Douds Field @ Eiler-Martin Stadium | East Stroudsburg, Pa.

Watch: ESPN 3 | WatchESPN.com or the Watch ESPN app (TV listings)
Watch: ESU All-Access | ESUWarriors.com
Listen: WQMU 92.5 FM | u92radio.com
Live Stats: ESUWarriors.com | Fan Stats | Media Stats
Live Updates: Twitter | @IUPfootball

THE GAME
The 10th-ranked Crimson Hawks kick off their 2016 season on Saturday as they hit the road to face East Stroudsburg. The evening start time is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. with the game to be broadcast live as the PA SPORTSfever Game of the Week. Check for PCN-TV on your local listings. IUP has had to wait one week to open its season, while the Warriors opened their year with a dominating 49-14 victory at Brevard last weekend. ESU scored 35 second half points in the win, totaling 475 yards, including 271 with five touchdowns on the ground.  
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
• IUP enters the second year of its spread offensive attack, led by R-So. QB Lenny Williams, Jr. (McKees Rocks, Pa./Sto-Rox); The Crimson Hawks averaged 36 points and rushed for a school-record 293.6 yards per game last year
• In what seems like an annual occurrence, IUP expects to be deep at the running back position, with Jrs. Chris Temple (Malvern, Pa. /Great Valley), Luigi Lista-Brinza (McKees Rocks, Pa. /Central Catholic), and Drew Harris (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) combining for 13 career 100-yard rushing games; Fr. RBs Malik Anderson (Ellicott City, Md./Howard) and Samir Bullock (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) also hope to see time 
• IUP HC Curt Cignetti's first career win was a 28-13 victory over ESU on Sept. 10, 2011
• Cignetti is 4-1 in season openers with the Crimson Hawks and is 11-4 against teams from the PSAC East
• IUP's streak of nine straight season-opening wins came to a halt last year with its narrow 34-33 loss at home to ESU; IUP's last road season-opener was a 30-20 win at Southern Connecticut State in 2013
• Two notable position changes for IUP include So. Mike Pietropola (Wellsboro, Pa./Wellsboro) from WR/DB/ST to QB, and All-American Sr. Ethan Cooper (Steelton, Pa. /Central Dauphin East) from LG to RT
• The Crimson Hawks boast plenty of depth and experience in the kicking game, including Sr. Ryan Stewart (Indiana, Pa./Indiana), So. Sean Bowling (Pylesville, Md./North Hartford) and R-Fr. Dillon Sarka (Lebanon, Ohio/Waynesville) at place kicker, and Srs. Matt Spegal (Bethel Park, Pa. /Bethel Park) and Jordan Spangler (Johnstown, Pa./Bishop McCort) at punter; All could see playing time
• IUP returns 17 starters and 48 players who saw time from last year's 9-3 team that tied for the PSAC West regular season title and advanced to the NCAA playoffs for the 16th time in program history

NOTEBOOK

IUP IN SEASON OPENERS
IUP is 49-33-3 all-time in season openers. The Crimson Hawks' recent win streak of nine straight openers came to an end with a 34-33 loss to Kutztown in 2015, but they've still won 15 of the last 18 to start the season. Those other two losses came in 2005 to Millersville (28-6) and 2002 at Findlay (31-10). IUP has opened up with a fellow PSAC opponent 10 times since 1993, going 8-2 in those games, including a 28-13 win over East Stroudsburg in 2011. 

CIGNETTI IN SEASON OPENERS
IUP HC Curt Cignetti is 4-1 in season openers with the Crimson Hawks, outscoring opponents by an average score of 33.0-18.4 in wins over East Stroudsburg (2011), Southern Connecticut State (2012 & 2013) and Saint Augustine's (2014). In his 33-year coaching career, Cignetti is 23-10 in season openers, going 19-9 as an assistant at Pitt, Davidson, Rice, Temple, NC State and Alabama from 1983-2010. 

IUP vs. THE PSAC EAST
Since 2006, IUP is 24-7 (.774) against teams from the PSAC East, going 2-1 against Kutztown (L 34-33), Lock Haven (W 38-13), and Cheyney (W 62-0). The Crimson Hawks did hold a seven-game win streak that began with their 34-7 at West Chester in 2011 and ended with the 44-7 loss at Kutztown in 2014. IUP is 5-1 against Millersville, a combined 4-0 against East Stroudsburg and Cheyney, and 3-1 against West Chester in the last 10 seasons. 

CURT CIGNETTI IS 4-2 IN PSAC CHAMPIONSHIP AND NCAA PLAYOFF GAMES AGAINST RANKED TEAMS
IUP HC Curt Cignetti has a 6-8 record against top 25 teams, but is 4-2 against ranked opponents in the PSAC Championship or in NCAA playoff games. Cignetti and IUP defeated #15/20 Charleston in the opening round of the playoffs last year and took down #7/11 Shippensburg, #25/NR Shepherd and #3/4 New Haven in 2012. 

YEAR 2 OF THE SPREAD OFFENSE
Even with an increase in offensive fireworks last year, the Crimson Hawks will look to improve their efficiency in their up-tempo spread set, which was brought in by OC Marty Higgins in 2015. IUP averaged 35.8 points per game last season, and broke the single season program record by averaging 293.6 rushing yards per game, a mark that ranked fifth in the country. 

BIG PLAYS WERE A STAPLE IN 2015
The new offense provided excitement last season, with 58 total plays of 20 yards or more in 12 games. 36 of those plays were rushes, with R-So. QB Lenny Williams, Jr. (McKees Rocks, Pa./Sto-Rox), and Jr. RBs Chris Temple (Malvern, Pa. /Great Valley), Luigi Lista-Brinza (McKees Rocks, Pa. /Central Catholic), and Drew Harris (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) combining for 33. Williams himself totaled 39 plays of 20 yards or more - 22 passing and 17 rushing - and was responsible for 12 touchdowns of 20+ yards.  

IUP is 33-7 UNDER CURT CIGNETTI WHEN A PLAYER RUSHES FOR 100 YARDS
In his five seasons as head coach, Cignetti has a 33-7 record when an IUP player rushes for at least 100 yards in a game, including 8-2 in 2015. He's also 6-0 when two players top the 100-yard mark, with four of those wins coming last year. Four players on the current roster have rushed for over 100 yards at least once.

LENNY WILLIAMS HAD ONE OF THE BEST FRESHMAN SEASONS IN IUP HISTORY
R-So. QB Lenny Williams had a breakout year in his first season with the Crimson Hawks in 2015, earning top freshman honors in both Super Region One and the PSAC West, and earned second team all-league honors at quarterback. His all-around playmaking abilities made him one of 38 nominees for the 2015 Harlon Hill Trophy, given annually to the Division II Football Player of the Year. Williams finished with 2,778 yards of total offense - third most in IUP history - passing for 1,549 yards while rushing for 1,229. 

Williams' 2015 highlights
• No. 1 among PSAC quarterbacks and No. 2 among Division II QBs with 102.3 rushing yards per game
• No. 4 in the PSAC with 102.3 in rushing yards per game and No. 3 with 1,229 rushing yards
• No. 1 in the PSAC and No. 2 in Division II with 7.8 rushing yards per carry
• No. 2 in the PSAC with 7.63 yards per play
• Broke IUP single game record with 504 total yards at Slippery Rock (Oct. 24)
• Set PSAC single game for rushing yards by a quarterback with 205 at Seton Hill (Oct. 10)
• 364 passing yards at Slippery Rock is ninth most in single game IUP history
• Set IUP playoff single game record with five total touchdowns at Charleston (Nov. 21)
• Four rushing touchdowns and 24 points vs. Charleston tied IUP playoff record
• Had 39 plays of 20 yards or more (22 passing, 17 rushing)
• Responsible for six touchdowns of more than 45 yards: 
    64 (run), 63 (pass), 62 (run), 54 (pass), 50 (pass), 45 (run)
• Came off bench to total 215 yards (163 pass, 52 rush) in career debut vs. Kutztown (Sept. 12)
• Had six 100-yard rushing games, including a streak of five (averaged 150.6 yards during span)
• 2,778 total yards is the third most in IUP single season history (Andrew Krewatch, 3,049 in 2007)
• First PSAC quarterback ever to rush for 1,000 yards in a season

CHRIS TEMPLE WAS ONE OF THE TOP RUSHERS & SCORERS IN DIVISION II LAST SEASON
Despite playing in just nine full games and part of a 10th, Jr. RB Chris Temple (Malvern, Pa. /Great Valley) was one of five players from the PSAC to reach 1,000 yards, ranking second on the team with 1,212. He led the Crimson Hawks with 17 touchdowns, the fourth-highest total in program history.  
• No. 3 in the PSAC and No. 14 in the nation in rushing yards per game (121.2)
• No. 3 in the PSAC in points per game (10.2)
• Tied for No. 2 in the PSAC and is tied for No. 14 in the nation in rushing touchdowns (17)
• His 17 rushing touchdowns were two away from tying Michael Mann (1993) for IUP's season record
• No. 5 in the PSAC and No. 24 in the nation in rushing yards (1,212)
• Temple has two of the eight single game rushing performances in IUP history - 255 yards against Cal is sixth all-time and 234 yards against Edinboro is the eighth most
• Temple's 255 and 234-yard performances were the second and fourth most, respectively, by a PSAC player in a game last season
• Temple's 67-yard touchdown run vs. Edinboro was the longest play from scrimmage for IUP and the ninth longest rush in the PSAC last season
• Temple's six rushing touchdowns against the Fighting Scots set a new IUP record and tied former 
Shippensburg running back and current New Orleans Saints fullback John Kuhn for most in PSAC history 

CRIMSON HAWKS AGAIN BOAST DEEP STABLE OF RUNNING BACKS
Along with rushing threats in Temple and Williams from the quarterback position, the Crimson Hawks will again look to have the deepest running back group in the PSAC. In addition to Temple, Jr. RBs Luigi Lista-Brinza (McKees Rocks, Pa. /Central Catholic) and Drew Harris (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) also return after combining for 661 yards and seven touchdowns rushing last year. Also looking for playing time in the backfield will be true freshman RBs Samir Bullock (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) and Malik Anderson (Ellicott City, Md./Howard), who are both smaller, but provide speed and quickness.

MIKE PIETROPOLA COULD BE MOST VERSATILE CRIMSON HAWK
Although So. Mike Pietropola (Wellsboro, Pa./Wellsboro) is listed as the backup quarterback on IUP's two-deep, he has shown the ability and willingness to contribute in several other ways. 
• Came to IUP in the fall of 2015 as a quarterback
• Buried on the depth chart but too valuable to be kept on the sideline, earned spots on IUP's kickoff team and as the holder on kick attempts
• Saw time in the defensive backfield and on the kick return team late in season
• Finished with 11 total tackles and 39 yards on two kickoff returns
• Made switch to receiver in spring practice before moving back to quarterback for fall camp due to a lack of depth at the position

WALT PEGUES ENTERS 2016 WITH RECEPTION IN 23 STRAIGHT GAMES
Jr. WR Walt Pegues (Philadelphia, Pa. /Central) enters Saturday night's season opener at East Stroudsburg with a streak of 23 consecutive games with a reception, a stretch that began with her first career game in 2014. For his career, Pegues has 102 receptions for 1,360 yards and seven touchdowns. 

PEGUES HAD ONE OF IUP's BEST RECEIVING DAYS AT SLIPPERY ROCK IN 2015
Pegues had a huge game against Slippery Rock last season with 14 receptions for 233 yards, both career-highs. He also reeled in a 50-yard touchdown in the opening quarter. The yardage and reception totals were both among the best ever by an IUP player, ranking third and tied for third, respectively.  

PEGUES IS AN ALL-PUPROSE THREAT
Pegues has also led IUP in all-purpose yards each of his first two years, totaling 1,466 in 2014 and 1,419 last year as a sophomore. An all-region pick as a return man after his freshman season, Pegues has averaged 25.3 yards on his 36 career kickoff returns and 13.3 yards on 40 career punt returns. 

ALL-AMERICAN OFFENSIVE LINEMAN ETHAN COOPER MAKES POSITION CHANGE  
Sr. OL Ethan Cooper (Steelton, Pa. /Central Dauphin East) is slated to start 2016 as IUP's right tackle, a change from his usual spot at left guard. An All-American pick last season, he enters the season with 25 consecutive starts, including the last 23 at left guard and two at right guard. He's earned preseason All-American hype this year from The Sporting News and D2Football.com. 

EXPERIENCED OFFENSIVE LINE HAS SOME RESHUFFLING IN 2016
Including Cooper's move, IUP will have three new starters along the offensive line. R-Fr. Jeff Arnold (Pittsburgh, Pa./Brashear) moves into the starting center position while Sr. Ed Bier (Philadelphia, Pa. /Archbishop Ryan) is the pick to take over Cooper's spot at left guard. Bier has played in 21 career games, including two starts at the end of the 2015 season at center. So. Joe Peterson (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) will return to left tackle, where he started the last seven games last season, and R-Sr. Tony Morgante (Mountain Top, Pa. /Crestwood) returns at right guard after starting 12 games there a season ago. 

THE IUP DEFENSE RETURNED TO THE TOP IN 2015
Coming off a down year in 2014, the IUP defense returned to its historically dominant form last season, finishing 11th in the nation in points allowed (17.8), 13th in rushing yards allowed (104.3) and 20th in total defense (312.4). The Crimson Hawks were also fifth in Division II with red zone defense (62.2 pct), ninth in sacks per game (3.33), ninth in opponents third down conversion rate (29.4 pct). 

IUP HAS SCORED 15 DEFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS SINCE 2011; 41 SINCE 2003
Annually one of the PSAC's - and the nation's - strongest defenses, IUP has scored 15 total defensive touchdowns since 2011 and 41 since 2003. In 12 games last season, the Crimson Hawks scored six defensive touchdowns, including three at Mercyhurst. Not included in that total was a 34-yard blocked punt return for a score against Cheyney. Last year's total was 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. 

KEVIN CLARKE LEADS A TALENTED LINEBACKING CREW
R-Sr. Kevin Clarke (West Mifflin, Pa. /West Mifflin) returns for his third year as a starting linebacker in 2015. The two-time All-PSAC West pick and former preseason All-American has 220 career tackles in 33 games played (24 starts). He'll be joined by Sr. Myles Catlin (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Obama), who has 32 career games under his belt with four starts. Appearing as backups on the two-deep are freshmen Damon Lloyd (Bel Air, Md./John Carroll) and Nick Amendola (North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin). 

AVERETTE, MOWAD HIGHLIGHT DEEP DEFENSIVE LINE 
The Crimson Hawks feature a defensive front that includes experienced playmakers, led by juniors Jemal Averette (Upper Marlboro, Md./Our Lady of Good Counsel) and Matt Mowad (Easton, Pa. /Easton). 11 different players saw time along the line last season, as DC Paul Tortorella keeps a steady rotation.
• Averette earned all-region and All-PSAC West honors in 2015 with 7.0 TFLs and 3.5 sacks; he has played in 23 career games with 12 starts
• Mowad played in just eight games last year due to injury, but has 15.0 TFLs and 7.0 sacks in 19 career games
• Jr. Justin Weldon (Easton, Pa. /Easton Area) is slated to start at nose guard; He's played in 17 career games with two starts
• R-So. Diamond Jones (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne) was a special teams demon last year (two blocked kicks), and started the playoff game at Shepherd at defensive end
• So. Deandre Easterling (Washington, D.C./Gonzaga) tied for the team lead with 5.0 sacks and was second with 9.5 TFLs, playing in all 12 games as a reserve
• Jr. CJ Odegbo (Detroit, Mich./Southfield) played in 11 games last year at end, finishing with 4.0 TFLs and 3.0 sacks
• So. Dyllon Scott (Reading, Pa./Exeter Twp.) has his redshirt taken off at the end of the season, playing in five games and starting twice, tallying 3.0 sacks against Cheyney
• R-Jr. Jordan Diven (Coraopolis, Pa./West Allegheny) played in nine games with two starts last year, tallying 19 tackles and 3.5 TFLs

JAY WATKINS RANKED AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS IN PASS BREAKUPS
R-Jr. CB Jay Watkins (Chester, Pa. /Hyde School) returned from an injury last year to finish tied for sixth in Division II with 1.7 passes defensed per game. Earning all-region and all-conference recognition, he finished second in the PSAC with 20 total passes defensed - 16 breakups and four interceptions. His 16 pass breakups set a new single season IUP record.  

WATKINS AND FRANCO LEAD EXPERIENCED SECONDARY
Along with Watkins, R-Sr. SS Steve Franco (Tyrone, Pa. /Tyrone ) is another postseason award winner returning to the IUP secondary. The two have combined for 45 career games played and 41 starts in the defensive backfield, as the Crimson Hawks boast an experienced group. 

FIVE KICKERS AND PUNTERS BATTLING FOR PLAYING TIME AS THE SEASON BEGINS
IUP has five kickers and/or punters on its roster, including four who have seen extensive playing time. Fall camp featured a "kick-off" between last year's top kicker Sr. Ryan Stewart (Indiana, Pa./Indiana) and transfer R-Fr. Dillon Sarka (Lebanon, Ohio/Waynesville). So. Sean Bowling (Pylesville, Md./North Hartford) will return to handle kickoff duties, as he did in 2015. This year marks the return of R-Sr. Matt Spegal (Bethel Park, Pa. /Bethel Park), who has punted in 28 career games, but lost most of last year due to injury. His 39.3 yard average on 105 career punts is currently second all-time at IUP. R-Sr. Jordan Spangler (Johnstown, Pa./Bishop McCort) also returns after averaging 35.8 yards on 37 punts last season.