INDIANA, Pa. – Home for the second of three consecutive games to start the season, the No. 13/12 IUP football program hosts East Stroudsburg for the 2023 Hall of Fame Game. Kickoff from Miller Stadium is set for Saturday, September 9 at 4:00 p.m.
 
Despite some mistakes and sloppy play at times, IUP (1-0) held on for a 24-17 season-opening win against Ashland on August 31. The Hawks took the lead late against the Eagles with under two minutes remaining before sealing the victory with a timely interception. East Stroudsburg (1-0) rolled to a 62-9 thrashing of Pace in the season opener on August 31. The Warriors racked up the most points in a season opener since 2005, averaging over seven yards per play.
 
For fans attending the game, please note that VIP Tailgating spots are sold out for the 2023 season. Gates to Miller Stadium open one hour prior to kickoff, while parking lots open four hours prior to kickoff for $10 per spot. All fans are encouraged to allow extra time when arriving on gameday for parking and entering the stadium.
 
IUP will recognize the 1968 men's golf team following the first quarter, along with the rest of the 2023 Hall of Fame class at halftime.
 
QUICK NOTES/STORYLINES

• IUP elevated three spots in the AFCA DII Top 25 Poll from No. 16 to No. 13 following the 24-17 victory against Ashland to open the season.
• The Crimson Hawks have won seven straight games against East Stroudsburg, including a 3-0 record in Indiana, since 2006.
• Last season's clash between IUP/ESU featured a combined 73 points and 934 combined yards of total offense. The Crimson Hawks took home a 38-35 road win in the team's 2022 opener against the Warriors with a game-winning field goal as time expired.
• Head coach Paul Tortorella is one win shy of a milestone 50th win as the head coach at IUP. He would become the second fastest IUP head coach to reach 50 wins with a victory Saturday.
• Graduate student WR Quinn Zinobile was a focal point of the IUP offense in his collegiate debut, earning PSAC West Offensive Athlete of the Week honors following his 128 receiving yards and two scores. His 46-yard catch and run put IUP ahead for good in the win against Ashland.
• ESU head coach Jimmy Terwilliger, a record-setting Harlon Hill award winning QB for the Warriors in 2005, comes from a coaching family. His father, Mike, serves as the longtime offensive coordinator for the Warriors. His sister, Kelly Terwilliger, is in her second season as the head coach of the IUP field hockey program.
• The IUP secondary combined for five pass breakups and helped combine to limit Ashland to 101 passing yards in the 2023 opener on August 31.
• IUP had several big plays on offense in the win against Ashland, finishing with over 400 yards of total offense.  

 
NOTEBOOK
 
TORTORELLA CLOSING IN ON MILESTONE VICTORY
IUP head coach Paul Tortorella was named the PSAC West Coach of the Year for 2022, a reflection on the overall strength of the program under his leadership. Coaching his 50th career game in 2022 against Mercyhurst and now in his sixth season, Tortorella is 49-11 (.817) overall with a 29-6 mark against PSAC West opponents.
 
In his 61st game, Tortorella would become the second fastest coach to reach 50 wins in IUP history, behind the legendary Frank Cignetti (59 games). His .817 winning percentage is 14th nationally across all NCAA divisions among active coaches with five years of experience or more. He reached 30 wins faster than any other IUP coach (35 games), and has three NCAA playoff berths (2017, 2019, 2022), two PSAC West titles, two PSAC Championships and a regional title.
 
IUP IN SEASON OPENERS
With the win on August 31, IUP is 56-33-3 (.625) all-time in season openers. The Crimson Hawks had a streak of nine straight season-opening wins from 2006-14, which ended with a 34-33 loss to Kutztown in 2015. But they've still won 22 of their last 25 openers dating back to 1998. IUP has opened a season at home 15 times since 2000, going 13-2 in those games, including Thursday's 24-17 win over No. 12/14 Ashland.
 
CRIMSON HAWKS IN FAMILIAR TERRIOTY; PICKED AS PRESEASON FAVORITE IN PSAC WEST
For the eighth time in the past 11 seasons, the IUP football program was picked as the preseason favorites in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Preseason Coaches' Poll.
 
IUP picked up six first-place votes in the PSAC West, followed by Slippery Rock, Cal U, Gannon and Edinboro in the top five. Shepherd was picked as the preseason favorite in the PSAC East.
 
HIGH SCORING MATCHUPS
IUP holds a 13-5 all-time lead in the series with East Stroudsburg, which includes last season's high-scoring 38-35 late victory against the Warriors. The series dates back to 1960, a 20-7 win for IUP in Indiana
 
The Crimson Hawks have posted at least 30 points in six of the last eight meetings against ESU. In 2016, IUP rolled to a 73-42 victory at East Stroudsburg, one of several high-scoring clashes in recent history between the two teams.
 
KARST HUNTER TAKING OVER AS QB1
IUP had a new starting quarterback leading the offense again in 2023, with highly-touted transfer Karst Hunter making his debut. Hunter dealt with a ferocious Ashland front seven throughout his debut, passing for 261 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.
 
Hunter was a two-year starter at Colorado Mesa, earning All-RMAC Honorable mention and RMAC Freshman of the Year honors. Hunter set single season passing records in yards (2,481), completions (190) and completion percentage (62.5) at Colorado Mesa.
 
IUP RACKING UP "SPLASH PLAYS" EARLY THIS SEASON
IUP had 66 offensive snaps against Ashland and accounted for nine "splash plays" in the game, which is listed as a pass of 20+ yards or a run of 10+ yards. The Hawks had three "splash plays" in the final quarter of the 24-17 win against Ashland, including a run of 22 yards by Karst Hunter, a run of 43 yards by JD Younger and a pass reception of 46 yards by Quinn Zinobile that accounted for the game-winning touchdown.
 
RECEIVING OPTIONS APLENTY IN 2023
The Crimson Hawks have plenty of depth in the receiving room for 2023. Returning All-PSAC selection Hilton Ridley, who hauled in eight touchdown receptions in 2022, is among the experienced returners for the Hawks. Derek Lockhart (43 rec, 702yds, 10 TD) is back in the IUP lineup after playing just one game in 2022 during the season opener against East Stroudsburg. Lockhart made a touchdown reception on a pop pass for the opening touchdown of the season for IUP against Ashland in week one.
 
Quinn Zinobile made a big impact in his IUP debut as a transfer from Albany, collecting two touchdown catches on seven receptions and tallying 128 yards against Ashland. His father, Michael, played at IUP for legendary head coach Frank Cignetti in the early 1990s. Cyair Clark also impressed in preseason camp and throughout scrimmages and provides a dynamic skillset in the slot.
 
VETERAN LEADERSHIP HEADLINES OFFENSIVE LINE
Despite filling the void left by two All-Americans, the IUP offensive line is an experienced unit going into the 2023 season. Playing their first game as a unit and still looking to gain chemistry as a group, the Hawks will rely on veterans Gerald Comedy and McLean Djouha.
 
Djouha was granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA just before the start of camp. Both Comedy and Djouha were starters on last season's offensive line that allowed just five sacks in 2022. Chad Layton stepped into the starting center spot in the opener, with transfers Chance Battle, Kelechi Okoro and Daric Cotman seeing week one action.
 
DYNAMIC STABLE OF BACKS SPEARHEADING RUSHING ATTACK
IUP returns its top three leading rushers from last season, accounting for 12 combined touchdowns on the ground in 2022. The trio of JD Younger, Adam Houser and Dayjure Stewart all saw carries last week for the Crimson Hawks against Ashland as the team tallied 144 rushing yards.
 
Also returning in the IUP backfield is Parker Gregg, who has transitioned into a fullback and short-yardage back for IUP in 2023. Randy Washington converted from the secondary to running back during spring football, providing another option in a deep stable of backs.
 
NO-FLY ZONE: HAWKS BOAST EXPERIENCED SECONDARY IN 2023
The IUP secondary features a pair of returning All-PSAC honorees in Darius Bruce and Jaheim Howard. The Crimson Hawks ranked 18th in the nation in 2022 with 15 total interceptions, with the duo of Bruce and Howard accounting for seven last season. IUP allowed just 101 passing yards in week one against Ashland, combining for five pass breakups.
 
Naszhir Taylor (53 tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 1 INT 11 PBU in 2022), Kalen Frazier (19 tackles, 1 INT, 4 PBU in 2022) and Chuck Ingram (24 tackles, 1 INT in 2022) were all starters in the IUP secondary last season and make up the most experienced unit in terms of games played on the roster. Every starter except for Frazier, who was a true freshman in 2022, have played at least 20 college games.
 
DYNAMIC DUO OF DINUNZIO-BISS, HOLMES IN THE MIDDLE OF IUP DEFENSE
Drew DiNunzio-Biss paced the team with 88.0 tackles last season and has 125 total stops over two-plus seasons as a Crimson Hawk. An All-PSAC West First Team selection in 2022, DiNunzio-Biss is joined by Jay Holmes in the middle of the IUP defense.
 
Holmes emerged as the season progressed in 2022, tallying 29 tackles with 3.5 TFLs. He was active in the season opener for IUP last week with five tackles (four solo), a pass breakup and a QB hurry.
 
FOWLER RETURNS FOR DEFENSIVE LINE
Tyrone Fowler Jr. is back along the defensive line after missing most of 2022 to injury. The 2021 PSAC West Freshman of the Year, Fowler has 44 tackles and 9.5 sacks in just 15 games with the Crimson Hawks.
 
He's joined on the defensive line by Cole Weightman, who made seven tackles in nine games last season as a rotational defensive end. Logan Danielson, Terell Williams, Cyler Rozina and Maurice Feazell were all key parts of the rotation for IUP last week against Ashland.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS UNIT INTACT FOR 2023
With some special teams miscues in the punting and return games, IUP looks to shore up its special teams play heading into week two. The Crimson Hawks return their entire special teams unit of kicker Nick Andrasi, punter Aiden Spitler, holder Daniel Deabner and long snapper Brayden Landherr were all relative newcomers a season ago, but look to provide stability for the Hawks in 2023.
 
UP NEXT
IUP finishes its early-season homestand next week, hosting Shippensburg on Saturday, September 16 for a 2:00 p.m. kickoff at Miller Stadium.
 
FOLLOW
For coverage of the IUP football program, follow the Crimson Hawks on Twitter and Instagram @IUPfootball and online at IUPAthletics.com.
 

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