INDIANA, Pa. – The IUP football team recovered four fumbles and pulled away for a 49-14 victory against Shippensburg on Saturday at Miller Stadium.
IUP (2-1), receiving votes in the AFCA Top 25 Poll and ranked 22nd in the D2Football.com Top 25, got back on track with a win Saturday. The Crimson Hawks converted touchdowns on three of the four fumble recoveries, including a 21-yard scoop and score by LB
Jay Holmes in the second quarter to put the hosts ahead for good.
The win marked the 50th for IUP head coach
Paul Tortorella, along with the program's 600th overall victory. Tortorella is the second fastest coach to reach 50 wins behind only the legendary Frank Cignetti (59 games).
The fumble return came after
Cole Weightman chased down Shippensburg (0-3) QB Sam Johnson and jarred the ball free, allowing Holmes to collect it and race down the left sideline for the go-ahead score. Despite some sluggishness in the first half, the Crimson Hawks took control in the third quarter of the contest. From there, IUP posted 21 unanswered points in the third quarter in building a comfortable lead.
Another dominant defensive effort almost overshadowed some big pass plays for the IUP offense against the Raiders. QB
Karst Hunter passed for 199 yards on 12 completions, tossing a pair of touchdown passes each to wideouts
Hilton Ridley and
Quinn Zinobile. Hunter added a rushing touchdown to his ledger, plunging in from two-yards out in a power formation in the third quarter.
Defensively, LB
Drew DiNunzio-Biss was all over the field with seven tackles (four solo) with a sack.
Jaheim Howard had six stops and a pass breakup, while
Isaiah Towler, Holmes and Weightman added five stops each. Weightman also had two hurries in addition to his forced fumble, while
Chuck Ingram added a forced fumble of his own.
Hunter accounted for four of IUP's five passing touchdowns on the day.
Nico Marchitelli entered the game in relief and capped off a short field for the Crimson Hawks with a 28-yard scoring strike to
Sebastian Campbell. It marked the first collegiate touchdown pass for Marchitelli and first collegiate touchdown reception for Campbell, a transfer from Colorado Mesa.
IUP had outstanding field position on Marchitelli's touchdown drive that culminated with under one minute remaining in the fourth quarter, set up by a lengthy kickoff return from speedy wideout
Cyair Clark.
After an interception on the opening IUP drive of the day, the Raiders marched the ball 49 yards in six plays to take an early 7-0 lead. Johnson found RB Jake DeLuccia, who later left the game with an injury, for a 28-yard catch and run.
The Hawks responded on the ensuing drive with a six-play drive, capped by a nine-yard grab from Hunter to Ridley that leveled the score at seven. The momentum shifted on Holmes' scoop and score with under one minute remaining before halftime, kickstarting a stretch of 42 unanswered points that spanned until the fourth quarter.
Zinobile reeled in touchdown receptions of nine and 31 yards in the third quarter about three minutes apart. Ridley lifted IUP to a 42-7 lead with a 41-yard grab in the fourth quarter. Shippensburg backup QB Sam Stoner delivered a 15-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, trimming the Raider deficit to 42-14.
Notes
IUP is one of nine NCAA DII programs with 600 wins or more in program history… IUP put on a tremendous defensive performance, forcing four turnovers in front of College Football Hall of Famer and IUP great Jim Haslett, who was in attendance on Saturday… IUP now leads 46-18-4 all-time lead in the series with Shippensburg that dates back to 1925… IUP has now won 24 of the last 26 meetings with Shippensburg… Saturday marked Hunter's first four-touchdown game of his collegiate career…. Hunter now has 41 career touchdown passes spanning his time at Colorado Mesa and IUP… The Crimson Hawks limited Shippensburg to 84 yards rushing on the day… IUP had five scoring drive account for five plays or less, including two scoring drives of just one play off fumble recoveries in the third quarter… IUP's average time of possession in the game was just 1:38 per drive, still accounting for 49 points with a quick-strike attack… IUP scored 21 points in the third quarter, gaining just 49 yards in the frame.
Up Next
IUP begins PSAC West play on Saturday, September 23 for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff at Mercyhurst
Follow
For coverage of the IUP football program, follow the Crimson Hawks on Twitter and Instagram @IUPfootball and online at IUPAthletics.com.
