MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – The IUP offense put up 560 yards while the defensive unit tallied seven sacks and allowed just 26 yards as the 24th-ranked Crimson Hawks pummeled Millersville 54-0 Saturday afternoon on the road at Biemesderfer Stadium.
The 26 total yards allowed is the second fewest in IUP football program history while the -22 rushing yards is fifth all-time and the lowest since the -32 yards Lock Haven had in 2009. The seven sacks are the most since getting nine against Edinboro in 2014.
The IUP defense was stout all afternoon, allowing just six first downs to the Marauders while forcing Millersville into 1-of-15 third down conversions and 12 punts.
The offense averaged nearly eight yards per play, gaining 399 through the air and 161 on the ground. The Crimson Hawks had 10 plays of more than 20 yards, with six of those plays resulting in scores.
The complete effort on both sides of the ball helped the Crimson Hawks improve to 2-0 overall and get their first shutout since 2016. Millersville fell to 1-1.
IUP started this game in a similar fashion to week one with receiver
Duane Brown racing 46 yards on a short pass from quarterback
Quinton Maxwell off jet sweep motion on the team's first offensive play of the game. Brown scored on a 47-yard pass on the second play against New Haven.
It was the first of four touchdowns for the Crimson Hawks in the first quarter as they exhibited their dominance early.
Maxwell accounted for three of those scores, adding a 1-yard run while also finding Brown on a 38-yard leaping pass play to end the quarter.
The Crimson Hawks scored two more touchdowns in the second quarter as they put up 40 first half points. Brown accounted for three touchdowns – on just three touches – adding a 4-yard scoring run in the second quarter. The final points of the half came when Maxwell found receiver
Dom McNeil for a 37-yard score.
Maxwell finished 12-15 for 248 yards and three touchdowns and McNeil caught five passes for 80 yards. Brown had 84 yards and three touchdowns on just three offensive touches. He added 38 yards on two punt returns.
The defense had four of its seven sacks in the first half. Interior lineman
Dajour Fisher was responsible for two of those sacks while fellow linemen
Raunya Mitchell and
Dondrea Tillman combined for a key stop deep in IUP territory.
That sack by Mitchell and Tillman came after an IUP special teams miscue that gave Millersville the ball at the Crimson Hawks' 4-yard line in the second quarter. An incomplete pass followed and on third-and-long cornerback
Nazir Streater picked off Millersville's T.J. Pergine to end the scoring threat.
Including Fisher's two sacks, five players combined for IUP's seven sacks. Tillman and
Nick Amendola were each credited for 1.5 sacks while Mitchell and Byron Williams each had one apiece.
Two IUP second half touchdowns came on two huge plays with the same two players as quarterback
Jalen Reese found receiver
Cam Turner for 33 and 77 yards. Turner caught four passes for 115 yards and those two touchdowns.
Seeing his first extensive time at quarterback in his five-year collegiate career, Reese went 9-12 for 151 yards and two touchdowns in the second half.
Notes
The Crimson Hawks are ranked No. 24 in this week's AFCA Coaches' Top 25 and not ranked in the D2Football.com Media Top 25 … IUP's 560 offensive yards is the most since going over 600 yards three times in 2017 … The 399 passing yards is the sixth highest single game total in IUP history and the most since a 407-yard output at Saginaw Valley State in 2001 … This is the fourth straight year that IUP has started a season with two straight wins … The Crimson Hawks now have 11.0 sacks in their first two games after getting 9.0 in their first two outings a year ago … Coach
Paul Tortorella improved his overall record to 23-4 (.852) in his third season.
Up next
The Crimson Hawks return home to host Lock Haven (1-1) next Saturday. Kickoff is at 4 p.m.
Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP football on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPfootball.
