INDIANA, Pa. – Senior quarterback Lenny Williams Jr. totaled four touchdowns and the Crimson Hawks totaled 545 yards of offense as 22nd-ranked IUP dominated visiting Seton Hill in a 56-14 win Saturday afternoon at George P. Miller Stadium.
 
Sophomore backs Justice Evans and Tyler Balega each ran for over 100 yards to lead a ground game that posted season-bests of 324 yards and four touchdowns. Evans finished with 137 yards on just 11 carries while Balega had 101 yards on 19 totes.
 
That offensive output helped the Crimson Hawks win their third straight game as they improved to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the Western Division of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).
 
Senior back Chris Temple had two of those four running scores with Evans and Williams adding one apiece.
 
Evans' touchdown was the first score of the game, a 63-yarder burst on IUP's second possession. Williams made a 14-0 advantage in the first quarter with his scoring run, a 3-yarder to cap off an 11-play, 74-yard drive.
 
A 35-yard diving grab by freshman receiver Qashah Carter on IUP's first possession of the second quarter set up Temple's first touchdown, a 1-yard run to make it 21-0.
 
Williams threw three touchdown passes, his first a 6-yarder to junior receiver JoJo Gause to give IUP 28-0 start. After a Seton Hill touchdown, Williams tossed his second of the game, finding an open Dom McNeil for 35 yards. McNeil made a finger-tip grab and toe-tapped inside the 5-yard line before diving in for his sixth score of the year.
 
Williams and Gause hooked up again in the third, this one a 30-yarder to push IUP's lead to 42-14.
 
Freshman backup quarterback Javon Davis entered and engineered a pair of scoring drives, the first resulting in another 1-yard touchdown by Temple. Davis also connected with senior receiver Miles Williamson, who was falling back his back while making a 5-yard scoring grab.
 
The offense was keyed on several occasions by a defense that picked off three Seton Hill passes – all deep in IUP territory. Senior safety Mike Pietropola picked off a pass in the first quarter while senior corner Anthony Davis made a diving grab of a Seton Hill pass in the second. Junior safety John McDonald-Horner made another acrobatic grab while falling out-of-bounds late in the fourth quarter.
 
Up Next
The Crimson Hawks wrap up divisional play next weekend with road matchup at Edinboro. The Fighting Scots improved to 6-3 overall and 3-3 in PSAC West play earlier today with a 14-7 win over Clarion. Kickoff Saturday will be at noon.
 
Notes
The 545 total yards and 324 rushing yards by the Crimson Hawks were both season-highs … It was Evans' second straight 100-yard rushing performance and the first career 100-yard game for Balega … It's the second straight game the Crimson Hawks have had two 100-yard rushers in a game … IUP is now 51-9 since 2011 when a player rushes for 100 yards … This was Williams' third 4-touchdown game of the season and the seventh of his career … It was also Williams' sixth game of three passing touchdowns, the 14th of his career … Those TDs brought his career total to 105 – 75 passing, 30 rushing … Junior defensive end Dondrea Tillman posted another sack Saturday to bring his season total to a career-high 9.5 … The three interceptions by the IUP defense was its most of the season … That was head coach Paul Tortorella's 20th career win (20-3).
 
Follow
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