BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The IUP football team secured its 13th consecutive winning season with a runaway 31-0 road victory at Bloomsburg.
Controlling the game from the start, IUP put together arguably its most complete effort of the season.
Dayjure Stewart surpassed 2,000 career rushing yards in the second half, collecting 186 yards (8.1 avg) and a touchdown on the day and becoming the 18th player in program history in program history to reach the milestone. A swarming defensive effort all day long, IUP held Bloomsburg (3-8) to 140 yards on the day.
IUP secured a winning season at 6-5 overall, needing road wins in the final two weeks of the year to go over the .500 mark. The Hawks send out their season class, including graduate student OL
McLean Djouha (seventh year), with a victory in the regular season finale.
IUP forced Bloomsburg into seven punts on the day, along with a turnover on downs while dominating the field position battle.
Isaiah Towler paced the team with nine tackles, while
Drew DiNunzio-Biss notched eight tackles (4 TFL). The Hawks limited Bloomsburg to 49 rushing yards on the day, contending with one of the top running backs in the region in Kaleb Monaco. The Crimson hawks have logged shutouts in the regular season finale in consecutive years, handing Clarion a 45-0 loss last November.
IUP played a strong first half, taking a 21-0 lead into the locker room. The Hawks played complimentary football, limiting Bloomsburg to under three yards per play and converting with touchdowns in the redzone over the opening 30 minutes. From there, IUP continued limiting the Huskies while using a strong run game to churn the clock.
IUP deferred the opening coin toss, sending its defense out to begin the game. The Hawks stormed out of the gate, registering three consecutive plays behind the line of scrimmage, including sacks for
Darius Bruce and
Jay Holmes. It was part of a strong first quarter defensively for IUP, which held Bloomsburg to negative yardage over the initial 15 minutes.
Starting its opening offensive series of the game near midfield, IUP opened the scoring with a three-yard touchdown pass from
Karst Hunter to
Quinn Zinobile, capping a seven-play series. Stewart opened the series with a powerful 15-yard run before Hunter worked IUP into the redzone with his mobility. Hunter had a pair of touchdown passes on the day, going an efficient 13-for-19 for 130 yards through the air.
Bloomsburg worked the ball near the IUP 20 on its ensuing possession in the first quarter, coming up empty with a bad snap on a field goal attempt.
Kalen Frazier, who nearly had an interception earlier in the series, raced in to bring down the Bloomsburg holder back at the 35-yard line.
Stewart broke off a 21-yard run as IUP surged into Bloomsburg territory. Hunter used his legs again, setting the Hawks up inside the five as the first quarter expired.
Adam Houser plunged in from one yard out for a 14-0 IUP advantage on the opening play of the second quarter.
The Hawks forced a pair of punts in the second quarter and misfired on a fourth down attempt. Backed up inside its own 10-yard line, IUP used chunk running plays on a 14-play drive, its longest scoring drive of the season.
Houser surged forward for 13 yards on the drive before IUP converted a third-down attempt with a completion of 13 yards to
Hilton Ridley. Hunter worked a zone-read look to convert yet another third down, working the ball to the Bloomsburg 22. The impressive drive concluded with
Parker Gregg reeling in his first collegiate touchdown pass from15 yards out, widening the IUP margin to 21-0.
Neither side found the scoreboard in the third quarter as the IUP defense continued to control the game.
Nick Andrasi tacked on a field goal in the early stages of the fourth quarter before Stewart carried IUP with 67 yards over four plays, finishing off the drive from one yard out for a 31-0 advantage.
The Hawks had just one penalty on the day, coming on the final offensive snap while trying to sub players in to take a final knee.
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