CLARION, Pa. –  The IUP football program racked up 565 yards of offense as QB Karst Hunter returned to lead the charge in a 39-27 road win at Clarion on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.
 
IUP (5-5, 3-4) snapped a two-game slide, pulling away in the second half and putting itself in position for a winning season next week at Bloomsburg. The Hawks have now won 12 consecutive meetings with Clarion (2-8, 1-6), dating back to the 2010 season.  
 
After a slow start, IUP began taking control in a productive first half, holding a 345-169 edge in total yards over the opening 30 minutes. Karst Hunter made his return to the IUP lineup and the starting quarterback role on Saturday, accumulating 289 total yards in the first half and providing versatility in the pass and run game.  
 
Missing the last several weeks due to a lower-body injury, Hunter finished the day with four total touchdowns (three passing, one rushing), along with 384 total yards as IUP continued rolling into the second half. Hilton Ridley hauled in a pair of touchdown catches in the first half for IUP, while Adam Houser and Dayjure Stewart each added touchdowns in the running game as part of a well-balanced offensive showing.
 
Clarion played four QBs in the contest, shuffling personnel in a slog offensively after losing starter Anthony Guercio. The Hawks held a potent Clarion ground game to 80 on the afternoon. IUP added six sacks and two turnovers defensively, working in some new faces along the defensive line.
 
Isaiah Towler posted seven total tackles for the Hawks with Darius Bruce and Cole Weightman adding five each. Weightman posted three sacks while Darius Bruce added a pair of pass breakups and Naszhir Taylor logged an interception.
 
Spurred by a third-down conversion from Guercio, the Golden Eagles converted a touchdown on the opening possession of the contest for a 7-0 lead. Guercio ran through a tackle on third and short, later closing the drive with a one-yard rush as part of a busy first quarter. 
 
Off a tipped pass at the line of scrimmage and interception, the Golden Eagles immediately converted on the sudden change situation with a 45-yard pass down the right sideline to Corahn Alleyne for a 14-0 edge with 9:48 remaining in the opening quarter.  
 
IUP responded on the ensuing possession with a 75-yard drive as Stewart burst up the middle for a touchdown from 26 yards out. Hunter found Hilton Ridley over the middle for 22 yards earlier in the drive before IUP eventually trimmed its deficit to 14-7. Cole Weightman raced in for a sack on third down as the Crimson Hawks got a much-needed stop early in the contest.  
 
Using chunk plays, the Hawks methodically moved down the field and set up in the redzone upon the conclusion of the first quarter. The series featured a 24-yard completion to Ridley, a 12-yard grab by Daniel Deabner and a 23-yard zone read run for Hunter. Ridley made a contested back-shoulder grab for the equalizer following a Nick Andrasi extra point, tied at 14 apiece early in the second quarter.  
 
Noah Vaughan charged in for IUP's second sack of the afternoon with an emphatic hit, putting Clarion behind the sticks on an eventual three and out. Adam Houser reeled in a flare route and ran downhill for 38 yards, setting IUP up inside the Clarion 40 and building some momentum. Hunter delivered his second touchdown pass of the day to Ridley for a 20-14 lead, the first of the day for the Crimson Hawks.  
 
Darius Bruce forced a fumble before IUP was stuffed at the one to close out the opening half. Both sides traded punts on the opening drive of the second half before IUP used good starting field position to get back into the redzone early in the third.  
 
IUP racked up 37 yards and three first downs in just three plays before Hunter kept the ball on a zone read look for a score from two yards out. Leading 26-14, IUP was unsuccessful on a two-point conversion attempt that Clarion nearly took back for two points of its own, ultimately called back on a penalty.  
 
On a long third down, Amire Spencer reeled in a strong throw from Will Alexander for 38 yards down the middle for the Golden Eagles. The IUP defense clamped down as the Clarion drive sputtered backwards, resulting in a missed 40-yard field goal attempt. Clarion recorded its second interception of the afternoon with Johnny Hutton nabbing his third pick of the season.  
 
Clarion drove the ball deep into IUP territory once again, keyed by a 34-yard rush from Alexander that ended in a blocked field goal by Darius Bruce. IUP scored the next two touchdowns on splash plays to Quinn Zinobile for 53 yards and another score on a 58-yard carry for Houser, pushing IUP ahead 39-20.
 
Up Next  
IUP closes out the season on Saturday, November 11 with a noon kickoff at Bloomsburg.  
 
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