ERIE, Pa. – Sophomore receiver Duane Brown totaled four touchdowns to help the 21st-ranked Crimson Hawks score 35 unanswered points as they remained undefeated with a 56-24 victory at Mercyhurst Saturday afternoon at Saxon Stadium.
 
Brown's big day included seven receptions for 153 yards and three touchdowns to go along with a 3-yard rushing touchdown. He also had 24 punt return yards to finish his afternoon with 12 touches and 184 all-purpose yards.
 
Brown scored three straight touchdowns through the second and third quarters to help IUP rebound from a 24-21 deficit to take a 42-24 lead into the fourth.
 
The IUP defense also came up with big plays with four sacks and two interceptions, including one returned by senior defensive end Dondrea Tillman 51 yards for a touchdown.
 
Senior linebacker Nick Amendola had six tackles, one sack and the other interception, picking off a Doug Altavilla at midfield early on in the third quarter. His turnover led to a touchdown for the offense, with senior quarterback Quinton Maxwell hooking up with Brown for a 32-yard score.
 
The touchdown came immediately following a 9-yard pass from Maxwell to sophomore tight end Jacob Watts on a 4th-and-short from the Mercyhurst 41-yard line.
 
That interception helped turn the tides in the second half with IUP scoring two touchdowns in each quarter. Following Brown's touchdown barrage, junior backs Justice Evans and Malik Anderson added rushing touchdowns of 57 and 24 yards, respectively.
 
The IUP run game helped shorten the game in the second half as the Crimson Hawks rushed 21 times for 146 yards and three scores in the final 30 minutes. IUP finished with 204 rushing yards from eight different players.
 
Maxwell completed 19-of-29 passes for season-highs of 324 yards and four touchdowns. Aside from his three scoring tosses to Brown, he connected with senior receiver Dom McNeil for a 6-yard touchdown on the game's opening drive. McNeil was one of seven players to catch a pass with three receptions for 65 yards and that score.
 
Evans finished with a game-high 74 yards on just eight carries. Senior back Samir Bullock added 57 yards and Anderson had 37.
 
Defensively, Amendola, sophomore linemen Will Mayr and Dajour Fisher and freshman lineman Drake Puffenbarger each had sacks. Mayr and senior linebacker Damon Lloyd joined Amendola with a team-high six tackles.
 
Both teams traded touchdowns early in the first quarter but back-to-back big plays by the Crimson Hawks (4-0, 1-0) gave them a 21-7 lead midway through the opening stanza. Following Mercyhurst's first score, Maxwell and Brown connected on a 75-yard touchdown and 42 seconds later Tillman returned an interception 51 yards for a score.
 
The Lakers (2-2, 0-1) score three straight times, including two touchdowns, to take a 3-point lead before IUP's big run.
 
Up next
The Crimson Hawks bring their 4-0 record into a huge matchup with rival Cal U (3-1, 1-0) in the 11th annual Coal Bowl during Homecoming weekend next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at George P. Miller Stadium.
 
Notes
The Crimson Hawks are No. 21 in the AFCA Coaches' and No. 23 in the D2Football Media Top 25 polls … Brown's four touchdowns are the most in a single game by an IUP player since Samir Bullock ran for six against Seton Hill in 2017 … The 153 receiving yards by Brown are the most by an IUP receiver since Walt Pegues had 233 at Slippery Rock in 2015 … Brown now has 10 total touchdowns on 27 touches this season … Maxwell has three straight games of four touchdowns, throwing for three and rushing for one against Millersville and Lock Haven … This was Tillman's second career touchdown in two games at Mercyhurst, returning a fumble 8 yards for a score in a 36-10 win in 2017 … The Crimson Hawks have scored 187 in their last three games, the most points scored in a three-game stretch in program history.
 
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