INDIANA, Pa. – The IUP football team continued its strong start to the season with a 35–12 victory over Edinboro on Saturday afternoon at George P. Miller Stadium. The Crimson Hawks used a dominant first quarter and a stifling defense to stay unbeaten in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) action.
IUP (4–1, 2–0 PSAC) wasted little time jumping on top. Parker Gregg opened the scoring with a one-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter. Quarterback Matthew Rueve then threw back-to-back touchdown passes, finding Devin Whitlock from 11 yards and Cyair Clark from five yards out to give the Crimson Hawks a commanding 21–0 lead after the first 15 minutes.
Edinboro (2–3, 2–1) capitalized on a pair of second-quarter opportunities to cut into the deficit. Quarterback Nico Marchitelli connected for a 13-yard touchdown before Tanner Bruzda added a 35-yard field goal to make it 21–9 at halftime.
IUP's defense put the game out of reach in the third quarter when Terell Williams scooped up a fumble and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown. The Crimson Hawks extended their advantage early in the fourth quarter on a two-yard touchdown run by Leon Parson. Edinboro managed one final field goal in the closing minutes, but the outcome was never in doubt.
Rueve finished 19-for-24 passing for 179 yards and two touchdowns, leading an efficient IUP offense that converted all four of its red-zone opportunities. The Crimson Hawks totaled 267 yards of offense while holding Edinboro to just 190.
The IUP defense forced three turnovers and recorded four sacks, continuing its season-long trend of creating havoc in opposing backfields.
With the win, IUP improves to 4–1 overall and 2–0 in PSAC play, extending its winning streak to five games. The Crimson Hawks will have a Bye on Oct. 11 before traveling to Slippery Rock on Oct. 18.
