INDIANA, Pa. -- The 19th-ranked IUP football team will play in the program's eighth PSAC Championship Game this Saturday, hosting third-ranked and undefeated Shepherd on Saturday. Kickoff from Miller Stadium is set for 3:00 p.m.
 
IUP (8-1) clinched a share of its 22nd PSAC Western division title last week, rolling to a 45-0 Senior Day win against Clarion, advancing to the conference championship game following a Slippery Rock win over Edinboro. While IUP, Slippery Rock and Gannon all finished with identical 6-1 divisional records, the Crimson Hawks represented the West after winning the tiebreakers.
 
Shepherd boasts an unblemished 10-0 record after a 37-14 victory at East Stroudsburg on November 5. The Rams are making their first PSAC Championship game appearance since joining the league back in 2019.
 
QUICK NOTES/STORYLINES

• The Crimson Hawks are playing in their eighth PSAC Championship game, commonly referred to as the "State Game" which pits the top team from the Western division against the top team from the Western division.
• Saturday marks the first conference championship game appearance for IUP since 2017. IUP has won four PSAC Championships, with three victories over West Chester (1986, 1987, 2017) and one over Shippensburg (2012).
• In total, IUP has 18 PSAC Championships as the "State Game" was discontinued from 1988-2007. A win on Saturday would tie West Chester for the most conference titles in league history.
• The Crimson Hawks played well in all phases as part of a 45-0 Senior Day win last time out against Clarion, bouncing back in a big way from the team's first loss of the season. IUP posted its second shutout of the season, forced four turnovers, received offensive contributions from across the lineup and was consistent on special teams.
• The Crimson Hawks welcome their second top-10 opponent to Miller Stadium this season, previously knocking off eighth-ranked Slippery Rock by a 20-12 count back on October 1.
• IUP star wideout Duane Brown continues to be a consistent threat, picking up three more touchdown receptions last week against the Golden Eagles. Brown ranks second nationally in receiving touchdowns (16) and is second in program history in total touchdowns (48).
• Shepherd presents the toughest challenge the Crimson Hawks have faced all season. The Rams lead the all-time series with IUP, 5-1, with five of the six meetings coming in the playoffs between the two sides. The lone victory for IUP against Shepherd came in 2012, the year the Crimson Hawks won the PSAC Championship.
• Shepherd is an offensive juggernaut, leading the nation in total offense (522.0) and ranking second nationally in scoring offense (45.3). Standout senior QB Tyson Bagent won the 2021 Harlon Hill Trophy for Shepherd and is the frontrunner for the award again in 2022. He holds virtually every passing record at Shepherd and ranks second in the nation with 32 passing touchdowns.
• Defensively, Shepherd ranks 23rd nationally in total defense (279.9), with IUP ranking 20^th in that same category (275.1). Drew DiNunzio-Biss guides the IUP defense from his linebacking position with 65.0 tackles. For Shepherd, Dewayne Graham posted 68 total tackles this season and Kyle Smith has added nine sacks.

 
NOTEBOOK
 
QUARTERBACK COMPARISON
Saturday's game features two of the top quarterbacks in the nation statistically, and arguably the top two signal callers in the region. Tyson Bagent threw five touchdown passes last week against East Stroudsburg, setting a new NCAA DII career mark with 151, previously held by East Stroudsburg's Jimmy Terwilliger. Mak Sexton has been among the most efficient passers in the nation in 2022, his first season with the Crimson Hawks after transferring in from Pittsburg State. Sexton, who has 63 career touchdown passes and 26 this season, ranks third in the nation in passing efficiency (176.4).
 
COACH TORTORELLA OFF TO HISTORIC START AS IUP HEAD COACH
The Mercyhurst game on September 24 marked head coach Paul Tortorella's 50th game as head coach of the Crimson Hawks. Tortorella owns a record of 46-10, including a 29-6 (.828 ) mark against PSAC West schools. He reached 30 wins faster than any other IUP coach (35 games), and has two NCAA playoff berths (2017, 2019), two PSAC West titles a PSAC Championship and regional title.

IUP IN THE RANKINGS
IUP slotted third in the latest set of numerical Super Region One rankings, released this week. Shepherd (10-0) occupied the top spot in the rankings, while Assumption jumped to the second spot.

After receiving votes throughout the year, IUP jumped into the national rankings following a Homecoming win against Slippery Rock. IUP climbed up 11th nationally in the AFCA Top 25 Poll, but dropped 19th despite the shutout victory. The Crimson Hawks are 16th in the D2Football.com Top 25.
 
SELECTION SUNDAY
The NCAA will announce the 28-team football playoff field on Sunday, November 13 at 5:30 p.m. with a video stream on NCAA.com.

TOUCHDOWN BROWN
Duane Brown continues to climb the IUP record books across multiple categories as one of the top wideouts in the nation. He ranks second in the nation in receiving touchdowns (16) after a three-touchdown outing against Clarion. Brown is eighth in the nation in receptions per game (7.3) and second in receiving yards per game (116.1).
 
Brown, who has 11 career games with 100+ receiving yards, is second in program history in total touchdowns (48), also ranking third in career receiving yards (2,784), second in career receptions (168), second in receiving touchdowns (36) and tied for second in single-season receiving touchdowns (16).
 
IUP DEFENSE MAKING TIMELY PLAYS; 10 PLAYERS HAVE AT LEAST ONE SACK
IUP has made some timely plays on the defensive side of the ball in 2022. The Crimson Hawks rank first in the PSAC in first down defense, allowing 145 this season. The IUP secondary has shown steady improvement, collecting 12 interceptions as a defensive unit. Nine players have registered at least one sack for the Crimson Hawks in 2022, showcasing their depth along the front seven. Raunya Mitchell (4.0) leads the team in sacks, while Gregory Moore II (2.5) and Noah Vaughan (2.5) have been active along the defensive line. Injured earlier this season, Tyrone Fowler Jr. Logged 2.5 sacks in just under four games.
 
CRIMSON HAWKS BOAST COHESIVE OFFENSIVE LINE
IUP has benefitted from consistency along the offensive line this season, giving up just four sacks this season. The Crimson Hawks have five offensive linemen making the case for all-conference consideration in 2022. Darrell Davis (LT), John Robinson (LG), Collin Pietropola (C), Gerald Comedy (RG) and McLean Djouha (RT) have helped IUP average 6.7 yards/play through eight games.
 
KELLY STEPPING UP HIS PRODUCTION, DINUNZIO-BISS TEAM IN TACKLES
Connor Kelly and Drew DiNunzio-Biss patrol the IUP defense from their linebacking spots. DiNunzio-Biss leads the team with 65 tackles and Kelly is not far behind with 63 stops. The linebacker duo has combined for 14.5 tackles for loss, four pass breakups and two fumble recoveries.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS SEEING AN UPTICK IN PRODUCTION
Since shifting punting duties to Aiden Spitler, the IUP special teams units have seen an uptick in production. Nick Andrasi went 6-for-6 on extra-points last week against Clarion, adding a 34-yard field goal and a pair of touchbacks. In the return game, Hilton Ridley had a 22-yard punt return and Naszhir Taylor added a 21-yard kick return against the Golden Eagles.
 
RIDLEY COMPLEMENTING BROWN IN IUP RECEIVING CORPS
While Brown continues posting exception numbers, Ridley has been a viable wideout option for the IUP offense. Ridley is averaging just under 80 yards receiving per game and has seven touchdown receptions. He's posted three 100-yard receiving efforts in 2022, including an eight-catch day for 161 yards in a Coal Bowl victory against California (Pa.).
 
CRIMSON HAWKS ARE 24-1 SINCE 2011 WHEN THE DEFENSE SCORES
IUP has one defensive touchdown this year - a 47-yard INT return for a score by DB Jaheim Howard - in a road win at Shippensburg. The single defensive TD this season mirrors the team's output in both 2021, 2018 and 2014. In every other year since 2011 the Crimson Hawks have had multiple defensive scores, including four in 2017, five in 2016, and six in 2015.

 

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