INDIANA, Pa. --IUP welcomes Lock Haven to George P. Miller Stadium for its annual Homecoming game, with both teams entering unbeaten in PSAC play. The Crimson Hawks are 5-0 overall and 2-0 in conference play, while the Bald Eagles enter at 3-2 overall and 2-0 in the PSAC. IUP is off to its first 5-0 start since 2022, when the Crimson Hawks went on to win the PSAC Championship.

IUP is coming off a 46-44 double-overtime victory at Edinboro, its second overtime win of the season. Lock Haven also earned a dramatic victory last week, defeating Clarion on a last-second field goal in its Homecoming game. Four of IUP's first five games have been decided by 10 points or fewer, with the Crimson Hawks continuing to find ways to win close games.

The Crimson Hawks are 4-0 against Lock Haven under head coach Paul Tortorella. Sophomore wide receiver Jeremiah Coleman enters the matchup after a career-high 112 receiving yards against Edinboro and caught two touchdown passes against the Bald Eagles last season.

THE MATCHUP
October 10, 2026 | 2:00 PM | Frank Cignetti Field at George P. Miller Stadium

No. 10 / No. 13 IUP Crimson Hawks (5-0, 2-0 PSAc West)

ROSTER | STATS | SCHEDULE

NR / NR Lock Haven Bald Eagles (3-2, 2-0 PSAC West)

ROSTER | STATS | SCHEDULE

GAME DAY LINKS

Streaming: PSAC Digital Network | Radio U: 92.5 FM | Live Stats: Statbroadcast | Game Notes: IUP

QUICK NOTES

• IUP is 5-0 for the first time since 2022, when the Crimson Hawks went on to defeat Shepherd in the PSAC Championship Game at George P. Miller Stadium. Despite remaining unbeaten, IUP dropped to No. 10 in this week's AFCA Division II Coaches Poll while holding steady at No. 13 in the D2Football.com Top 25.

•Four of IUP's first five games have been decided by 10 points or fewer, including Saturday's 46-44 double-overtime victory at Edinboro. The Crimson Hawks secured the win with a walk-off two-point conversion at Sox Harrison Stadium, marking their second overtime victory of the season.

Four of IUP's first five games have also come on the road. Despite the challenging start to the schedule, the Crimson Hawks are 5-0 with an average margin of victory of 9.6 points. Take away a 28-point win over Seton Hill, and IUP's average margin of victory drops to just five points per game.

• IUP redshirt junior tight end Connor Shamany is tied for the PSAC lead with seven touchdown receptions through five games. Shamany has caught a touchdown in four of IUP's five games, including three multi-touchdown performances. The D2Football.com Elite 100 Watch List selection has established himself as one of the conference's top red-zone threats.

• Sophomore wide receiver Jeremiah Coleman enters the week with momentum after recording a career-high 112 receiving yards against Edinboro. Coleman also found success against Lock Haven last season, hauling in two touchdown passes from quarterback Mathew Rueve in IUP's victory over the Bald Eagles.

• IUP is 4-0 against Lock Haven under head coach Paul Tortorella, outscoring the Bald Eagles by an average margin of 35 points per game. The closest matchup during that stretch was a three-point IUP victory in 2024. The Crimson Hawks hold a commanding 61-15-3 advantage in the all-time series, which dates to 1925.

• Lock Haven was picked seventh in the PSAC West Preseason Poll entering the 2026 season but has opened conference play with a 2-0 record. The Bald Eagles earned wins over Gannon and Clarion by a combined 13 points, including a last-second victory over the Golden Eagles last week.

STORY LINES

PSAC WEST OFFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Redshirt senior quarterback Mason Maggs earned his first PSAC West Offensive Athlete of the Week honor following a career performance in IUP's 46-44 double-overtime victory at Edinboro. Maggs completed 19 of 28 passes for a career-high 369 yards and four touchdowns, helping the Crimson Hawks improve to 5-0 for the first time since 2022.

Maggs delivered when IUP needed him most, helping the Crimson Hawks erase a late deficit before making several key throws in overtime. In the second overtime, Maggs connected with Gavin Harrold for a 25-yard touchdown on IUP's first offensive play of the period before finding D'Avay Johnson for the game-winning two-point conversion. The performance marked Maggs' third four-touchdown game through his first five starts as a Crimson Hawk.

Through five games, Maggs leads the PSAC with 17 touchdown passes against just three interceptions. He has thrown multiple touchdown passes in every game this season and has quickly established himself as one of the conference's most productive quarterbacks. His 17 touchdown passes are four more than any other quarterback in the PSAC.

The Ohio State transfer has provided consistency for an IUP offense that entered the season with a new starting quarterback and a new offensive coordinator. Under first-year offensive coordinator Marco Pecora, Maggs has helped the Crimson Hawks navigate four road games in the first five weeks while leading IUP to an unbeaten start and a place among the top teams in Division II.

A QUARTERBACK'S BEST FRIEND

Redshirt junior tight end Connor Shamany has emerged as one of the most productive receiving threats in the PSAC through the first five games of the season. Shamany is tied for the conference lead with seven receiving touchdowns and has found the end zone in four of IUP's five games, becoming one of quarterback Mason Maggs' most reliable targets in the Crimson Hawks' 5-0 start.

Shamany has been especially effective in scoring situations, recording two touchdown receptions in three different games this season. He became the first IUP player to record a 100-yard receiving game in 2026 with 123 yards against Seton Hill, adding two touchdowns in the 35-7 victory. His combination of size and receiving ability has provided IUP with a consistent threat in the middle of the field and in the red zone.

The redshirt junior has continued to build on a breakout 2025 season in which he earned First Team All-PSAC West and All-Region honors. Shamany did not make his first start at tight end until Week 7 last season but quickly established himself as one of the top players at the position in the region.

A D2Football.com Elite 100 Watch List selection entering 2026, Shamany has carried that momentum into his second season as a starter. His seven touchdown receptions lead all PSAC tight ends and are tied for the most among all receivers in the conference, helping an IUP passing attack that has produced a PSAC-best 17 touchdown passes through five games.

HEATING UP

Wide receiver Jeremiah Coleman made an immediate impact as a freshman in 2025, hauling in 24 passes for 464 yards and eight touchdowns. After a slower start to his sophomore season, Coleman broke through last week against Edinboro with his first 100-yard receiving performance of 2026 and the second of his career.

Coleman needed just three catches to make his presence felt against the Fighting Scots, finishing with 112 receiving yards in IUP's 46-44 double-overtime victory. He averaged more than 37 yards per catch, with his three catches surpassing his total from the first four games of the season combined.

A threat both across the middle and down the field, Coleman has already shown an ability to produce big plays against this week's opponent. His first collegiate game action came against Lock Haven last season, when he burst onto the scene with three catches for 95 yards and two touchdowns. Those two scores accounted for two of his eight touchdown catches during his freshman campaign.

Coleman will look to build on his breakout performance against Edinboro as the Crimson Hawks return home for their Homecoming matchup with the Bald Eagles.

PHYSICAL FOOTBALL IS THE IUP WAY

Last weekend marked the second game this season in which IUP had two defenders record double-digit tackles. While it was familiar territory for safety Noah Johnston, IUP's leading tackler from last season, redshirt freshman Tasso Whipple reached double figures for the first time in his career.

Whipple led the Crimson Hawks with a season-high 11 tackles against Edinboro, including six solo stops. His 11 tackles are the most by an IUP defender in a game this season.

Prior to Saturday, IUP had recorded just three individual double-digit tackle performances this season, including 10-tackle efforts from Tai'Don Strickland and Devon Bertrand against Shippensburg. Whipple's emergence adds another young contributor to an IUP defense that has relied on a mix of veteran leadership and young talent through the first five games.

SPECIAL TEAM, SPECIAL PLAYERS, SPECIAL PLAYS

IUP's special teams unit has emerged as a weapon this season despite the Crimson Hawks replacing all four specialists from a year ago. The unit played a key role again last weekend in IUP's 46-44 double-overtime victory at Edinboro.

Kicker Preston Rathway connected on a field goal with 1:40 remaining in regulation to give IUP the lead. Punter and kickoff specialist Gavin Mentzer has also provided consistency throughout the season, ranking among the top 20 nationally in yards per punt and consistently helping the Crimson Hawks flip field position.

IUP also made an impact in the punt-block unit against Edinboro. Junior transfer Karson Kiesewetter blocked a punt in the first half, marking the Crimson Hawks' first blocked punt since the 2024 season and adding another dimension to an already productive special teams unit.

KEEP THE STREAK

IUP has taken care of business against Lock Haven under head coach Paul Tortorella, posting a 4-0 record with an average margin of victory of more than 35 points. The stretch includes a three-point victory in 2024 and a 63-point win in 2019, showing the wide range of results in the series.

The Crimson Hawks have been particularly dominant against the Bald Eagles at George P. Miller Stadium. In two home meetings under Tortorella, IUP has outscored Lock Haven 119-24, a 95-point advantage.

Overall, IUP holds a 61-15-3 advantage in the all-time series, which dates to the 1920s.

100-FOR-100 INITIATIVE

IUP football is celebrating its unofficial 100th season in 2026 with the launch of the "100 For 100" campaign, an initiative aimed at raising more than $100,000 to support the current and future needs of the program.

IUP's football record book dates to 1927, with the Crimson Hawks compiling 619 victories, 23 PSAC West titles, five PSAC championships, 21 NCAA playoff appearances and two national championship game appearances over nearly a century of football.

The "100 For 100" campaign gives former players, alumni, families, fans and supporters an opportunity to help build on that tradition and provide resources for the program's next century.

Donate for the 100-for-100 Initiative