GREENSBURG, Pa. – Junior running back
Justice Evans ran for a career-high 175 yards and two touchdowns to help 19th-ranked IUP football to a 50-23 road win at Seton Hill Saturday afternoon.
Evans' rushing yardage was part of 538 total yards for the Crimson Hawks as they improved to 8-1 overall and 5-1 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division.
Evans' 175 yards came on just 11 carries as he averaged 15.9 yards per carry. Six of his carries went for more than 10 yards, four of those for more than 20 including touchdown runs of 52 and 27 yards.
IUP rushed for 290 yards and four scores, its second biggest outing of the season.
Both of Evans' touchdown runs came in the third quarter as IUP extended its lead from 23-3 to 37-10. He finished the quarter with four carries for 94 yards and those two scores.
IUP's first score came on just the third play of the game as quarterback
Quinton Maxwell found receiver
Dom McNeil across the middle before blazing down the right sideline for a 75-yard score. It's tied for the second-longest pass play of the season for IUP.
Defensive end
Dondrea Tillman gave IUP its next points when he tackled Seton Hill back Michael Valentino in the end zone for a safety. It was IUP's first safety in almost two years to the date during a 36-10 win over Mercyhurst on November 4, 2017.
On the ensuing drive Maxwell found receiver
JoJo Gause for a 2-yard scoring toss before fellow wideout
Duane Brown ran it in from two yards out from the Wildcat formation to give the Crimson Hawks a 23-0 lead.
It was Brown's fourth rushing touchdown and 17th total score of the season. He's scored at least once in all nine games this year.
After Evans' scores in the third, Maxwell added a rushing touchdown and
Qashah Carter caught a 26-yard scoring pass from backup QB
Jalen Reese.
Seton Hill threw for 366 yards and three touchdowns on 58 pass attempts, the biggest numbers of any IUP opponent this season.
The IUP defense countered by giving up just 13 rushing yards, the second lowest total (-22, Millersville) of the year. Nine different players combined for 10 tackles-for-loss, including three from Tillman. Tillman had two sacks on the day, his first multi-sack game of the year.
Linebacker
Damon Lloyd had a game-high 13 total tackles, his fifth game of double-digit stops this year. He also had a half-sack and broke up two passes. Fellow linebacker
Nick Amendola and linemen
Drake Puffenbarger and
Ernest Shockley each had a half-sack to help the Crimson Hawks total four.
Notes
The Crimson Hawks are No. 19 in the AFCA Coaches' and No. 21 in the D2Football Media Top 25 polls … IUP was also ranked No. 4 in the season's initial NCAA Super Region One rankings … Evans' 175 rushing yards is the most by an IUP player since
Samir Bullock ran for 263 against Seton Hill in 2017 … IUP improved to 53-2 since 2011 when a player rushes for 100 yards in a game … The win clinches five straight years of at least eight wins for IUP … It's the longest streak since six years from 1998-2003 and the third longest streak in program history … With his two sacks, Tillman moved into a tie for fifth place tie (Kevin Cottrell) in program history with 28.0 career sacks.
Up next
The Crimson Hawks return home next week for a matchup against Edinboro (3-6, 3-3) next Saturday. It's the final home regular season game for IUP. Kickoff is at noon.
Follow
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